可能终结选举人团制度的漏洞：英语精读讲义

The Electoral College, America's unique way of picking her president,

选举人团，美国选举总统的独特方式，

for it or against it, 短語搭配

无论你是支持还是反对，

you might want to know there's a plan to use the Electoral College to subvert the Electoral College.

你可能想知道，有个计划打算利用选举人团来颠覆选举人团。

It's a sneaky plan and to understand,

这是个暗中进行的计划，为了理解它，

remember that while it feels like citizens pick the president in one big election, they don't. 語法

请记住，虽然感觉像是公民通过一场大型选举选出总统，但事实并非如此。

The 50 states pick the president.

是50个州选出了总统。

Oh, and District of Columbia. 文化背景

哦，还有哥伦比亚特区。

But not you, Puerto Rico.

但是波多黎各，没你的份。

Come back when you're a state.

等你成为一个州再来吧。

How the states come together and how they vote is what the Electoral College is.

各州如何集结以及如何投票，构成了所谓的选举人团。

Each state gets votes proportional to her population plus two and is free to cast these votes however she wants. 語法

每个州根据其人口按比例获得选票，外加两票，并且可以自由决定如何投出这些选票。

Most look at how their citizens voted and give all their Electoral College votes to the statewide winner. 用詞

大多数州会参考本州公民的投票结果，并将所有选举人票投给州内获胜者。

But they don't have to.

但他们并非必须如此。

A couple states cast their votes proportional-ish to their citizens' preferences. 用詞

有几个州差不多按照公民的偏好比例来分配选票。

But states are free to vote however,

但是各州有权随意投票，

including against the preferences of their citizens.

甚至可以违背本州公民的偏好。

Let's make a note of that. 表達脈絡

我们先记住这一点。

But back to this plus two,

但回到这个‘外加两票’，

which is why some citizens really don't like the Electoral College.

这也是为什么有些公民非常不喜欢选举人团的原因。

The plus two means the states less populous produce preponderate presidential picking power per person.

‘外加两票’意味着人口较少的州，人均产生的总统选举权力更大。

At the extremes, 表達脈絡

在极端情况下，

some states get one vote per low 100,000 people and some states one vote per high 100,000.

有些州十多万人口就有一票，而有些州近百万人口才有一票。

This is how the Electoral College sometimes picks a president that nationwide most citizens didn't.

这就是为什么选举人团有时会选出一个全国大多数公民并未投票支持的总统。

Because roughly 80% of the states' votes are given by population and 20% aren't.

因为大约80%的州选票是按人口分配的，而20%不是。

This is on purpose.

这是故意的。

Dividing power between the levels of citizen, state, and federal is and was a central point of the Constitution.

在公民、州和联邦层面之间分配权力，过去和现在都是《宪法》的核心原则。

It's a Compromistitution. 習語

这是一部‘妥协宪法’（Compromistitution）。

So if you went back in time to when the states were about to finalize the deal, 語法

所以，如果你穿越回各州即将敲定协议的时候，

yelling, "Don't sign that document.

大喊：“别签那份文件！

I'm from the future.

我来自未来。

You're creating an Electoral College where votes for president are distributed proportionally-ish,

你们正在建立一个选举人团，其中总统选票只是大概按比例分配的，

not perfectly-proportionally."

而不是完全按比例！”

The reply would be,

得到的回答会是：

"Yes, that's one of the many compromises we agreed upon."

“是的，这是我们达成一致的众多妥协之一。”

But because of that, sometimes a president will be elected with a minority of the popular vote. 文化背景

但正因如此，有时总统会以少数普选票当选。

Yes.

是的。

But the people.

可是人民呢。

The people.

人民啊。

You can't trust the people.

你不能相信人民。

Do you think this Compromistitution is for a direct democracy, lawl? 文化背景

你觉得这部‘妥协宪法’是为了直接民主制吗，搞笑呢？

We're building a republic here.

我们要建立的是一个共和国。

Yes, I know.

是的，我知道。

But would you just look at this spreadsheet of improportion--?

但是你能不能看看这张不成比例的表格——？

How many states are there in the future?

