选举人团也可能平局：英语精读讲义

The United States picks its president with the Electoral College, 文化背景

美国通过选举人团制度来选出总统，

538 votes distributed by population,

538张选举人票按人口比例分配，

mostly to the 50 states and D.C.

主要分给50个州和华盛顿特区。

To become president, 語法

想要成为总统，

you need to win a majority of those votes.

你需要赢得这些票数的多数。

But 538 is an even number.

但是538是一个偶数。

So,

那么，

what happens when the race for president is tied? 用詞

如果总统竞选出现平局会怎样？

Don't worry,

别担心，

there's an 18th century solution to the problem.

有一个18世纪的方案可以解决这个问题。

If the Electoral College is tied,

如果选举人团平局，

the House of Representatives breaks that tie. 講解

将由众议院来打破这个僵局。

As the name implies, 表達脈絡

顾名思义，

the House is filled with representatives from each of the states.

众议院里坐满了来自各个州的众议员。

The more people in a state, 語法

一个州的人口越多，

the more representatives it has.

它拥有的众议员就越多。

And there are 435 in total.

众议院总共有435名众议员。

Thankfully,

幸好，

an odd number and a guaranteed tie breaker.

这是一个奇数，能够确保打破平局。

Except, there's a catch. 習語

但是，这里有个陷阱。

Each representative doesn't get one vote.

并不是每位众议员各有一票。

It's each state that gets one vote. 語法

而是每个州只有一票。

So, Florida's 27 representatives have to decide amongst themselves

因此，佛罗里达州的27名众议员必须在内部商议，

who to support before casting Florida's one vote 短語搭配

决定支持谁，然后才能投出佛罗里达州的那一票，

to help break the tie.

以帮助打破平局。

Meanwhile, thinly populated Alaska's sole representative 短語搭配

与此同时，人口稀少的阿拉斯加州唯一的众议员

has only to consult himself 語法

只需要跟自己商量，

before casting Alaska's vote.

就可以投出阿拉斯加州的那一票。

This is an incredibly disproportionate system

这是一个极其不成比例的系统，

because just 10 states,

因为仅仅10个州——

California, Texas, New York,

加利福尼亚州、得克萨斯州、纽约州、

Florida, Illinois, Pennsylvania,

佛罗里达州、伊利诺伊州、宾夕法尼亚州、

Ohio, Michigan, Georgia, and North Carolina,

俄亥俄州、密歇根州、佐治亚州和北卡罗来纳州——

contain more than half the population

占据了超过一半的人口，

of the United States,

（就全美国而言），

but get only 20% of the votes

但却只能获得20%的选票

if the race for president is tied.

在总统竞选出现平局时。

And the other 40 states

而其他40个州

with less than half the population

尽管人口不足一半，

get 80% of the votes.

却掌握了80%的选票。

While an exact tie is unlikely, 語法

虽然确切的平局不太可能发生，

this system is also used

但这套系统同样适用于

if there are more than two candidates

当总统候选人超过两名，

for president and none of them 語法

且没有任何一人

gets a majority in the Electoral College,

在选举人团中获得多数票的情况。

which is exactly what happened

这正是当年发生过的事，

when four candidates ran for president in 1824.

1824年有四名候选人竞选总统。

Andrew Jackson got the most votes 用詞

安德鲁·杰克逊获得了

from Americans and the most votes

最多美国民众的选票，以及最多的

in the Electoral College,

选举人票，

but not a majority.

但并未过半。

So, the race was turned over 短語動詞

因此，竞选的结果被交给了

to the House of Representatives

众议院，

voting as states, 文化背景

以州为单位进行投票，

who picked John Quincy Adams instead.

结果他们反而选了约翰·昆西·亚当斯。

In a modern America with more states,

在拥有更多州的现代美国，

a three-way race can have

三方竞争可能会产生

horrifically disproportionate results.

极其不平衡的可怕结果。

Consider a third-party candidate 用詞

设想有一位第三党候选人，

who loves the small states

他很偏爱小州，

and who the small states love in return. 短語搭配

小州也同样支持他。

He gets the fewest Electoral College votes,

他获得了最少的选举人票，

but enough to ensure that 語法

但足以确保

neither of the two more popular candidates

另外两位更受欢迎的候选人中，没有一人

gets a majority.

能获得过半选票。

So, now the House decides the winner.

那么，现在就轮到众议院来决定胜者了。

And those 26 smallest states,

而这26个最小的州，

representing just 17% of the population,

仅代表了17%的人口，

can pick their man as president

却能推选出他们的人当总统，

even though 83% of Americans 語法

尽管有83%的美国人

didn't vote for him.

并没有把票投给他。

It's unlikely,

这不太可能发生，

but it really shouldn't even be possible.

但这种情况根本就不该存在。

Anyway, all this talk of presidents

总之，光讨论总统，

has left the vice president unmentioned. 語法

我们还没提到副总统。

A reasonable person might assume that

一个有常识的人可能会以为，

he just comes along with the president, 短語動詞

副总统只是跟着总统一起上任，

but no.

但并非如此。

When there's a tie,

出现平局时，

the Senate independently picks the vice president.

参议院会独立选出副总统。

So, the United States could end up 短語動詞

因此，美国最终可能会出现

with a president from one party

总统来自一个党派，

and a vice president from the other,

而副总统来自另一个党派的情况，

which might make for some very uncomfortable meetings. 短語動詞

这可能会让某些会议场面十分尴尬。

But even this crazy system for resolving

但即便这种用以解决

a tie isn't guaranteed to work 語法

平局的疯狂系统，也不能保证一定有效，

because there are 100 members of the Senate,

因为参议院有100名成员，

and in the House of Representatives,

而在众议院，

they're forced to vote as 50 states,

他们只能被迫以50个州的单位投票，

and many of those states have

并且许多州都有

10 or eight representatives,

10名或8名众议员，

making the whole system tie-tacular 用詞

让整个系统陷入绝妙的“平局奇观”，

with all those even numbers.

都归功于所有的这些偶数。

So, if the House can't pick the president,

所以，如果众议院选不出总统，

but the Senate has picked the vice president,

但参议院已经选出了副总统，

then the vice president becomes acting president

那么副总统就会成为代理总统，

until the House can make up its mind. 習語

直到众议院做出决定。

But if neither the House can pick the president 語法

但如果众议院选不出总统，

nor the Senate can pick the vice president,

参议院也选不出副总统，

then the Speaker of the House 文化背景

那么众议院议长

becomes acting president until

将成为代理总统，直到

either branch of Congress picks someone.

国会的任意一院选出人选。

And that's how the United States

这就是美国

would resolve a tied race for president.

解决总统竞选平局的方法。

Though it might be faster and more fair

尽管这么做可能还不如抛硬币

to just flip a coin. 短語搭配

来的更快、更公平。

Of course,

当然了，

you could get rid of the Electoral College 短語動詞

你也可以废除选举人团制度，

and thus this whole crazy system

从而摆脱这一整个疯狂的系统，

and instead have a national popular vote, 文化背景

取而代之的是全国普选，

perhaps with something fancy like preferential voting. 文化背景

也许还能加上像排序复选制这样花哨的玩法。

But maybe that's just a crazy idea. 語氣意圖

但或许那不过是个天方夜谭的疯狂想法。