过于完美以至于政客不愿通过的投票系统：英语精读讲义

Queen Lion is looking to make the elections in her animal kingdom more fair. 短語搭配

狮子女王想让她的动物王国的选举变得更加公平。

Currently, she divides her citizens into ranges,

目前，她将公民划分到不同的选区，

each of which selects one representative to go to the Jungle Council, 語法

每个选区选出一位代表进入丛林委员会，

which makes laws for the kingdom.

该委员会为王国制定法律。

But her citizens are unhappy

但是她的公民们并不高兴，

and it's easy to see why.

原因显而易见。

The Council is full of monkeys.

委员会里全是猴子。

Of course, some of her citizens are monkeys,

当然，有些公民也是猴子，

but not all of them.

但并不是全部。

This Council doesn't fairly represent her kingdom.

这个委员会不能公平地代表她的王国。

Queen Lion visits one of the ranges to find out what's wrong and how to fix it. 短語動詞

狮子女王走访了其中一个选区，想弄清楚问题出在哪里以及如何解决。

In this range,

在这个选区，

there are five monkeys, four tigers,

有五只猴子，四只老虎，

three owls, two lynxes,

三只猫头鹰，两只猞猁，

and one buffalo.

和一头水牛。

One of each runs for representative

每种动物都有一个竞选代表，

and all citizens vote for their own species.

所有公民都把票投给自己的物种。

The election rule is that the candidate with the most votes wins, 語法

选举规则是得票最多的候选人获胜，

which is the monkey.

也就是猴子。

But it's a pretty unsatisfying result

但这是一个相当令人不满意的结果，

considering that two-thirds of the citizens in this range aren't monkeys 語法

考虑到这个选区三分之二的公民不是猴子，

and wouldn't vote for monkeys.

也不会把票投给猴子。

This is the same across all the ranges of the kingdom.

王国所有选区的情况都是如此。

The monkeys always happen to have more votes than anybody else,

猴子的票数总是比其他任何人都多，

so they win all the elections

所以它们赢得了所有的选举，

even though they're a minority of the total population. 語法

尽管它们只是总人口中的少数。

Closer inspection reveals that the independent advisors hired to draw the range boundaries in the first place 講解

进一步的调查显示，最初聘请来划定选区边界的独立顾问

weren't as independent as they might have appeared. 語法

并不像他们看起来那么独立。

The result is unhappy citizens

结果是公民们很不满，

who don't trust the Jungle Council to make the fairest laws for all,

他们不相信丛林委员会能为大家制定最公平的法律，

quite rightly. 語氣意圖

这完全合情合理。

Now Queen Lion wants to maximize the number of citizens

现在，狮子女王想让尽可能多的公民

happy with the election results.

对选举结果感到满意。

One way to do that is to abolish the ranges 語法

做到这一点的方法之一是取消选区，

and use a proportional system.

并使用比例代表制。

But her citizens want local representatives.

但是她的公民想要当地的代表。

So Queen Lion needs a system that both makes her citizens happier

所以狮子女王需要一个能让公民更满意的制度，

by having a more representative council

既能拥有一个更具代表性的委员会，

while keeping the local elections in place.

又能保留地方选举。

After doing a little research, she finds out how single transferable vote.

经过一番研究，她发现了单一可转移选票制（STV）是如何运作的。

The big change with STV is that ranges send more than one representative,

STV的最大改变是选区会派出不止一名代表，

which may seem weird,

这可能看起来有些奇怪，

but Queen Lion decides to test it out. 短語動詞

但狮子女王决定测试一下。

She takes three ranges,

她选取了三个选区，

which used to each send one representative, 語法

它们过去每个选区只派出一名代表，

and combines them into one bigger range

并将它们合并成一个更大的选区，

that will send three.

将派出三名代表。

On election day,

在选举日，

citizens go to the polls 短語搭配

公民们前往投票站，

and the results in this new range

这个新选区的结果

are just the same as they were in the old ranges. 語法

和旧选区的结果一模一样。

So nothing seems better,

所以似乎并没有改善，

but with STV to figure out the winners

但用STV来计算获胜者时，

take the total votes and divide them by the number of representatives needed,

会把总票数除以需要的代表人数，

in this case three,

在这个例子中是三，

which gives 33% as the amount a candidate needs to win.

得出候选人获胜所需的票数比例是33%。

So all three candidates go to the council,

因此，这三位候选人都进入了委员会，

which accurately represents the citizens in the range.

这准确地代表了该选区的公民。

Whereas under the old system, 表達脈絡

而在旧制度下，

each individual range would have sent a monkey,

每个单独的选区都会派出一只猴子，

leaving two-thirds of the citizens without representation. 語法

导致三分之二的公民没有代表。

A bigger range with multiple winners

拥有多个获胜者的更大选区

allows the results to be more proportional.