未来有多少个州？

50, maybe 51 depending on how

50个，也许51个，取决于……

Wow, what a tremendous

哇哦，多么巨大的

success!

成功啊！

Go Compromistitution!

‘妥协宪法’万岁！

No, can we focus

不是，我们能不能把重点放在……

Do you even own land? 文化背景

你甚至有土地吗？

No.

没有。

Then why would we listen to you?

那我们为什么要听你的？

Goodbye.

再见。

Thus, the Electoral College is doing what it was designed to do totally on purpose.

因此，选举人团完全是在故意执行其设计之初的任务。

And the Supreme Court has reaffirmed this.

最高法院也重申了这一点。

So if you don't like the Electoral

所以如果你不喜欢选举人

College, then tough noogies for you. 習語

团，那你就只能自认倒霉了。

And if you do,

如果你喜欢，

then nothing to worry about.

那也没什么可担心的。

The Electoral College in a fortress of axiomatic constitutionality 習語

选举人团置身于一座宪法正当性毋庸置疑的堡垒中，

has survived for a thousand generations of this republic.

在这个共和国的一千代中存活了下来。

The only way to break through the front gate would be with a constitutional amendment.

突破正门的唯一方法是通过宪法修正案。

But getting enough states to push on the same side of that gromulent tool,

但是让足够多的州齐心协力推动那个合法的工具，

while not theoretically impossible, 表達脈絡

虽然在理论上并非不可能，

is legislatively improbable.

但在立法上却不太可能。

This is where the sneaky plan comes in.

这就是那个鸡贼计划登场的地方。

Did you forget about that?

你忘了这事吗？

Don't worry,

别担心，

I got carried away. 短語動詞

我刚才扯远了。

There is a back door that, if breached, 習語

有一道后门，如果被突破，

can turn the constitutional fortress protecting the Electoral College into a prison.

就能把保护选举人团的宪法堡垒变成一座牢笼。

The sneaky plan is named the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. 文化背景

这个鸡贼计划名叫‘全国普选票州际协定’（National Popular Vote Interstate Compact）。

It's a terrible name,

这个名字糟透了，

probably on purpose to hide sneakiness behind boringness as bureaucratic paperwork camouflage.

可能是故意用无聊的名字作为官僚文书的伪装来掩盖其狡猾之处。

But I'm calling it NaPoVoInterCo.

但我叫它 NaPoVoInterCo。

which is sort of not really better,

这似乎也没好到哪里去，

but whatever.

随便啦。

Here the sneaky deets.

以下是计划细节。

One,

第一，

assume destroying the constitutional protections of the Electoral College is impossible.

假设摧毁选举人团的宪法保护是不可能的。

Point two is the note from before that states can cast their Electoral College votes however they want.

第二点，正如前面提到的，各州可以随心所欲地投出选举人票。

These are just facts.

这些都是事实。

But if a state signs on the dotted line, 習語

但如果一个州在虚线上签了字，

point three is the big deal.

第三点才是重头戏。

NaPoVoInterCo members agree to cast their Electoral College votes for the candidate who gets the most votes from citizens nationwide.

NaPoVoInterCo 成员同意将他们的选举人票投给在全国范围内获得公民票数最多的候选人。

This is the National Popular Vote in NaPoVoInterCo.

这就是 NaPoVoInterCo 中的‘全国普选票’。

The idea behind two plus three is to make it impossible to have a president most of the citizens didn't vote for.

第二点加第三点背后的理念，就是让大多数公民没有投票支持的总统不可能当选。

A state would look not only at the results in her borders, 語法

一个州不仅要看本州的选举结果，

but the results nationwide and vote that way.

还要看全国的结果，并据此投票。

Which is all fine and dandy if the state citizens voted with the majority anyway. 習語

如果该州公民本来就和全国多数人投的一样，那这就皆大欢喜。

But if they didn't,

但如果他们没有，

well, you can see a flaw with the plan.

