[00:00.00]Unit 10 text A
[00:04.00]The Campaign for Election
[00:06.18]竞选大战
[00:08.36]Although presidential elections occur every 4 years,
[00:11.25] 虽然总统单行每四年举行一次，
[00:14.13]many people feel that they do not have a true understanding
[00:20.38]of how presidential campaigns operate.
[00:22.86]许多人感到对竞选大战的动作没有真正的理解。
[00:25.34]The winner in the November general election is almost certain
[00:32.42]to be either the Republican or the Democratic nominee.
[00:35.54] 11月份大选的获胜者几乎肯定是共和党或民主党的提名者。
[00:38.66]A minorparty or independent candidate,such as George Wallace in 1968
[00:42.54]小党派或独立候选人如1968年乔治华莱士,
[00:46.42]John Anderson in 1980,or Ross Perot in 1992 and 1996
[00:50.81]2980年的约翰.安德森或或1992和1996年的罗斯.佩罗,
[00:55.20]can draw votes away from the major-party nominees
[00:58.07]能从大党的提名人那里拉走一些选票,
[01:00.94]but stands almost no chance of defeating them.
[01:03.43]但几乎没有可能战胜他们.
[01:05.91]A major-party nominee has the critical advantage of support
[01:12.78]from the party faithful.
[01:14.54] 大党提名人具有得到党的踏实信徒支持这一关键的优势.
[01:16.30]Earlier in the twentieth century,
[01:18.28]20世纪早期,
[01:20.25]this support was so firm and steady
[01:22.63]这种支持是如此坚定,可靠,
[01:25.00]that the victory of the stronger party's candidate was almost a certainty.
[01:28.88]以至于较强从的党派候选人的胜利几乎是肯定的.
[01:32.76]Warren G.Harding accepted the 1920 Republican nomination at his Ohio home
[01:37.18]活化.G.哈定在俄亥俄州的家乡接受了1920年共和党的提名,
[01:41.59]stayed there throughout most of the campaign and won a full victory simply
[01:45.67]活化.G.哈定在俄亥俄州的家乡接受了1920年共和党的提名,
[01:49.74]because most of the voters of his time were Republicans.
[01:52.68]在竞选大战大部分是共和党党员.
[01:55.62]Party loyalty has declined in recent decades,
[01:58.49]在近几年内,党员对党派的忠诚削弱了,
[02:01.36]but more than two-thirds of the nation's voters still identify themselves
[02:08.81]as Democrats or Republicans,
[02:11.13]但2/3强的国家的投票人依然认为他们自己是民主党人或共和党人,
[02:13.46]and most of them support their party's presidential candidate.
[02:16.44]他们大多支持他们自己党派的总统候选人.
[02:19.42]Even Democrat George McGovern,
[02:21.79]即使民主党人乔治.麦戈文,
[02:24.17]who had the lowest level of party support among recent nominees,
[02:27.55]在近来的候选人中拥有最低水平的党派支持,
[02:30.94]was hacked in 1972 by nearly 60 percent of his party's voters.
[02:35.06]1972年得到了近60%的他的党派投票人的支持.
[02:39.19]Presidential candidates act strategically.
[02:42.01] 总统候选人的行为颇讲究策略.
[02:44.83]In deciding whether to pursue a course of action,
[02:47.47]在决定是否遵循一项行动方针时,
[02:50.11]they try to estimate its likely impact on the voters.
[02:52.98]他们要昼估计一下该方针对投票人可能具有的影响.
[02:55.86]During the 1992 campaign,
[02:58.44]在1992年竞选大战期间,
[03:01.03]a sign on the wall of Clinton's headquarters in Little Rock read,
[03:04.25]在小石城克林顿竞选总部的墙上有一个牌子,
[03:07.48]"The Economy,Stupid."
[03:09.66]上面写"经济.蠢货".
[03:11.84]The slogan was the idea of James Carville,C!inton's chief strategist
[03:16.22]这条标语是克林顿的首席战略家詹姆斯.卡维也纳尔的主意,
[03:20.59]and was meant as a reminder to the candidate and the staff
[03:23.87]意思是作为候选人和竞选班子全体人员警醒语,
[03:27.15]to keep the campaign focusedon the nation's slow-moving economy,
[03:30.48]使这声竞选大战集中在国家缓慢的经济上,
[03:33.81]which ultimately was the issue that defeated Bush.
[03:36.75]这成为最后击败布什的策略.