使得结果更加成比例。

This test turned out well, 短語動詞

这次测试结果很好，

but it was also as simple as could be. 語法

但它也是最简单的情况。

Now Queen Lion wants to see what happens in a race where not everybody is a winner.

现在狮子女王想看看在不是每个人都能获胜的竞争中会发生什么。

The next big range she tests has five candidates running for office: 短語搭配

她测试的下一个大选区有五名候选人参选：

gorilla, tarsier, monkey,

大猩猩、眼镜猴、猴子、

tiger, and lynx,

老虎和猞猁，

three of which can be representatives.

其中三人可以成为代表。

Election day comes and goes 習語

选举日按期举行，

and here are the results of the citizens' first choices.

以下是公民第一选择的结果。

Tarsier gets 5%, gorilla gets 28%,

眼镜猴获得5%，大猩猩获得28%，

monkey gets 33% tiger gets 21%

猴子获得33%，老虎获得21%，

and lynx gets 13%

猞猁获得13%。

As before,

和以前一样，

a candidate needs 33% to win.

候选人需要33%的选票才能获胜。

Monkey has that

猴子达到了这个比例，

and so is immediately selected as one of the three representatives.

于是立即被选为三名代表之一。

But no one else reached the winning 33%,

但其他人都没达到33%的胜出线，

so how are the other two representatives selected?

那么另外两名代表是怎么选出来的呢？

Step one,

第一步，

get rid of the biggest loser. 短語動詞

淘汰得票最少的输家。

Sorry,

抱歉，

tarsier,

眼镜猴，

you really had no chance at all. 短語搭配

你真的毫无胜算。

When the citizens voted,

当公民投票时，

they could have just put an X next to the candidate they liked best. 講解

他们原本只需在自己最喜欢的候选人旁边画个叉。

But with STV,

但在STV制度下，

they can also rank their favorite candidates. 用詞

他们还可以为自己最喜欢的候选人排序。

This is important

这很重要，

because it shows how the election would have turned out 語法

因为这显示了如果其中一位候选人没有参选，

if one of the candidates hadn't run.

选举结果会是怎样。

Tiny and worried tarsiers

弱小而忧虑的眼镜猴们，

would have voted for the big calm gorilla

会把票投给高大稳重的大猩猩，

without tarsier in the race.

如果眼镜猴没有参选的话。

So if their candidate can't win,

所以如果他们的候选人不能赢，

they want their votes to go to the gorilla instead.

他们希望自己的选票转给大猩猩。

This pushes gorilla up to 33% 短語動詞

这把大猩猩的票数推高到了33%，

and he becomes the next representative.

于是他成为了下一位代表。

Ranking allows citizens to support their favorite candidate without worrying.

排序让公民能够毫无顾虑地支持他们最喜欢的候选人。

There's no point in strategizing 語法

没有必要去揣测

about how everyone else is going to vote.

其他人会怎么投票。

The system works

这个制度的运作机制

to maximize voter happiness with the result.

就是最大化选民对结果的满意度。

Now back to the range. 表達脈絡

现在回到选区的情况。

There's still one representative to select,

还有一名代表需要选出，

so the next biggest loser is lynx.

所以下一个得票最少的输家是猞猁。

His voters don't like simians,

他的选民不喜欢猿猴，

but they do think tiger's interests are similar to theirs.

但他们认为老虎的利益与他们相似。

And so if lynx can't

所以如果猞猁不能

win, they want tiger to get their votes.

获胜，他们希望老虎获得他们的选票。

He reaches 33%

老虎的票数达到了33%，

and becomes the third and final representative.

并成为了第三名也是最后一名代表。

The election results look pretty good,

选举结果看起来相当不错，

especially considering the citizens' first and second choices.

尤其是考虑到公民的第一和第二选择。

Now more citizens also have a local representative they can feel comfortable approaching. 短語搭配

现在更多的公民也拥有了一个他们觉得可以轻松接触的当地代表。

Whereas using the old system,

而在使用旧制度时，

everybody gets a monkey.

每个人得到的都是猴子。

Lastly,

最后，

Queen Lion wants to know what happens in a range with just two political parties.

狮子女王想知道在只有两个政党的选区会发生什么。

Under the most votes win system,

在多数票获胜的制度下，

multiple candidates from the same party would be a disaster.

同一个政党有多名候选人参选将会是一场灾难。

They'd split their voters and hand the win to their opposition. 習語

他们会分散选票，把胜利拱手让给反对派。

Queen Lion makes one last test range

狮子女王设立了最后一个测试选区，

with two-thirds tigers and one-third gorillas.

里面有三分之二的老虎和三分之一的大猩猩。

That's,

那个选区，

as before,

和以前一样，

needs three representatives.

