经济学人:美国民主的固有偏向(2)
日期:2018-08-16 06:00

(单词翻译:单击)

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中英文本

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This imbalance is partly by design.
而这种不平衡通常都蓄意为之Dy2f!dQTxuE0XVgy7p
The greatest and the smallest states each have two senators,
最大的州和最小的州都会选出两名参议员,
in order that Congress should represent territory as well as people.
以保证国会不仅代表人口利益,也代表各领土的利益4|X;RIgp+6
Yet the over-representation of rural America was not supposed to affect the House and the presidency.
但是,美国农村过大的代表权不应影响众议院和总统选举%~U0_|f#oNkn_lU8&ip
For most of the past 200 years, when rural, urban and suburban interests were scattered between the parties, it did not.
在过去200年的大多数时间里,农村、城市还有城郊利益分各一方时,事情并非如此r~T@n)R#fh=vq.
Today, however, the 13 states where people live closest together have 121 Democratic House members and 73 Republican ones,
而现如今,人口最密集的13个洲有121名民主党议员和73名共和党议员,
whereas the rest have 163 Republicans and just 72 Democrats.
而其余的洲则有163名共和党议员和区区72名民主党议员6,lW&tz.H9U(YaX
America has one party built on territory and another built on people.
美国有一个政党是建立在领土基础上的,而另一个是建立在人民基础上的1P%^E)FZM&=f&b
The bias is deepening.
偏向性越来越深bSs3%jih@-(
Every president who took office in the 20th century did so having won the popular vote.
20世纪继任的总统都是这样赢得普选的PRnLOUKu2g;aA

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Voting reform.jpg

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In two of the five elections for 21st century presidents, the minority won the electoral college.
21世纪的5次总统选举中,2次都是少数派赢得了选举团0&[0!&)KlZ
By having elected politicians appoint federal judges,
由于联邦法官亦由被选举上的政客任命,
the American system embeds this rural bias in the courts as well.
美国制度也把农村倾向嵌入了法庭X|.VN9V^RbG7j
If Brett Kavanaugh, whom President Donald Trump nominated this week, joins the Supreme Court,
若唐纳德·特朗普总统本周提名的布雷特·卡瓦诺加入最高法院,
a conservative court established by a president and Senate who were elected with less than half the two-party vote may end up litigating the fairness of the voting system.
那么将出现这样一个保守派法院,建立它的总统和参议院在两党投票中均未过半数,最终可能会引起针对投票系统公正性的诉讼fp3Coj;20L_y*~XayB%n
This bias is a dangerous new twist in the tribalism and political dysfunction that is poisoning politics in Washington.
部落主义和政治失调正在危害美国政治,而这种偏向性则是一种危险的意想不到的新进展R-]@Tphk(Z]Gd[]RGqW
Americans often say such partisanship is bad for their country
美国人经常说这种党派偏向性对美国百害无利
(and that the other lot should mend their ways).
(并且声称另一派应该自我改正)eW[+&tIK_@K4HME0
The Founding Fathers would have agreed.
开国元勋也会同意.RH]KzexzC^OBFE2ZU
George Washington warned that "the alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge…is itself a frightful despotism".
乔治·华盛顿警告说“党派间的交替统治,经由复仇精神加剧……这本身就是一种可怕的独裁”1,ikWW&M7Hn@i*ne7u_
As a component of partisanship, the built-in bias is obviously bad for Democrats.
内在偏向性作为党派的一部分,对民主党不利qc4EX=(Y*6;t7u4
But in the long run it is bad for America as a whole, including Republicans.
而从长远来看,内在偏向性不利于共和党在内的美国整体sC!Y,,%vy@
When lawmaking is paralysed, important work, such as immigration and entitlement reform, is too hard.
立法陷入瘫痪时,移民和福利改革等重要工作就难上加难1e6@oLnat1TyS#EG
The few big laws that are approved, like Barack Obama's health-care reform or Mr Trump's corporate tax cuts, pass on party-line votes.
少数通过的重大法律,例如奥巴马的医保改革、或特朗普的减税法案,是由于沿续党派立场,在投票中获得通过的#N6cTTYW^C@4hG
That emboldens the opposition to reverse or neuter them when they take power.
这让反对党有胆量在掌权后推翻或废止这些法律)()U1j(]eB#|dzN#Z
Meanwhile, the task of resolving the most divisive political issues often falls to the courts.
与此同时,解决争议最大的政治问题的任务就交给了法庭4Cd;ZVZ7!6z(IuSXmv
The battle over Mr Kavanaugh's confirmation will be a proxy war over issues, like abortion and health insurance, better suited to the legislature.
卡瓦诺当选的斗争,将是一场基于堕胎和医保等问题的傀儡战争,这些问题更适合立法机关去解决@TeV4ZyUV@-uMoPn

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译文由可可原创,仅供学习交流使用,未经许可请勿转载]sca,S~308ol4#t0rAZM

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词语解释

1.stand for 代表
The party is trying to give the impression that it alone stands for democracy.
该党正企图让人觉得只有它才代表民主]e;gUfRn3jQ9
2.in order that 为了
They flew there in order that they might be in time to attend the opening ceremony.
他们飞往那里以便能及时参加开幕典礼joB~Y!n-X(k4AFf*b(nQ
3.electoral college (美国各州选出总统和副总统的大选)选举团
Each state has as many votes in the Electoral College as it has members in Congress.
每个州选举团的票数与其在国会会员中的人数相同.@EdpislL9I

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