[03:39.69]As in 1980,when Jimmy Carter lost to Ronald Reagan during tough economic times,
[03:44.56]因为在1980年,在经济困难时期,右米.卡特输给了罗纳德.里根,
[03:49.43]the voters were motivated largely by a desire for change.
[03:52.76]投票人的积极性主要是由改变的愿望激励着.
[03:56.09]Candidates try to project a strong leadership image.
[03:59.07] 候选人尽力突出表现一种强有力的领导形象.
[04:02.05]Whether voters accept this image,however depends more on external factors
[04:05.33]然而,投票2 是否接受这一形象,
[04:08.61]than on a candidate's personal characteristics
[04:11.39]比起候选人的个人特点来更要依靠外部因素.
[04:14.17]In 1991,after the Gulf War,Bush's approval rating reached 91 percent
[04:18.60]在1991年海湾战争后,布什的支持率达了91%,
[04:23.03]the highest level recorded since polling began in the 1930s.
[04:26.25]是20世纪30年代民意测验开始以来的最高纪录.
[04:29.48]A year later,with the nation's economy in trouble
[04:32.31]一个后,国家经济处于困境,
[04:35.15]Bush's approval rating dropped below 40 percent.
[04:38.18]布什的支持率降低到40%以下.
[04:41.21]Bush tried to stir images of his strong leadership of the war
[04:44.43]布什尽力去激起人们对他在战争时期的强有力的领导形象的回忆,
[04:47.66]but voters remained concerned about the economy.
[04:50.39]但投票人依然关心经济问题.
[04:53.12]The candidates'strategies are shaped by many considerations
[04:56.35] 候选人的策略的形成要考虑到许多因素,
[04:59.57]including the constitutional provision that each state
[05:03.11]包括宪法的这一条款:
[05:06.65]shall have electoral votes equal in number to its representation in Congress.
[05:15.19]Each state thus gets two electoral votes for its Senate representation
[05:19.16]每个州具有的选举人票的数量与其在国会中的代表人数相等.
[05:23.13]and a varying number of electoral votes depending on its House representation
[05:26.82]这样每个州因其参议院代表得到两张选举人票,依靠其众议院代表得到不同数量的选举人票.
[05:30.50]Altogether,there are 538 electoral votes
[05:33.60]总共有538张选举人票
[05:36.69](including three for the District of Colurbia,
[05:41.73]even though it has no voting representatives in Congress).
[05:44.31](包括3张哥伦比亚特区的,尽管它在设计院没有投票议员).
[05:46.88]To win the presidency,a candidate must receive at least 270 votes
[05:55.71]an electoral majority.
[05:57.75]要赢得总统职务,一个候选人必须得到至少270张选票,即选举的多数票.
[05:59.78]Candidates are particularly concerned with winning the states
[06:05.74]which have the largest population,
[06:07.87] 候选人特别关注赢得人口最多的州,
[06:10.00]such as California (with 54 electoral votes)New York (33),
[06:14.27]如加利福尼亚州(有54张选举人票),纽约州(33张),
[06:18.54]Texas (32),Florida(25),Pennsylvania(23),Illinois (22),and Ohio (21).
[06:25.92]德克萨斯州(32张),佛罗里达州(25张),宾夕法尼亚州(23张),伊里诺斯州(22张)和俄亥俄州(21张).
[06:33.30]Victory in the eleven largest states alonewould provide an electoral majority,
[06:37.22]仅仅在11个最大的州的胜利就可提供选举的大多数,
[06:41.14]and presidential candidates therefore spend most of their time
[06:47.38]campaigning in those states.
[06:49.56]因此总统候选人在那些州花费大部分时间进行活动.
[06:51.74]Clinton received only 43 percent of the popular vote in 1992
[06:56.22] 1992年,克林顿只得到43%的大众选票,
[07:00.70]compared with Bush's 38 percent and Perot's 19 percent;
[07:04.08]相比之下布什得到38%,佩罗的是19%.
[07:07.47]but Clinton won in states that gave him an overwhelming
[07:11.10]但克林顿获胜的州给了他压倒优势的
[07:14.73]370 electoral votescompared with 168 for Bush and none for Perot.
[07:19.86]370张选举人票,相比之下给了布什168张,佩罗1张也没有.
[07:25.00]Text B
[07:27.87]The American Two-party System
[07:29.79]美国的两党制
[07:31.71]No one now living in the United States can remember when the contest began
[07:34.79] 现在生活在美国的人没有人能记起
[07:37.87]between the Democratic and the Republican parties.
[07:40.06]民主党和共和党之间的竞争是什么时候开始的.