好吧，你能看出这个计划有个漏洞。

Any singular state assaulting the Electoral College on her own carrying votes against her own citizens,

任何一个单独的州如果要自己攻击选举人团，投出违背本州公民意愿的选票，

it's political suicide from without and within. 習語

这在内外都是政治自杀。

So the plan, had it only three points, 語法

所以，如果该计划只有三点，

is something no state would agree to,

那么任何一个州都不会同意，

requiring one last sneak.

这就需要最后一个计谋。

Point four,

第四点，

the plan does not go into effect until enough states with enough votes to control the Electoral College as a block join. 語法

直到有足够多拥有足够选票的州加入，足以作为一个整体控制选举人团时，该计划才会生效。

So, as states sign up, the total number of Electoral College votes they control goes up,

因此，随着各州的加入，它们控制的选举人票总数会上升，

but nothing happens.

但什么都不会发生。

Elections pass and states still vote the traditional way while recruiting allies to the cause.

选举照常进行，各州仍按传统方式投票，同时为这项事业招募盟友。

What are you guys up to over there? 語氣意圖

你们在那边搞什么鬼？

Oh, us?

哦，我们？

Nothing.

没什么。

Just chilling, 語氣意圖

只是放空一下，

just hanging out.

只是随便闲逛。

But once a controlling majority of Electoral College votes is reached,

但是一旦达到了控制选举人团的多数票，

point four is satisfied and,

第四点就满足了，而且，

when it's time for the next election,

等到下一次选举到来时，

charge.

冲锋。

All together, 用詞

所有人一起，

all at once,

同一时间，

in through the back,

从后门涌入，

the Electoral College is captured,

选举人团被攻陷，

the fortress is now a prison.

堡垒现在成了牢笼。

From this moment on,

从这一刻起，

the NaPoVoInterCo block promises the candidate who gets the most citizen votes nationwide

NaPoVoInterCo 联盟承诺向在全国获得最多公民选票的候选人

gets their controlling majority and becomes the president.

提供他们的多数控制票，使其成为总统。

Without amending the Constitution, 語法

在不修改宪法的情况下，

the Electoral College has become totally pointless,

选举人团变得毫无意义，

but by using its protection of states' rights to vote however they want into the vital tool to functionally remove state votes entirely,

而是利用其对各州随意投票权利的保护，作为实质上完全废除州选票的关键工具，

making the presidential election into one not of states, 語法

使总统选举不再由各州决定，

but of citizens.

而是由公民决定。

And there's no problem with this plan at all, 表達脈絡

而且这个计划完全没有问题，

except, of course,

除了一点，当然，

the instant this popular coup occurred,

在这场顺应民意的政变发生的那一刻，

states outside the compact will storm the Supreme Court, 習語

未加入协定的州将会冲向最高法院，

who will then be forced to deal with everyone yelling all at once about the future of how the president will be elected,

最高法院将被迫处理所有人同时针对未来总统选举方式大声争吵的局面，

which will be amazing to watch,

那场面看起来一定非常壮观，

no matter which side the gavel of constitutional interpretation comes down upon. 習語

不管宪法解释的法槌最终落向哪一边。

That's the plan.

这就是整个计划。

It's been around for a while and has enough confirmed signatures to be more than halfway to the trigger point.

它已经存在了一段时间，并拥有足够的确切签名，距离触发点已经过半。

And in theory,

从理论上讲，

enough states have laws currently pending in their legislatures that, if passed, 講解

目前有足够多的州在立法机关有未决法案，如果通过，

would put NaPoVoInterCo into action for the next election.

将在下届选举中使 NaPoVoInterCo 生效。

Though, of course,

尽管，当然，

it's easier to agree to things while they're far away and uncertain to happen.

对于遥远且不确定的事情，人们更容易同意。

And the reality of voting against your citizens merely theoretical.

而且违背公民意愿投票的现实目前仅停留在理论上。

So it may be much more difficult to get the final triggering 2% than the promised first 49. 語法

因此，要获得最后触发协定的2%可能比最初承诺的49%要困难得多。

But the Electoral College,

但是对于选举人团，

for it or against it,

无论你是支持还是反对，

the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact is the sneaky plan to use it to subvert it. 表達脈絡

全国普选票州际协定都是旨在利用它来颠覆它的暗中计划。