Re：选举人团制度的麻烦——城市、都市圈、选举与美国：英语精读讲义

Hello Internet.

你好，互联网。

Let's talk about this map,

我们来谈谈这张地图，

this argument,

这个论点，

and the Electoral College in general.

以及普遍意义上的选举人团制度。

In my Trouble with the Electoral College video from 2011,

在我2011年关于《选举人团的麻烦》的视频中，

I was wrong to use the city limits for that part of the argument 語法

我在那部分论述中使用城市边界是错误的，

rather than the more expansive metro area.

而不是使用更广阔的大都会区。

The lawyerish nerd inside of me still wants to argue 習語

我内心的那种如同律师般的书呆子气仍然想争辩说

technically correct on that one. 用詞

在这一点上这在技术上是正确的。

I used the city boundaries

我使用了城市边界

because the metro areas are often vague and absurdly large.

因为大都会区通常很模糊而且大得离谱。

The New York metro area is 6,700 plus square miles

纽约大都会区面积超过6700平方英里

over four states.

跨越四个州。

And from where I partly grew up, 短語動詞

在我长大的部分地区，

it seemed that a lot of that area

似乎那里很大一部分区域

had nothing to do with New York City proper. 講解

与真正的纽约市毫无关系。

So at the time,

所以在当时，

I disregarded the metro boundaries.

我忽略了大都会区的边界。

But using the strict city boundaries

但使用严格的城市边界

in that video was the wrong decision

在那个视频中是一个错误的决定，

in retrospect. 短語搭配

现在回想起来。

In addition to being a bad argument to make, 語法

除了这是一个站不住脚的论点之外，

it also doesn't address the concerns 短語搭配

它也没有解决这张地图

this map expresses.

所表达的担忧。

And this is correct.

事实确实如此。

Half the population does live in the gray counties. 語法

有一半的人口确实居住在灰色县中。

And more than that, 表達脈絡

不仅如此，

the map gets at a fundamental division 短語動詞

这张地图触及了一个根本的分歧，

in the United States and other countries

在美国和其他国家

that leads partly to the politics we see.

部分导致了我们所看到的政治格局。

The difference between the rural and the urban.

那就是农村和城市之间的差异。

If trends continue, 語法

如果这种趋势继续下去，

a higher and higher percentage of the country 語法

国家里越来越高比例的人口

will live in urban areas.

将居住在城市地区。

In another eight or 16 years,

在未来的8到16年内，

this map will be even more extreme.

这张地图将会变得更加极端。

The metro areas even denser.

大都会区会更加密集。

Which if you're in favor of the Electoral College, 短語搭配

如果你支持选举人团制度，

will seem like even more of a reason

这似乎会成为更多

to keep it.

保留它的理由。

Now this is where we must discuss the idea 表達脈絡

现在我们必须讨论这个观点，

that the Electoral College ensures the president

即选举人团制度能确保总统

is elected by the states.

是由各州选举产生的。

It doesn't.

其实并没有。

A candidate can win the Electoral College

一个候选人可以赢得选举人团的选票，

with just the 11 biggest states.

仅仅凭借最大的11个州。

This collection may seem unlikely, 表達脈絡

这种组合看起来似乎不太可能，

but as urbanization and the politics it creates continues,

但随着城市化及其所带来的政治影响不断加深，

it becomes increasingly likely.

这变得越来越可能。

The Electoral College doesn't ensure the president

选举人团制度并不能确保总统

wins with a lot of states

能赢得许多州

or even geographically diverse states.

或者地理上多样化的州的选票。

Now should the president represent the people 語法

至于总统应该代表人民

or should the president represent the states

还是应该代表各州，

is a question without an answer.

这是一个没有标准答案的问题。

This is about preference in style of governance.

这关乎治理风格的偏好。

One moves power up to the federal level 習語

一种是将权力上移至联邦层面，

and the other moves power down to the states.

另一种是将权力下放至各州。

And given the vastness of the country

考虑到国家幅员辽阔

and the difference in her geographies,

以及其地理环境的差异，

it's reasonable to believe that states with greater power

有理由相信赋予各州更大的权力

is the better,

是更好的、

less divisive solution to the problem of governance.

更能减少分歧的治理方案。

But the Electoral College does nothing to help that.

但选举人团制度对此毫无帮助。

It happens to be that recent wins

碰巧最近的胜利

have been geographically spread,

在地理分布上比较广泛，

but the Electoral College doesn't ensure that outcome.

但选举人团制度并不能确保这一结果。

Cram everyone into California 表達脈絡

把所有人都塞进加利福尼亚州，

leaving one person in each state

每个州只留一个人，

and the Electoral College says California alone, 習語

那么选举人团制度就会说，单凭加州，

she decides.

它就能决定胜负。

We could have a system where the president

我们可以建立一个系统，在这个系统中总统

must win a majority of the states,

必须赢得大多数州的支持，

which is what some think the Electoral College is, 語法

有些人认为选举人团制度就是这样，

but it isn't.

但事实并非如此。

The election only happens to make it look that way. 語法

选举只是一不小心让它看起来是这样而已。

The protection of the Electoral College is only an illusion.

选举人团制度的保护只是一种错觉。

Even if you still like the Electoral College though, 語法

即使你仍然喜欢选举人团制度，

it doesn't actually protect the small states.

它实际上并没有保护小州。

The Electoral College

选举人团制度

still comes with the most bitter of anti-republic pills. 習語

仍然伴随着最苦涩的反共和药丸。

For even if you win the election in November,

因为即使你在11月的选举中获胜，

your victory can be taken away from you in December. 短語動詞

你的胜利在12月依然可能被剥夺。

The Electoral College votes your state gets 文化背景

你的州获得的选举人团选票

aren't really votes,

并不是真正的选票，

but are individual members of the political parties

而是政党中个别成员，

who perform the real vote for president in December.

他们在12月进行真正的总统投票。

No citizen voted for these electors

没有公民投票选出这些选举人

to cast a vote on their behalf. 短語搭配

来代表他们投票。

And many of the electors

而且许多选举人

are free to vote for whoever they want. 語法

可以自由地把票投给他们想投的任何人。

Their election in December

他们在12月的选举

is the real election.

才是真正的选举。

The Electoral College was designed to be able to override the will of the people 講解

选举人团制度的设计使其能够违背人民的意愿

or its own election process

或其自身的选举过程，

anytime enough of a small number of unknown,

只要少数不知名的、

unelected political party insiders

未经选举的政党内部人士

don't like the result they got.

不喜欢他们得到的结果。

If you're in favor of the Electoral College,

如果你支持选举人团制度，

you have to accept that by its own rules,

你就必须接受它自身的规则：

it can take away your victory

它可以夺走你的胜利，

under the guise of protecting you from yourself. 短語搭配

打着保护你免受自身伤害的幌子。

This has never happened in American history,

这在美国历史上从未发生过，

nor should it. 語法

也不应该发生。

But it is crazy to leave in place 短語搭配

但保留这样一个系统实在是太疯狂了，

for future elections a system

对于未来的选举而言，这个系统

that benefits no citizens and protects no states.

既不使公民受益，也不保护各州。

It's time to get rid of the Electoral College 講解

是时候废除选举人团制度了，

and have a real discussion about

并开展一场真正的讨论，关于

what a modern government and election system 語法

现代政府和选举系统

should look like.

应该是什么样子的。