[07:42.24]It has been going on for more than a century
[07:44.26]这种竞争已经进行了一个多世纪,
[07:46.29]making it one of the oldest political rivalries in the world.
[07:48.72]是世界上最早的政治竞争之一.
[07:51.14]The American political-system is a classical example of the two party system
[07:54.57] 美国的政治体制是两党帛的典型范例.
[07:57.99]When we say that we have a two-party system in the United States
[08:03.13]we do not mean that we have only two parties.
[08:05.32]当我们说美国有两党制时,并不是指只有两个政党.
[08:07.50]Usually about a dozen parties nominate presidential candidates
[08:10.23]通常约有十几个政党提名总统候选人.
[08:12.96]We call it a two-party system because we have two large parties
[08:18.91]and a number of small parties,
[08:20.65]我们之所以称之为两党制,是因为有两个大党派和许多小党派.
[08:22.39]and the large parties are so large that we often forget about the rest.
[08:25.51]大党派很大以致于我们常常忘记其他的小党派.
[08:28.63]Usually the small parties collectively poll
[08:30.85]大党派很大以致于我们常常忘记其他的小党派.
[08:33.07]less than 5 per cent of the votecast in national elections.
[08:35.74]通常小党派合在一起在僵选举中得票低于全国所投票数的5%.
[08:38.40]The Democratic and Republican parties
[08:40.39]在美国社会里,
[08:42.37]are the largest and most competitive organizations in the American community.
[08:45.31]民主党和共和党是最大和最有竞争力的组织.
[08:48.25]They organize the electorate very simply by maintaining the two-party system
[08:51.33]他们通过维持两党制,很容易地组织选民.
[08:54.41]Americans almost inevitably become Democrats or Republicans
[08:59.77]because there is usually no other place for them to go.
[09:02.09]因为通常没有其他地方可去,美国人几乎无可避免地成为民主党员或共和党员.
[09:04.42]Moreover,because the rivalry of these parties is very old
[09:07.30]此外,因为这些党的竞争历史很久,
[09:10.19]most'Americans know where they belong in the system.
[09:12.52]多数美国人知道自己属于两党制中的哪一派.
[09:14.84]As a consequence of the dominance of the major parties
[09:19.57]most elected officials are either Republicans or Democrats.
[09:25.13]Attempts to break up this old system have been made
[09:29.57]in every presidential election in the past one hundred years,
[09:32.00]在过去的100年里,每年的总统选举中都进行了一些打破旧体制的尝试,
[09:34.43]but the the system has survived all assaults.
[09:38.59]How does it happen
[09:41.54]that the two-party system is so strongly rooted in American politics?
[09:44.46] 两党制能如此坚实地扎根于美国政治中,这是怎么发生的呢?
[09:47.39]The explanation is probobly to be found in the way elections are conducted.
[09:50.42]人们可能在选举的动作方式中找到解释.
[09:53.45]In the United Statesunlike countries with a parli amentary system of government,
[09:56.58]在美国,不像政府议会制国家,
[09:59.72]we elect not only the President,
[10:01.48]我们不仅选举总统,
[10:03.25]but a large number of other officials about 800,000 of them.
[10:06.12]而且还选举许多官员,他们大约有80万人.
[10:08.99]We also elect congress men from single-member districts.
[10:11.63]国会议员也是从每区一票的选举中选出的.
[10:14.27]For example,we elect 435 members of the House of Representatives
[10:20.80]from 435 districts (there are a few exceptions),
[10:26.65]one member for each district.
[10:28.53]例如:我们从435个选区(有一些例外)选举435名参议员,例如:我们从435个选区(有一些例外)选举435名参议员,每一个选区选举一名参议员.
[10:30.41]Statistically this kind of election favors the major parties.
[10:33.23]据统计,这种选举对大党派有利.
[10:36.06]The system of elections makes it easy
[10:39.90]for the major parties to maintain their dominant position,
[10:42.23]选举制度使大党轻而易举地保持着他们的统治地位,
[10:44.57]because they are likely to win more than their share of the offices.
[10:47.14]因为他们赢得的席位可能比他们应得的份额多.
[10:49.72]One of the great consequences of the system
[10:53.69]is that produces majorities automatically.
[10:55.82] 这种制度的最大结果就是它自动地产生了多数党.
[10:57.95]Because there are only two competiwrs in the running,
[11:02.31]it is almost inevitable that one will receive a majority.
