欧美人文风情第107篇:简说美国总统大选

 Every four years, Americans who are eighteen or older have a big responsibility. 每四年，十八岁以上的美国人就有个重大的责任。

Our votes decide who becomes the President of the United States. 我们的选票决定谁会成为美国总统。

Unfortunately, the U.S. election system isn't that simple! 不幸的是，美国选举系统不是那么的简单!

This is Electing a U.S. President in Plain English. 这里是“简说美国总统大选”。

It's easy to imagine every U.S. citizen's vote being counted together on Election Day, but this is not the case. 很容易联想到的是在大选之日，每位美国公民的选票被集中起来开票，但不是这样子的。

U.S. elections are not decided¹ by the total or popular vote, but individual states. Let me explain. 美国选举不是由直选或普选决定，而是由每一个州来决定。让我为你解释。

It starts with your vote. On Election Day, you'll vote for president and their vice² president. 从你投票开始。在大选之日，你将投票选出总统和他们的副手。

You get one choice. Then, all the votes in your state are counted. 你只能选一个。然后，你的州所有票数被加以计算。

The candidate with the most state-wide votes becomes the candidate your state supports for president. 州内得票数最高的候选人成为你的州所支持的总统候选人。

This happens across the country until each state has selected their candidate. 全国都是这样，直到每个州都选出它们的候选人。

We end up with most of the fifty states and the District of Columbia voting to support one candidate each. 结果我们得到的是大部分的五十州加上哥伦比亚特区，各投票支持一位候选人。

But there's a problem. We can't elect a president by just counting up the choices of these states. 但有个问题。我们不能只是算一算这些州的选票就选出总统。

U.S. states are different. 美国的州各有不同。

Consider this: California has about thirty-six million people; Kansas has less than three million. 想想看：加州有三千六百万人；堪萨斯州只有不到三百万人。

We need a way for California's choice to have more influence on the election because the state has more people. 我们需要有个方法，让加州的抉择对大选更有影响力，因为这一州人口较多。

The question becomes: how do we make sure each state has the right amount of influence on the election? 问题变成：我们要如何确保每个州对选举拥有正确的大选影响力？

Well, we need a way to account for the population of each state. 这个嘛，我们需要一个能够说明每个州的人口之影响力的方法。

As an example, let's consider my home state of North Carolina. 举例来说，看看我的家乡北卡罗莱纳州吧。

Like every state, it is divided up into congressional districts that are based on population. 就像每个州一样，它以人口数为基础来划分为不同的众议员选区。

North Carolina has thirteen districts, California has fifty-three and Kansas has four. 北卡罗莱纳州有十三个区，加州有五十三个区而堪萨斯州有四个区。

When it comes to a state's influence on the election, the number of districts matters most. 谈到一个州对大选的影响力，区的数量影响最大了。

More population equals more districts equals more influence. 较多的人口等同于较多的区也就等于较大的影响力。

The influence a state has in the election is measured by the number of Electors. 一个州在大选所拥有的影响力是用“总统选举人票数”来衡量的。

This number comes from the number of districts in a state plus the number of U.S. senators³, which is always two. 这数字是从州内众议员选区的总和加上美国参议员数而来，参议员数目都是两位。

North Carolina has fifteen Electors, while California has fifty-five. 北卡罗莱纳州有十五张总统选举人票，而加州有五十五张总统选举人票。

When a candidate wins the voting in a state, they win that state's number of Electors. 当一位候选人在州内赢得选举，他们就赢得那一州的总统选举人票数。

That's why big, populous⁴ states can be so important to candidates. 那就是为何大的、人口众多的州对候选人来说是非常重要的。

Their electors add up quickly. And the number of electors is what really matters. 它们的总统选举人票数会很快地增加。而总统选举人票数才真正是关系重大。

Here's why: 这里是为什么：

If you add up the Electors of all fifty states and the District of Columbia, there are five hundred and thirty-eight in total. 如果你把全部五十州和哥伦比亚特区的总统选举人票数加起来，总共有五百三十八张票。

The candidates' goal on Election Day is to win the majority of five hundred and thirty-eight, or two hundred and seventy electors. 在选举日，候选人的目标是要赢得五百三十八票中的大多数，或是说两百七十票。

Once a candidate wins enough states to reach the two hundred and seventy majority, 一旦一位候选人赢得足够的州数，达到两百七十票的多数，

they have won the election and become the President-elect. Yeah! 他们就已经赢得选举，成为总统当选人。耶!

So, let's recap. Your vote helps your state choose a single candidate. 所以，让我们来重述一下要点。你的选票帮助你的州选出一位候选人。

That candidate receives all the electors from your state. 那位候选人接收你州所有的总统选举人票。

The candidate who can win enough states, to reach two hundred and seventy total electors wins the national election and becomes the President-elect. 能够赢得足够州数，抵达总共两百七十张总统选举人票数的候选人赢得全国大选并成为总统当选人。

Then, on the following January 20th the President-elect is sworn in as the next President of the United States. 然后，在次年一月二十日，总统当选人宣誓就职成为下一任美国总统。

And it all starts with your vote. Make it count! 而这一切都是从你的投票开始的。让你的选票说话吧!

I'm Lee Lefever, and this has been Electing a U.S President in Plain English on the Common Craft Show. 我是Lee Lefever，而这是Common Craft Show的“简说美国总统大选”。

One more thing: the Common Craft Store now offers downloadable versions of our videos for use in the workplace. 还有一件事：Common Craft Store现在提供让你在工作场所使用我们的可下载版本影片。

Find them at commoncraft.com/store. 在commoncraft.com/store可以找到它们。

 

1 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

2 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

3 senators   

n.参议员( senator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• When the senators vote, the ayes will have it. 参议员投票时，投赞成票的人将占多数。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The committee concluded that the senators had engaged in improper conduct. 委员会断定议员们从事了不正当活动。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 populous   

adj.人口稠密的，人口众多的

参考例句：

• London is the most populous area of Britain.伦敦是英国人口最稠密的地区。
• China is the most populous developing country in the world.中国是世界上人口最多的发展中国家。