美國文化口語-選舉

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BRIAN: What are those?

BILL: Those are campaign placards for John Black.

BRIAN: Who is John Black?

BILL: There's an election coming up soon.I'm voting for John Black for the U.S. Senate. I'm going to put the placards out in my yard.

BRIAN: Oh, I see. So it's an election.

BILL: Yes.

BRIAN: I don't know anything about American politics. Can you tell me a little?

BILL: What do you want to know?

BRIAN: Well. Maybe you could tell me why you are voting for John Black.

BILL: That's easy. There are a few different reasons.But the main reason I'm voting for Black is that he's a Democrat.

BRIAN: Hmm. So he's in the Democratic Party, is that right?

BILL: Yes.

BRIAN: How many political parties are there in America?

BILL: Oh, there are many parties. But now there are only two powerful parties:the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. I always vote Democrat.

BRIAN: Why is that?

BILL: Because I think the Republicans are only good at giving money to big business.When the Republicans had more power, in the Eighties, the American economy was all screwed up.The Democrats do a better job of managing our country.The Democrats are more balanced between the interests of business and the interests of average people.

BRIAN: I see. So the Republican Party is the conservative party.And the Democratic Party is the more leftist party. Am I right?

BILL: I wouldn't say the Democratic Party is "leftist." I would say they are moderate.

BRIAN: I read in the paper that not so many Americans vote. Is that true?

BILL: Yes, unfortunately it is true. And I think it's a shame.Because we Americans not only have the right to vote, but we have the duty to vote too.I think people who don't vote are bad Americans.They don't realize that living in a democracy has some responsibilities.

BRIAN: I can understand your position. I always vote in elections in Taiwan.

BILL: It's important in a democratic society for people to understand politics.And they must make their voices heard by voting. That is how a democracy works.

布萊恩：那些是什么?

比爾：那是約翰?布萊克的競選牌子。

布萊恩：約翰?布萊克是誰?

比爾：選舉即將到了。我要選約翰?布萊克當(dāng)參議員，我要把牌子立在院子里。

布萊恩：我明白了，這是選舉。

比爾：是的。

布萊恩：我不了解美國的政治，你可以跟我說一些嗎?

比爾：你想知道什么?

布萊恩：也許你可以說說為什么要投給約翰?布萊克。

比爾：很簡單，有幾個不同的理由。最主要的就是他是民主黨人。

布萊恩：那么他是民主黨的，對嗎?

比爾：是的。

布萊恩：美國有多少個政黨?

比爾：有很多個，但是只有兩個強(qiáng)大的政黨：民主黨和共和黨。我總是投給民主黨。

布萊恩：為什么?

比爾：因為共和黨只會拿錢給大企業(yè)。八十年代，共和黨較強(qiáng)勢的時候，美國經(jīng)濟(jì)一團(tuán)糟。民主黨把國家治理得比較好他們比較能夠取得平衡在企業(yè)的利益和普遍大眾的利益之間。

布萊恩：我明白了。共和黨是保守黨，而民主黨比較傾向左派，對不對?

比爾：我不說民主黨是左派，我說他們是穩(wěn)健派。

布萊恩：我在報上看過不是很多美國人投票，是真的嗎?

比爾：是的,很不幸是真的。我覺得很丟臉。我們美國人不僅有權(quán)利投票，更有義務(wù)投票。不投票的人不是好公民，他們不曉得住在民主國家中是有義務(wù)的。

布萊恩：我了解你的立場。我在臺灣都有投票。

比爾：民主國家中的人民要了解政治，這是很重要的。人民必須通過選票來反映民聲，那就是民主的運作方式。