[11:04.88]因为只有两个竞争者参加竞选,
[11:07.45]Moreover,
[11:10.20]the system tends slightly to exaggerate the victory of the winning party.
[11:12.98]几乎可以肯定其中一个将赢得多数.
[11:15.76]This is not always true,
[11:17.45]事情并非总是这样,
[11:19.13]but the strong tendency to produce majoritiesis built into the system.
[11:22.01]但产生多数党的巨大倾向在这种制度中形成了.
[11:24.88]In over 200 years of constitutional history,
[11:27.16]在200多年的宪法史中,
[11:29.45]Americans have learned much about the way in which the system can be managed
[11:32.23]美国人对两党制和管理方式已经有了很多了解,
[11:35.01]so as to make possible the peaceful trans fer of powerfrom one party to the other.
[11:38.14]以使权力能够和平地从一个政党移交到另一个政党.
[11:41.26]At the level of presidential elections,
[11:43.24]在总统选举中,
[11:45.23]the party in power has been overturned by the party out of power nineteen times,
[11:48.35]执政党已被在野党击败了19次,
[11:51.47]almost once a decade.
[11:53.05]几乎每十年一次.
[11:54.63]In the election of 1860,the political system broke down and the Civil War,
[11:58.21]在1860年的选举中,这种政治制度中断了.
[12:01.79]the worst disaster American history,resulted.
[12:04.02]这是因为南北战争--美国历史上最大的灾难所致.
[12:06.26]Our history justifies our confidence in the system
[12:08.48]我国(美国)的历史证明我们有理由对这一制度保持信心,
[12:10.70]but also shows that it is not foolproof.
[12:12.83]但历史也表明这一制度不是万无一失的.
[12:14.96]The second major party is able to survive a defeat
[12:19.50]because the statistical tendency that exaggerates the victory of the winning party
[12:22.47] 第二大党能在失败下继续生存,因为夸大获胜党的统计
[12:25.43]operates even more strongly in favor of the second party
[12:27.91]甚而更有力地支持第二大党,
[12:30.39]against the third,fourth,and fifth parties,
[12:32.72]反对第三,第四,第五党派.
[12:35.04]As a result,
[12:36.43]因此,
[12:37.81]the defeated major party is able to maintaina monopoly of the opposition.
[12:40.74]失败的大学能够保持对立的垄断.
[12:43.66]The advantage of the second party over the third is so great,
[12:46.16]第二大党相对于第三派有巨大的优势,
[12:48.65]that it is the only party that is likely to be able to overturn the party in power.
[12:51.88]它是惟一可能击败执政党的党派.
[12:55.11]It is able,therefore,
[12:58.66]to attract the support of everyone seriously opposed to the party in power.
[13:01.54]因此,能够吸引强烈反对执政党的每一个党派的支持.
[13:04.43]The second party is important
[13:08.27]as long as it can monopolize the movement to overthrow the party in power,
[13:11.25]只要第二大党能够垄断击败执政党的运动,它就是重要的,
[13:14.23]because it is certain to come into power sooner or later.
[13:16.96]因为迟早它肯定能上台执政.
[13:19.69]Another consequence of the two-party system
[13:22.26]两党制另一个结果是:
[13:24.83]is that where as minor parties are likely to identify themselves
[13:30.19]with special interests or special programs and thus take extreme positions
[13:33.47]鉴于小党派可能把自己与特殊的利益和特殊的纲领认同为一,
[13:36.74]the major parties are so large that they tend to be moderate.
[13:39.38]因而采取极端立场,而大党很大所以倾向于温和.
[13:42.02]Evidence of the moderation of the major parties
[13:46.28]is that much business is conducted across party Lines.
[13:48.76]大党的温和倾向的证据是许多事物都是超越党派界限进行的.
[13:51.24]What happens when the Democrats control one house of Congress
[13:56.10]and the Republicans control the other?
[13:57.98]当民主党控制国会的一个院而共和党控制另一个院时,会发生什么呢?
[13:59.86]About the same volume of legislation is passed
[14:02.15]像一个党控制国会两院一样,
[14:04.43]as when one party controls both houses,
[14:06.62]大约相同卷册的法规会得到批准,
[14:08.80]although some important legislation is likely to be blocked temporarily
[14:11.83]虽然一些重要法规可能被搁置.
[14:14.86]It is possible to carry on the work of the government
[14:17.04]政府工作还是能够进行的.
[14:19.22]even when party control is divided
[14:21.10]即使两个党控制不同部门时,
[14:22.98]because party differences are not fundamental.
