政黨如何挑選總統候選人：英語精讀講義

Primary elections are how political parties in the United States pick their strongest candidate to run for president. 片語搭配

初選是美國各政黨挑選最強候選人競選總統的方式。

The parties do this by holding mini elections 文法

各政黨的具體做法是舉行微型選舉，

in each of the states

在每個州進行，

and the candidates with the most votes from these elections

而在這些選舉中獲得最多選票的候選人

becomes the partys' official nominees.

就會成為該黨的正式提名人。

These nominees then face each other in the national election for president.

然後，這些提名人將在全國總統大選中展開對決。

But this isn't the whole story. 慣用語

但這並不是全部。

There are five things that make it a bit more complicated than that.

有五件事讓情況變得更複雜一些。

Complication number one,

複雜因素一：

primaries versus caucuses.

初選（primaries）與黨團會議（caucuses）。

In every state,

在每個州，

the local party leaders decide how to run their elections. 文法

地方政黨領袖決定如何舉行選舉。

The two most common choices are primaries and caucuses.

最常見的兩種選擇是初選和黨團會議。

Primaries are just like standard elections.

初選就像標準的選舉。

Go to the polls whenever you can, 片語搭配

在你有空的時候去投票站，

stand in a long line,

排著長隊，

hide in a booth,

躲進投票亭，

then tick a box or press a button,

然後勾選或按下一個按鈕，

and your vote is cast in complete anonymity. 片語搭配

在完全匿名的情況下投出你的選票。

A caucus, however,

然而，黨團會議

is a public vote.

則是公開投票。

People gather in groups wherever space is available,

人們在只要有空間的地方聚集成群，

then literally take sides in a room with everyone else who likes the same candidate. 慣用語

在一個房間裡，和所有喜歡同一位候選人的人真正地「選邊站」。

The groups debate each other,

各群體之間會互相辯論，

and if people change their minds, 片語搭配

如果有人改變主意，

they need to physically switch sides.

他們需要親自走到另一邊去。

At the end of the debates,

辯論結束時，

the party representatives count the number of people in each group.

政黨代表會計算每組的人數。

If you leave too early, 文法

如果你離開得太早，

your vote doesn't count.

你的選票就不作數了。

This description of primaries and caucuses is really all you need to know,

關於初選和黨團會議，知道這些描述其實就夠了，

but the specifics can vary wildly. 片語搭配

但具體細節可能會有很大差異。

That's because there are 50 states,

這是因為美國有 50 個州，

all of which hold at least two primaries and caucuses for the big parties 文法

所有這些州都會為大黨舉行至少兩次初選和黨團會議，

and possibly more for the small parties.

也許還會為小黨舉行更多。

Covering all the local variants would take a tediously long time,

把所有地方的差異都講一遍會花去極其漫長的時間，

which your short attention span for boring political videos wouldn't tolerate.

你對無聊政治影片那短暫的注意力肯定受不了。

And you need to stay focused because there are four more things to come.

你需要保持專注，因為接下來還有四件事。

Complication number two,

複雜因素二：

who can vote?

誰能投票？

In the national presidential election,

在全國總統大選中，

all American citizens over the age of 18 can vote with two exceptions. 片語搭配

除了兩個例外情況，所有年滿 18 歲的美國公民都可以投票。

You can't live here or here.

你不能住在這裡，也不能住在這裡。

But primaries are in-state elections with lots of different rules.

但初選是州內選舉，有著各種各樣的規定。

Most states and parties will only let you vote in the primary if you're an official member of the party.

大多數州和政黨只允許你是該黨正式黨員的情況下在初選中投票。

This is called a closed primary because the voting is closed to non-party members. 用詞

這被稱為封閉式初選，因為投票不對非黨員開放。

But some citizens are independents and not registered with any party.

但有些公民是獨立人士，沒有註冊任何政黨。

If you're an independent and live in a state with closed party elections,

如果你是獨立人士，且住在一個實行封閉式初選的州，

tough luck. 語氣意圖

算你倒霉。

No voting for you.

