英文原版对话1000个:1104 Red State / Blue State

 　　Adria: So Shiloh, we're talking about politics right now and there's something in the US called red and blue states, could you explain a little bit what they are?

 

　　Shiloh: Yeah Adria, a red state in the United States is a state which is dominated by Republicans. There are two large political parties. There's the Democrats¹ and the Republicans and the Democrats are blue and the Republicans are red. Also there are animals which identify what party you're from. The Democrats are donkeys and Republicans are elephants and I don't know the history behind that. It's kind of weird² but it's kind of funny as well, but I'm from a red state which is an elephant state.

 

　　Adria: Yeah, I'm also from largely a red state but we have blue enclaves inside that state.

 

　　Shiloh: So what do you think, right now we have two major political parties in the United States, the Democrats and the Republicans, and they're always fighting against each other and the bureaucracy and the politics always seem to be between parties instead of between issues. Do you think that this is a big problem? Do you think it's getting any better? What do you think about that?

 

　　Adria: I definitely think that there's quite a gridlock in the US political system because of the two party, the very strong line two party system, and in the Senate especially there's not enough you know between party negotiations³ going on. Everybody stays with their party instead of doing what's best for your state or for your people. So, for instance, with healthcare, Senator McConnell is Kentucky's representative but you know what's best for Kentucky might actually be nationalized healthcare because of how many poor people we have and pregnant thirteen year olds but I think that he just sticks with the Republican ideals without actually trying to see is this better for my people or not.

 

　　Shiloh: I see. What do you think about talk radio shows and television, it seems like talk radio shows, political radio shows, are always bashing the opposition⁴ instead of talking about what is important. Do you think that this, I think that this contributes to inter⁵ party feuds⁶ and I don't think it helps anything because what you wind up listening to is just argument against a party instead of argument against a position.

 

　　Adria: I agree with that so I try to follow news that's a little more between the lines maybe. I listen to something called National Public Radio or NPR.

 

　　Shiloh: I love NPR.

 

　　Adria: It's a little liberal leaning definitely, but I mean I recognize the liberal leaning and I also get outside news sources from like BBC. That way they're not caught up in that whole two party system, they're looking at it from a different perspective. So what about you? What do you watch or listen to?

 

　　Shiloh: I watch the BBC a lot because they focus more on international politics, although I think the BBC focuses a little too much on African politics and not everywhere else in the rest of the world.

1 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 weird   

adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的

参考例句：

• From his weird behaviour,he seems a bit of an oddity.从他不寻常的行为看来，他好像有点怪。
• His weird clothes really gas me.他的怪衣裳简直笑死人。

3 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

4 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

5 inter   

v.埋葬

参考例句：

• They interred their dear comrade in the arms.他们埋葬了他们亲爱的战友。
• The man who died in that accident has been interred.在那次事故中死的那个人已经被埋葬了。

6 feuds   

n.长期不和，世仇( feud的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Quarrels and feuds between tribes became incessant. 部落间的争吵、反目成仇的事件接连不断。 来自英汉非文学 - 文明史
• There were feuds in the palace, no one can deny. 宫里也有斗争，这是无可否认的。 来自辞典例句