[14:25.16]因为党派的分歧不是根本的,
[00:04.00]The Campaign for Election
[00:06.18]竞选大战
[00:08.36]Although presidential elections occur every 4 years,
[00:11.25] 虽然总统单行每四年举行一次，
[00:14.13]many people feel that they do not have a true understanding
[00:20.38]of how presidential campaigns operate.
[00:22.86]许多人感到对竞选大战的动作没有真正的理解。
[00:25.34]The winner in the November general election is almost certain
[00:32.42]to be either the Republican or the Democratic nominee.
[00:35.54] 11月份大选的获胜者几乎肯定是共和党或民主党的提名者。
[00:38.66]A minorparty or independent candidate,such as George Wallace in 1968
[00:42.54]小党派或独立候选人如1968年乔治华莱士,
[00:46.42]John Anderson in 1980,or Ross Perot in 1992 and 1996
[00:50.81]2980年的约翰.安德森或或1992和1996年的罗斯.佩罗,
[00:55.20]can draw votes away from the major-party nominees
[00:58.07]能从大党的提名人那里拉走一些选票,
[01:00.94]but stands almost no chance of defeating them.
[01:03.43]但几乎没有可能战胜他们.
[01:05.91]A major-party nominee has the critical advantage of support
[01:12.78]from the party faithful.
[01:14.54] 大党提名人具有得到党的踏实信徒支持这一关键的优势.
[01:16.30]Earlier in the twentieth century,
[01:18.28]20世纪早期,
[01:20.25]this support was so firm and steady
[01:22.63]这种支持是如此坚定,可靠,
[01:25.00]that the victory of the stronger party's candidate was almost a certainty.
[01:28.88]以至于较强从的党派候选人的胜利几乎是肯定的.
[01:32.76]Warren G.Harding accepted the 1920 Republican nomination at his Ohio home
[01:37.18]活化.G.哈定在俄亥俄州的家乡接受了1920年共和党的提名,
[01:41.59]stayed there throughout most of the campaign and won a full victory simply
[01:45.67]活化.G.哈定在俄亥俄州的家乡接受了1920年共和党的提名,
[01:49.74]because most of the voters of his time were Republicans.
[01:52.68]在竞选大战大部分是共和党党员.
[01:55.62]Party loyalty has declined in recent decades,
[01:58.49]在近几年内,党员对党派的忠诚削弱了,
[02:01.36]but more than two-thirds of the nation's voters still identify themselves
[02:08.81]as Democrats or Republicans,
[02:11.13]但2/3强的国家的投票人依然认为他们自己是民主党人或共和党人,
[02:13.46]and most of them support their party's presidential candidate.
[02:16.44]他们大多支持他们自己党派的总统候选人.
[02:19.42]Even Democrat George McGovern,
[02:21.79]即使民主党人乔治.麦戈文,
[02:24.17]who had the lowest level of party support among recent nominees,
[02:27.55]在近来的候选人中拥有最低水平的党派支持,
[02:30.94]was hacked in 1972 by nearly 60 percent of his party's voters.
[02:35.06]1972年得到了近60%的他的党派投票人的支持.
[02:39.19]Presidential candidates act strategically.
[02:42.01] 总统候选人的行为颇讲究策略.
[02:44.83]In deciding whether to pursue a course of action,
[02:47.47]在决定是否遵循一项行动方针时,
[02:50.11]they try to estimate its likely impact on the voters.
[02:52.98]他们要昼估计一下该方针对投票人可能具有的影响.
[02:55.86]During the 1992 campaign,
[02:58.44]在1992年竞选大战期间,
[03:01.03]a sign on the wall of Clinton's headquarters in Little Rock read,
[03:04.25]在小石城克林顿竞选总部的墙上有一个牌子,
[03:07.48]"The Economy,Stupid."
[03:09.66]上面写"经济.蠢货".
[03:11.84]The slogan was the idea of James Carville,C!inton's chief strategist
[03:16.22]这条标语是克林顿的首席战略家詹姆斯.卡维也纳尔的主意,
[03:20.59]and was meant as a reminder to the candidate and the staff
[03:23.87]意思是作为候选人和竞选班子全体人员警醒语,
[03:27.15]to keep the campaign focusedon the nation's slow-moving economy,
[03:30.48]使这声竞选大战集中在国家缓慢的经济上,
[03:33.81]which ultimately was the issue that defeated Bush.
[03:36.75]这成为最后击败布什的策略.
