可能終結選舉人團制度的漏洞：英語精讀講義

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

選舉人團，美國選舉總統的獨特方式，

for it or against it, 片語搭配

無論你是支持還是反對，

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，有個計畫打算利用選舉人團來顛覆選舉人團。

It's a sneaky plan and to understand,

這是個暗中進行的計畫，為了理解它，

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

請記住，雖然感覺像是公民透過一場大型選舉選出總統，但事實並非如此。

The 50 states pick the president.

是50個州選出了總統。

Oh, and District of Columbia. 文化背景

喔，還有哥倫比亞特區。

But not you, Puerto Rico.

但是波多黎各，沒你的份。

Come back when you're a state.

等你成為一個州再來吧。

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

各州如何集結以及如何投票，構成了所謂的選舉人團。

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

每個州根據其人口按比例獲得選票，外加兩票，並且可以自由決定如何投出這些選票。

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

大多數州會參考本州公民的投票結果，並將所有選舉人票投給州內獲勝者。

But they don't have to.

但他們並非必須如此。

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

有幾個州差不多按照公民的偏好比例來分配選票。

But states are free to vote however,

但是各州有權隨意投票，

including against the preferences of their citizens.

甚至可以違背本州公民的偏好。

Let's make a note of that. 表達脈絡

我們先記住這一點。

But back to this plus two,

但回到這個『外加兩票』，

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

這也是為什麼有些公民非常不喜歡選舉人團的原因。

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

『外加兩票』意味著人口較少的州，人均產生的總統選舉權力更大。

At the extremes, 表達脈絡

在極端情況下，

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

有些州十多萬人口就有一票，而有些州近百萬人口才有一票。

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

這就是為什麼選舉人團有時會選出一個全國大多數公民並未投票支持的總統。

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

因為大約80%的州選票是按人口分配的，而20%不是。

This is on purpose.

這是故意的。

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

在公民、州和聯邦層面之間分配權力，過去和現在都是《憲法》的核心原則。

It's a Compromistitution. 慣用語

這是一部『妥協憲法』（Compromistitution）。

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

所以，如果你穿越回各州即將敲定協議的時候，

yelling, "Don't sign that document.

大喊：『別簽那份文件！

I'm from the future.

我來自未來。

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

你們正在建立一個選舉人團，其中總統選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,

得到的回答會是：

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

『是的，這是我們達成一致的眾多妥協之一。』

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，有時總統會以少數普選票當選。

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

你覺得這部『妥協憲法』是為了直接民主制嗎，搞笑呢？

We're building a republic here.

我們要建立的是一個共和國。

Yes, I know.

是的，我知道。

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

但是你能不能看看這張不成比例的表格——？

How many states are there in the future?

未來有多少個州？

50, maybe 51 depending on how

50個，也許51個，取決於……

Wow, what a tremendous

哇喔，多麼巨大的

success!

成功啊！

Go Compromistitution!

『妥協憲法』萬歲！

No, can we focus

不是，我們能不能把重點放在……

Do you even own land? 文化背景

你甚至有土地嗎？

No.

沒有。

Then why would we listen to you?

那我們為什麼要聽你的？

Goodbye.

再見。

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

因此，選舉人團完全是在故意執行其設計之初的任務。

And the Supreme Court has reaffirmed this.

最高法院也重申了這一點。

So if you don't like the Electoral

所以如果你不喜歡選舉人

College, then tough noogies for you. 慣用語

團，那你就只能自認倒霉了。

And if you do,

如果你喜歡，

then nothing to worry about.

那也沒什麼好擔心的。

The Electoral College in a fortress of axiomatic constitutionality 慣用語

選舉人團置身於一座憲法正當性毋庸置疑的堡壘中，

has survived for a thousand generations of this republic.

在這個共和國的一千代中存活了下來。

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

突破正門的唯一方法是透過憲法修正案。

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

但是讓足夠多的州齊心協力推動那個合法的工具，

while not theoretically impossible, 表達脈絡

雖然在理論上並非不可能，

is legislatively improbable.

但在立法上卻不太可能。

This is where the sneaky plan comes in.

這就是那個雞賊計畫登場的地方。

Did you forget about that?

你忘了這事嗎？

Don't worry,

別擔心，

I got carried away. 片語動詞

我剛才扯遠了。

There is a back door that, if breached, 慣用語

有一道後門，如果被突破，

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

就能把保護選舉人團的憲法堡壘變成一座牢籠。

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

這個雞賊計畫名叫『全國普選票州際協定』（National Popular Vote Interstate Compact）。

It's a terrible name,

這個名字糟透了，

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

可能是故意用無聊的名字作為官僚文書的偽裝來掩蓋其狡猾之處。

But I'm calling it NaPoVoInterCo.

