又是美国大选年，每天的新闻都少不了两党总统候选人的骂战。至于最后谁能获胜，起决定性作用的其实是那些对两党都没有明显支持倾向的州，也就是purple state（紫色州）。
A purple state is a state with a vote which is typically closely divided between Democratic and Republican candidates at election time. As a result, such states can become important areas for electoral contests, with candidates fighting to get the majority of the vote so that they can win. The "purple" in the name is a reference to the fact that as election results come in, states are typically colored red or blue to indicate a win by a Republican or Democratic candidate, and purple is a blend of these two colors.
紫色州（purple state）指在选举期间民主党和共和党候选人得到的支持率很接近、不相上下的一些州。由此，这些州在竞选过程中就变得尤为重要，总统候选人都努力想要争得这些州大部分的选票，以保证自己最终能够获胜。这里用“紫色”是因为，随着竞选结果逐步呈现，支持共和党的州都显示为红色，支持民主党的州显示蓝色，而紫色就是红色和蓝色混合之后呈现的颜色。
You may also hear a purple state called a swing state, because the vote can swing either way, or as a battleground state, in a reference to the fact that candidates sink serious resources into purple states, often long before the election. The outcome of the vote in such states can become crucial, with most candidates relying on a base of states which vote in a dependable way, and focusing on the purple states to fight for the win.
紫色州也被称为“摇摆州”，意即这个州的选票可能偏向任何一方；有时也被称作“战场州”，说的是总统候选人通常会在选举开始之前就向这些州投入大量的资源。紫色州的投票结果至关重要，大部分候选人都会在已获得绝对支持州选票的基础上，集中精力争夺紫色州的选票来赢得最后的胜利。