[03:39.69]As in 1980,when Jimmy Carter lost to Ronald Reagan during tough economic times,
[03:44.56]因为在1980年,在经济困难时期,右米.卡特输给了罗纳德.里根,
[03:49.43]the voters were motivated largely by a desire for change.
[03:52.76]投票人的积极性主要是由改变的愿望激励着.
[03:56.09]Candidates try to project a strong leadership image.
[03:59.07] 候选人尽力突出表现一种强有力的领导形象.
[04:02.05]Whether voters accept this image,however depends more on external factors
[04:05.33]然而,投票2 是否接受这一形象,
[04:08.61]than on a candidate's personal characteristics
[04:11.39]比起候选人的个人特点来更要依靠外部因素.
[04:14.17]In 1991,after the Gulf War,Bush's approval rating reached 91 percent
[04:18.60]在1991年海湾战争后,布什的支持率达了91%,
[04:23.03]the highest level recorded since polling began in the 1930s.
[04:26.25]是20世纪30年代民意测验开始以来的最高纪录.
[04:29.48]A year later,with the nation's economy in trouble
[04:32.31]一个后,国家经济处于困境,
[04:35.15]Bush's approval rating dropped below 40 percent.
[04:38.18]布什的支持率降低到40%以下.
[04:41.21]Bush tried to stir images of his strong leadership of the war
[04:44.43]布什尽力去激起人们对他在战争时期的强有力的领导形象的回忆,
[04:47.66]but voters remained concerned about the economy.
[04:50.39]但投票人依然关心经济问题.
[04:53.12]The candidates'strategies are shaped by many considerations
[04:56.35] 候选人的策略的形成要考虑到许多因素,
[04:59.57]including the constitutional provision that each state
[05:03.11]包括宪法的这一条款:
[05:06.65]shall have electoral votes equal in number to its representation in Congress.
[05:15.19]Each state thus gets two electoral votes for its Senate representation
[05:19.16]每个州具有的选举人票的数量与其在国会中的代表人数相等.
[05:23.13]and a varying number of electoral votes depending on its House representation
[05:26.82]这样每个州因其参议院代表得到两张选举人票,依靠其众议院代表得到不同数量的选举人票.
[05:30.50]Altogether,there are 538 electoral votes
[05:33.60]总共有538张选举人票
[05:36.69](including three for the District of Colurbia,
[05:41.73]even though it has no voting representatives in Congress).
[05:44.31](包括3张哥伦比亚特区的,尽管它在设计院没有投票议员).
[05:46.88]To win the presidency,a candidate must receive at least 270 votes
[05:55.71]an electoral majority.
[05:57.75]要赢得总统职务,一个候选人必须得到至少270张选票,即选举的多数票.
[05:59.78]Candidates are particularly concerned with winning the states
[06:05.74]which have the largest population,
[06:07.87] 候选人特别关注赢得人口最多的州,
[06:10.00]such as California (with 54 electoral votes)New York (33),
[06:14.27]如加利福尼亚州(有54张选举人票),纽约州(33张),
[06:18.54]Texas (32),Florida(25),Pennsylvania(23),Illinois (22),and Ohio (21).
[06:25.92]德克萨斯州(32张),佛罗里达州(25张),宾夕法尼亚州(23张),伊里诺斯州(22张)和俄亥俄州(21张).
[06:33.30]Victory in the eleven largest states alonewould provide an electoral majority,
[06:37.22]仅仅在11个最大的州的胜利就可提供选举的大多数,
[06:41.14]and presidential candidates therefore spend most of their time
[06:47.38]campaigning in those states.
[06:49.56]因此总统候选人在那些州花费大部分时间进行活动.
[06:51.74]Clinton received only 43 percent of the popular vote in 1992
[06:56.22] 1992年,克林顿只得到43%的大众选票,
[07:00.70]compared with Bush's 38 percent and Perot's 19 percent;
[07:04.08]相比之下布什得到38%,佩罗的是19%.
[07:07.47]but Clinton won in states that gave him an overwhelming
[07:11.10]但克林顿获胜的州给了他压倒优势的
[07:14.73]370 electoral votescompared with 168 for Bush and none for Perot.
[07:19.86]370张选举人票,相比之下给了布什168张,佩罗1张也没有.
[07:25.00]Text B
[07:27.87]The American Two-party System
[07:29.79]美国的两党制
[07:31.71]No one now living in the United States can remember when the contest began
[07:34.79] 现在生活在美国的人没有人能记起
[07:37.87]between the Democratic and the Republican parties.
[07:40.06]民主党和共和党之间的竞争是什么时候开始的.