需要三名代表。

Because citizens rank their candidates under STV,

因为在STV制度下公民会对候选人进行排序，

there can be more than one candidate from the same party running at the same time

所以即使同一个政党有多名候选人同时参选，

without any problems.

也不会有任何问题。

The tigers run two candidates,

老虎派出了两名候选人，

as do the gorillas. 語法

大猩猩也是如此。

On election day,

在选举日，

White Tiger gets a massive amount of first choice votes,

白虎获得了大量的第一选择选票，

probably because he's so cool.

可能是因为他太酷了。

Meanwhile,

与此同时，

the gorillas are split between their new guy

大猩猩的选票分散在他们的新人

and the old silverback.

和年长的银背大猩猩之间。

White Tiger is selected as the first representative,

白虎当选为第一位代表，

but what happens next?

但接下来会发生什么呢？

While tiger is the biggest loser

虽然另一只老虎是得票最少的输家，

and it seems like he should be eliminated, 語法

看起来他应该被淘汰，

it's also obvious that he would have gotten way more votes 語法

但很明显他本可以获得更多的选票，

if White Tiger wasn't in the race.

如果白虎没有参选的话。

If a candidate has more votes than they need, 語法

如果一个候选人获得了比他需要的更多的选票，

like White Tiger does,

就像白虎这样，

the first step is to give the extra votes to their second choice. 表達脈絡

第一步就是把多余的选票给他们的第二选择。

This gets tiger to 33%

这让这只老虎的票数达到了33%，

and he becomes the next representative.

他成了下一位代表。

If that seems strange, 表達脈絡

如果这看起来很奇怪，

there are two things to consider.

有两点需要考虑。

If instead the extra votes were ignored and tiger eliminated, 語法

如果多余的选票被忽略且老虎被淘汰，

then the gorillas would get the remaining two wins,

那么大猩猩将赢得剩下的两个席位，

which would obviously not be representing the range very well.

这显然不能很好地代表这个选区。

And ignoring extra votes punishes citizens who back popular candidates, 用詞

而且忽略多余的选票会惩罚支持受欢迎候选人的公民，

which gets us back to the problem 表達脈絡

这又让我们回到了那个问题：

where voters start thinking about how everyone else will vote

选民开始考虑别人会怎么投票，

rather than what they really want.

而不是他们自己真正想要什么。

If a candidate is able to get more votes than they really need,

如果一个候选人能获得比他实际需要更多的选票，

then it also means those who support him are a big section of the population 語法

这也意味着支持他的人在人口中占很大比例，

and thus fairly should get more representation.

因此理应获得更多的代表权。

Right.

没错。

After the extra votes go to tiger,

在多余的选票转移给老虎之后，

the election finishes as before.

选举像以前一样结束了。

Silverback came in last, 短語動詞

银背大猩猩垫底，

is eliminated,

被淘汰了，

and his voters' second choice is the younger candidate,

而他的选民的第二选择是更年轻的候选人，

so gorilla gets in. 短語動詞

所以年轻大猩猩入选了。

And the results look fair.

结果看起来很公平。

Queen Lion has seen STV work.

狮子女王看到了STV的成效。

Whether a range has one party or lots of parties, 語法

无论一个选区是一个政党还是许多政党，

the process is still always the same.

流程始终都是一样的。

First,

首先，

citizens rank their favorite candidates.

公民对他们最喜欢的候选人进行排序。

Second,

其次，

any candidate above the threshold wins immediately. 用詞

任何超过门槛的候选人立即获胜。

Extra votes then go to their next choice.

多余的选票然后转移到他们的下一个选择。

If there's no winner,

如果没有赢家，

the last place is eliminated

最后一名被淘汰，

and the votes go to their next choice.

选票转移到他们的下一个选择。

Repeat until all the winners are found.

重复这个过程，直到所有的赢家都产生。

This whole process is designed 短語搭配

整个过程的设计

to maximize the number of citizens

是为了最大化

who are happy with the results.

对结果感到满意的公民人数。

And it gives STV many advantages

它赋予了STV许多优势，

over the old most votes win system.

胜过旧的多数票获胜制度。

Citizens can honestly vote for their favorite candidate

公民可以诚实地把票投给他们最喜欢的候选人，

without worrying about what everyone else is going to do. 語法

而不必担心其他人会怎么做。

It's more proportional,

它更符合比例代表制，

so monkeying with the borders matters less, 習語

因此在边界上做手脚就不那么重要了，

and almost all citizens will have a local representative 語法

几乎所有的公民都会有一个当地代表，

they actually voted for.

一个他们真正投票支持的代表。

In the end, 表達脈絡

最终，

Queen Lion decides to switch the council's elections to single transferable vote 文化背景

狮子女王决定把委员会的选举改为单一可转移选票制，

to make a better Jungle Council for all.

为所有人建立一个更好的丛林委员会。