你不能投票。

Some states,

然而，有些州

however, have semi-closed primaries where independents can pick one and only one primary to vote in. 片語搭配

實行半封閉式初選，獨立人士可以選擇且只能選擇一場初選去投票。

Parties allow this because the presidential election is often determined by independents,

政黨之所以允許這樣做，是因為總統大選往往由獨立人士決定，

so knowing which candidates they like is useful.

所以了解他們喜歡哪些候選人是很有用的。

Finally, a few states and parties really play it fast and loose with open primaries. 慣用語

最後，有少數幾個州和政黨在開放式初選上玩得很隨性。

Here, any citizen,

在這裡，任何公民，

no matter which party they're registered with, 文法

無論註冊的是哪個政黨，

can pick a primary to vote in.

都可以選擇一場初選來投票。

But it's not just the states that have primaries.

但舉行初選的不只有各個州。

They're also held in the District of Columbia and the oft-forgotten territories.

哥倫比亞特區以及常被遺忘的海外領地也會舉行初選。

Holding primaries here is a bit odd, though,

不過，在這些地方舉行初選有點奇怪，

considering that territorial residents can't vote in the actual presidential election. 表達脈絡

考慮到領地居民實際上並不能在真正的總統大選中投票。

Lastly are the Americans living abroad,

最後是居住在海外的美國人，

who, depending on the party, 文法

根據政黨的不同，

vote in a bloc as though they all lived together in one big extra state. 文法

他們作為一個整體投票，就好像他們全都住在一個巨大的額外州裡一樣。

When all these elections take place depends on complication number three,

所有這些選舉何時舉行，取決於複雜因素三：

who votes when?

誰在什麼時候投票？

Primaries aren't conducted all at once, 文法

初選並不是一次性全部舉行的，

but are spread out over a year.

而是分散在一年中進行。

This leads to fights between the states about who gets to be at the head of the line 慣用語

這就導致了各州之間關於誰排在隊伍最前面

and who is stuck at the back.

以及誰被擠在最後的爭鬥。

Inevitably, last-minute leapfrogging of dates happens, 慣用語

不可避免地，最後一刻的日期「插隊」時有發生，

even though the parties often take away votes from these uncivil states. 片語動詞

儘管各政黨經常會取消這些不守規矩的州的選票。

When it comes to being number one, 片語搭配

談到爭奪第一名，

nobody beats New Hampshire,

沒有人能擊敗新罕布夏州，

who wrote it into state law that their primary will always be at least a week ahead of everyone else's,

他們將「初選必須始終比其他任何人早至少一週」寫進了州法律，

which isn't a problem until some other state gets the bright idea to do the same, 慣用語

這本不是什麼問題，直到有其他州靈機一動也想這麼做，

and then we have an infinite loop in our system and have to force quit the law. 慣用語

然後我們的系統裡就出現了一個死循環，只能強制退出該法律。

But wait, 表達脈絡

但是等一下，

you say,

你會說，

doesn't Iowa already go first?

愛荷華州不是已經第一個投票了嗎？

Yes,

是的，

but New Hampshire lets them get away with it for two reasons. 片語動詞

但新罕布夏州允許他們這麼做，原因有兩個。

First,

第一，

Iowa's election is a caucus,

愛荷華州的選舉是黨團會議，

and so New Hampshire is still technically the first primary.

所以從技術上講，新罕布夏州仍然是第一場初選。

And second,

第二，

New Hampshire thinks that Iowa is stupid and doesn't matter.

新罕布夏州認為愛荷華州很蠢，無足輕重。

Other states try to boost their influence,

其他州試圖提升自己的影響力，

not by cutting in line, 文法

不是透過插隊，

but by forming an alliance and holding their primaries at the same time.

而是透過結成聯盟、同時舉行初選。

The biggest alliance of the election cycle is called Super Tuesday, 文化背景

選舉週期中最大的聯盟被稱為「超級星期二」，

where,

在這一天，

depending on how many states can agree with each other,

取決於有多少個州能達成一致，

around half of them might participate,

大約一半的州可能會參與其中，

giving out a whole pile of votes,

從而產生一大把選票，

which brings us to complication number four, 表達脈絡

這把我們帶到了複雜因素四：

votes that aren't votes. 表達脈絡

不是選票的選票。

So this whole time you were probably thinking that citizens give votes straight to the candidates.