[07:42.24]It has been going on for more than a century
[07:44.26]这种竞争已经进行了一个多世纪,
[07:46.29]making it one of the oldest political rivalries in the world.
[07:48.72]是世界上最早的政治竞争之一.
[07:51.14]The American political-system is a classical example of the two party system
[07:54.57] 美国的政治体制是两党帛的典型范例.
[07:57.99]When we say that we have a two-party system in the United States
[08:03.13]we do not mean that we have only two parties.
[08:05.32]当我们说美国有两党制时,并不是指只有两个政党.
[08:07.50]Usually about a dozen parties nominate presidential candidates
[08:10.23]通常约有十几个政党提名总统候选人.
[08:12.96]We call it a two-party system because we have two large parties
[08:18.91]and a number of small parties,
[08:20.65]我们之所以称之为两党制,是因为有两个大党派和许多小党派.
[08:22.39]and the large parties are so large that we often forget about the rest.
[08:25.51]大党派很大以致于我们常常忘记其他的小党派.
[08:28.63]Usually the small parties collectively poll
[08:30.85]大党派很大以致于我们常常忘记其他的小党派.
[08:33.07]less than 5 per cent of the votecast in national elections.
[08:35.74]通常小党派合在一起在僵选举中得票低于全国所投票数的5%.
[08:38.40]The Democratic and Republican parties
[08:40.39]在美国社会里,
[08:42.37]are the largest and most competitive organizations in the American community.
[08:45.31]民主党和共和党是最大和最有竞争力的组织.
[08:48.25]They organize the electorate very simply by maintaining the two-party system
[08:51.33]他们通过维持两党制,很容易地组织选民.
[08:54.41]Americans almost inevitably become Democrats or Republicans
[08:59.77]because there is usually no other place for them to go.
[09:02.09]因为通常没有其他地方可去,美国人几乎无可避免地成为民主党员或共和党员.
[09:04.42]Moreover,because the rivalry of these parties is very old
[09:07.30]此外,因为这些党的竞争历史很久,
[09:10.19]most'Americans know where they belong in the system.
[09:12.52]多数美国人知道自己属于两党制中的哪一派.
[09:14.84]As a consequence of the dominance of the major parties
[09:19.57]most elected officials are either Republicans or Democrats.
[09:25.13]Attempts to break up this old system have been made
[09:29.57]in every presidential election in the past one hundred years,
[09:32.00]在过去的100年里,每年的总统选举中都进行了一些打破旧体制的尝试,
[09:34.43]but the the system has survived all assaults.
[09:38.59]How does it happen
[09:41.54]that the two-party system is so strongly rooted in American politics?
[09:44.46] 两党制能如此坚实地扎根于美国政治中,这是怎么发生的呢?
[09:47.39]The explanation is probobly to be found in the way elections are conducted.
[09:50.42]人们可能在选举的动作方式中找到解释.
[09:53.45]In the United Statesunlike countries with a parli amentary system of government,
[09:56.58]在美国,不像政府议会制国家,
[09:59.72]we elect not only the President,
[10:01.48]我们不仅选举总统,
[10:03.25]but a large number of other officials about 800,000 of them.
[10:06.12]而且还选举许多官员,他们大约有80万人.
[10:08.99]We also elect congress men from single-member districts.
[10:11.63]国会议员也是从每区一票的选举中选出的.
[10:14.27]For example,we elect 435 members of the House of Representatives
[10:20.80]from 435 districts (there are a few exceptions),
[10:26.65]one member for each district.
[10:28.53]例如:我们从435个选区(有一些例外)选举435名参议员,例如:我们从435个选区(有一些例外)选举435名参议员,每一个选区选举一名参议员.
[10:30.41]Statistically this kind of election favors the major parties.
[10:33.23]据统计,这种选举对大党派有利.
[10:36.06]The system of elections makes it easy
[10:39.90]for the major parties to maintain their dominant position,
[10:42.23]选举制度使大党轻而易举地保持着他们的统治地位,
[10:44.57]because they are likely to win more than their share of the offices.
[10:47.14]因为他们赢得的席位可能比他们应得的份额多.
[10:49.72]One of the great consequences of the system
[10:53.69]is that produces majorities automatically.
[10:55.82] 这种制度的最大结果就是它自动地产生了多数党.
[10:57.95]Because there are only two competiwrs in the running,
[11:02.31]it is almost inevitable that one will receive a majority.
[11:04.88]因为只有两个竞争者参加竞选,
[11:07.45]Moreover,
[11:10.20]the system tends slightly to exaggerate the victory of the winning party.