但我叫它 NaPoVoInterCo。

which is sort of not really better,

這似乎也沒好到哪裡去，

but whatever.

隨便啦。

Here the sneaky deets.

以下是計畫細節。

One,

第一，

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

假設摧毀選舉人團的憲法保護是不可能的。

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

第二點，正如前面提到的，各州可以隨心所欲地投出選舉人票。

These are just facts.

這些都是事實。

But if a state signs on the dotted line, 慣用語

但如果一個州在虛線上簽了字，

point three is the big deal.

第三點才是重頭戲。

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

NaPoVoInterCo 成員同意將他們的選舉人票投給在全國範圍內獲得公民票數最多的候選人。

This is the National Popular Vote in NaPoVoInterCo.

這就是 NaPoVoInterCo 中的『全國普選票』。

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

第二點加第三點背後的理念，就是讓大多數公民沒有投票支持的總統不可能當選。

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

一個州不僅要看本州的選舉結果，

but the results nationwide and vote that way.

還要看全國的結果，並據此投票。

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

如果該州公民本來就和全國多數人投的一樣，那這就皆大歡喜。

But if they didn't,

但如果他們沒有，

well, you can see a flaw with the plan.

好吧，你能看出這個計畫有個漏洞。

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

任何一個單獨的州如果要自己攻擊選舉人團，投出違背本州公民意願的選票，

it's political suicide from without and within. 慣用語

這在內外都是政治自殺。

So the plan, had it only three points, 文法

所以，如果該計畫只有三點，

is something no state would agree to,

那麼任何一個州都不會同意，

requiring one last sneak.

這就需要最後一個計謀。

Point four,

第四點，

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

直到有足夠多擁有足夠選票的州加入，足以作為一個整體控制選舉人團時，該計畫才會生效。

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

因此，隨著各州的加入，它們控制的選舉人票總數會上升，

but nothing happens.

但什麼都不會發生。

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

選舉照常進行，各州仍按傳統方式投票，同時為這項事業招募盟友。

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

你們在那邊搞什麼鬼？

Oh, us?

喔，我們？

Nothing.

沒什麼。

Just chilling, 語氣意圖

只是放空一下，

just hanging out.

只是隨便閒逛。

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

但是一旦達到了控制選舉人團的多數票，

point four is satisfied and,

第四點就滿足了，而且，

when it's time for the next election,

等到下一次選舉到來時，

charge.

衝鋒。

All together, 用詞

所有人一起，

all at once,

同一時間，

in through the back,

從後門湧入，

the Electoral College is captured,

選舉人團被攻陷，

the fortress is now a prison.

堡壘現在成了牢籠。

From this moment on,

從這一刻起，

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

NaPoVoInterCo 聯盟承諾向在全國獲得最多公民選票的候選人

gets their controlling majority and becomes the president.

提供他們的多數控制票，使其成為總統。

Without amending the Constitution, 文法

在不修改憲法的情況下，

the Electoral College has become totally pointless,

選舉人團變得毫無意義，

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

而是利用其對各州隨意投票權利的保護，作為實質上完全廢除州選票的關鍵工具，

making the presidential election into one not of states, 文法

使總統選舉不再由各州決定，

but of citizens.

而是由公民決定。

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

而且這個計畫完全沒有問題，

except, of course,

除了一點，當然，

the instant this popular coup occurred,

在這場順應民意的政變發生的那一刻，

states outside the compact will storm the Supreme Court, 慣用語

未加入協定的州將會衝向最高法院，

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

最高法院將被迫處理所有人同時針對未來總統選舉方式大聲爭吵的局面，

which will be amazing to watch,

那場面看起來一定非常壯觀，

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

不管憲法解釋的法槌最終落向哪一邊。

That's the plan.

這就是整個計畫。

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

它已經存在了一段時間，並擁有足夠的確切簽名，距離觸發點已經過半。

And in theory,

從理論上講，

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

目前有足夠多的州在立法機關有未決法案，如果通過，

would put NaPoVoInterCo into action for the next election.

將在下屆選舉中使 NaPoVoInterCo 生效。

Though, of course,

儘管，當然，

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

對於遙遠且不確定的事情，人們更容易同意。

And the reality of voting against your citizens merely theoretical.

而且違背公民意願投票的現實目前僅停留在理論上。

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

因此，要獲得最後觸發協定的2%可能比最初承諾的49%要困難得多。

But the Electoral College,

但是對於選舉人團，

for it or against it,

無論你是支持還是反對，

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

全國普選票州際協定都是旨在利用它來顛覆它的暗中計畫。