一直以來，你可能以為公民是直接把選票投給候選人的。

But no.

但並不是。

Instead,

相反，

the votes are given to a bunch of guys called delegates, 用詞

選票被交給了一群被稱為「代表」（delegates）的人，

who in turn give them to the candidates as requested. 表達脈絡

然後由他們按要求把票投給候選人。

Maybe.

也不一定。

Depending on the state,

取決於所在的州，

delegates might be required to vote as the citizens did, 文法

代表可能會被要求按照公民的意願投票，

or they might be completely free to ignore the citizens and vote for whomever they want. 文法

或者他們可能完全可以無視公民，想投給誰就投給誰。

Who are these people?

這些人是誰？

The delegates are local party VIPs,

代表是當地政黨的 VIP，

such as state reps and officials.

比如州議員和官員。

The more citizens who live in a state, 文法

一個州居住的公民越多，

the more delegates that state gets.

該州獲得的代表人數就越多。

Later in the year,

在一年後的晚些時候，

when all the states have finished their primaries,

當所有州都完成了他們的初選，

the delegates travel to a huge gathering for their party called the national convention. 文化背景

代表們會前往參加他們政黨的一個盛大集會，叫做全國代表大會。

It's here that the official vote to select the party's nominee for president happens. 文法

就是在這裡進行正式投票，選出該黨的總統提名人。

But it's not just the delegates who do the voting.

但在那裡投票的不只有這些代表。

Complication number five,

複雜因素五：

superdelegates.

超級代表（superdelegates）。

Superdelegates are the top members of the party,

超級代表是政黨的高級成員，

such as congressmen and former presidents.

比如國會議員和前總統。

They go to the national convention,

他們去參加全國代表大會，

not to represent the people, 文法

不是為了代表人民，

but to represent the current party establishment and can vote for whomever they want. 用詞

而是代表當前的政黨建制派，並且可以想投誰就投誰。

Depending on the party,

根據政黨的不同，

superdelegates might be up to 20% of the voters at the national convention.

超級代表可能佔到全國代表大會投票人數的 20%。

Usually,

通常情況下，

by the time the national convention happens, 文法

到全國代表大會舉行時，

all the candidates save one have dropped out of the race, 講解

所有候選人除了一個以外都已經退出了競選，

so the convention is just a rubber stamp and a big party. 慣用語

所以大會只是一道走過場的程序和一場盛大的派對。

But if the fight between candidates is still ongoing,

但如果候選人之間的鬥爭仍在繼續，

the delegates and superdelegates are the ones with the final decision.

代表和超級代表就是掌握最終決定權的人。

In summary,

總而言之，

over the course of a year, 片語搭配

在這一年的時間裡，

the states plus DC plus the territories and the Americans abroad hold their primaries or caucuses.

各個州加上哥倫比亞特區，加上海外領地以及海外的美國人，都舉行了初選或黨團會議。

When finished,

結束後，

the delegates representing the citizens who voted in those elections travel to the national convention.

代表在這些選舉中投票的公民的代表們，會前往參加全國代表大會。

Most of the delegates are forced to vote as the citizens of their state wanted them to,

大多數代表被迫按照本州公民的意願投票，

but some of them are free to vote as they like.

但其中一些人可以自由投票。

At the national convention,

在全國代表大會上，

the delegates meet up with the superdelegates who represent the best interests of the party, 講解

代表們與代表該黨最佳利益的超級代表會合，

and together they make the final decision on who will be the nominee for president.

共同做出由誰來擔任總統提名人的最終決定。

Tired?

累了嗎？

Don't be,

別累，

because only now does the race for the presidency begin. 文法

因為直到現在，總統競選才真正開始。

Of course,

當然，

you could skip all that and jump straight into the election as an independent. 片語動詞

你也可以跳過所有這些，直接作為獨立候選人參加大選。

The only downside to this strategy is near certain defeat. 片語搭配

這種策略唯一的缺點就是，幾乎注定會失敗。