[11:12.98]几乎可以肯定其中一个将赢得多数.
[11:15.76]This is not always true,
[11:17.45]事情并非总是这样,
[11:19.13]but the strong tendency to produce majoritiesis built into the system.
[11:22.01]但产生多数党的巨大倾向在这种制度中形成了.
[11:24.88]In over 200 years of constitutional history,
[11:27.16]在200多年的宪法史中,
[11:29.45]Americans have learned much about the way in which the system can be managed
[11:32.23]美国人对两党制和管理方式已经有了很多了解,
[11:35.01]so as to make possible the peaceful trans fer of powerfrom one party to the other.
[11:38.14]以使权力能够和平地从一个政党移交到另一个政党.
[11:41.26]At the level of presidential elections,
[11:43.24]在总统选举中,
[11:45.23]the party in power has been overturned by the party out of power nineteen times,
[11:48.35]执政党已被在野党击败了19次,
[11:51.47]almost once a decade.
[11:53.05]几乎每十年一次.
[11:54.63]In the election of 1860,the political system broke down and the Civil War,
[11:58.21]在1860年的选举中,这种政治制度中断了.
[12:01.79]the worst disaster American history,resulted.
[12:04.02]这是因为南北战争--美国历史上最大的灾难所致.
[12:06.26]Our history justifies our confidence in the system
[12:08.48]我国(美国)的历史证明我们有理由对这一制度保持信心,
[12:10.70]but also shows that it is not foolproof.
[12:12.83]但历史也表明这一制度不是万无一失的.
[12:14.96]The second major party is able to survive a defeat
[12:19.50]because the statistical tendency that exaggerates the victory of the winning party
[12:22.47] 第二大党能在失败下继续生存,因为夸大获胜党的统计
[12:25.43]operates even more strongly in favor of the second party
[12:27.91]甚而更有力地支持第二大党,
[12:30.39]against the third,fourth,and fifth parties,
[12:32.72]反对第三,第四,第五党派.
[12:35.04]As a result,
[12:36.43]因此,
[12:37.81]the defeated major party is able to maintaina monopoly of the opposition.
[12:40.74]失败的大学能够保持对立的垄断.
[12:43.66]The advantage of the second party over the third is so great,
[12:46.16]第二大党相对于第三派有巨大的优势,
[12:48.65]that it is the only party that is likely to be able to overturn the party in power.
[12:51.88]它是惟一可能击败执政党的党派.
[12:55.11]It is able,therefore,
[12:58.66]to attract the support of everyone seriously opposed to the party in power.
[13:01.54]因此,能够吸引强烈反对执政党的每一个党派的支持.
[13:04.43]The second party is important
[13:08.27]as long as it can monopolize the movement to overthrow the party in power,
[13:11.25]只要第二大党能够垄断击败执政党的运动,它就是重要的,
[13:14.23]because it is certain to come into power sooner or later.
[13:16.96]因为迟早它肯定能上台执政.
[13:19.69]Another consequence of the two-party system
[13:22.26]两党制另一个结果是:
[13:24.83]is that where as minor parties are likely to identify themselves
[13:30.19]with special interests or special programs and thus take extreme positions
[13:33.47]鉴于小党派可能把自己与特殊的利益和特殊的纲领认同为一,
[13:36.74]the major parties are so large that they tend to be moderate.
[13:39.38]因而采取极端立场,而大党很大所以倾向于温和.
[13:42.02]Evidence of the moderation of the major parties
[13:46.28]is that much business is conducted across party Lines.
[13:48.76]大党的温和倾向的证据是许多事物都是超越党派界限进行的.
[13:51.24]What happens when the Democrats control one house of Congress
[13:56.10]and the Republicans control the other?
[13:57.98]当民主党控制国会的一个院而共和党控制另一个院时,会发生什么呢?
[13:59.86]About the same volume of legislation is passed
[14:02.15]像一个党控制国会两院一样,
[14:04.43]as when one party controls both houses,
[14:06.62]大约相同卷册的法规会得到批准,
[14:08.80]although some important legislation is likely to be blocked temporarily
[14:11.83]虽然一些重要法规可能被搁置.
[14:14.86]It is possible to carry on the work of the government
[14:17.04]政府工作还是能够进行的.
[14:19.22]even when party control is divided
[14:21.10]即使两个党控制不同部门时,
[14:22.98]because party differences are not fundamental.
[14:25.16]因为党派的分歧不是根本的,
