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It Is Bush

On the 36th day after they had voted, Americans finally learned Wednesday who would be theirnext president: Governor George W. Bush of Texas.

Vice President Al Gore, his last realistic avenue for legal challenge closed by a U. S. SupremeCourt decision late Tuesday, planned to end the contest formally in a televised eveningspeech of perhaps 10 minutes, advisers said.

They said that Senator Joseph Lieberman, his vice presidential running mate, would first makebrief comments. The men would speak from a ceremonial chamber of the Old Executive officeBuilding, to the west of the White House.

The dozens of political workers and lawyers who had helped lead Mr. Gore’s unprecedentedfight to claw a come-from-behind electoral victory in the pivotal state of Florida were thankedWednesday and asked to stand down.

“The vice president has directed the recount committee to suspend activities,” William Daley,the Gore campaign chairman, said in a written statement.

Mr. Gore authorized that statement after meeting with his wife, Tipper, and with top advisersincluding Mr. Daley.

He was expected to telephone Mr. Bush during the day. The Bush campaign kept a low profileand moved gingerly, as if to leave space for Mr. Gore to contemplate his next steps.

Yet, at the end of a trying and tumultuous process that had focused world attention onsleepless vote counters across Florida, and on courtrooms form Miami to Tallahassee to Atlantato Washington the Texas governor was set to become the 43d U. S. president.

The news of Mr. Gore’s plans followed the longest and most rancorous dispute over a U. S.presidential election in more than a century, one certain to leave scars in a badly dividedcountry.

It was a bitter ending for Mr. Gore, who had outpolled Mr. Bush nationwide by some 300000votes, but, without Florida, fell short in the Electoral College by 271votes to 267—thenarrowest Electoral College victory since the turbulent election of 1876.

Mr. Gore was said to be distressed by what he and many Democratic activists felt was apartisan decision from the nation’s highest court.

The 5-to –4 decision of the Supreme Court held, in essence, that while a vote recount inFlorida could be conducted in legal and constitutional fashion, as Mr. Gore had sought, thiscould not be done by the Dec. 12 deadline for states to select their presidential electors.

James Baker 3rd, the former secretary of state who represented Mr. Bush in the Floridadispute, issued a short statement after the U. S. high court ruling, saying that the governorwas “very pleased and gratified.”

Mr. Bush was planning a nationwide speech aimed at trying to begin to heal the country’s deep,aching and varied divisions. He then was expected to meet with congressional leaders,including Democrats. Dick Cheney, Mr. Bush’s ruing mate, was meeting with congressmenWednesday in Washington.

When Mr. Bush, who is 54, is sworn into office on Jan.20, he will be only the second son of apresident to follow his father to the White House, after John Adams and John Quincy Adams inthe early 19th century.

Mr. Gore, in his speech, was expected to thank his supporters, defend his hive-week battle asan effort to ensure, as a matter of principle, that every vote be counted, and call for thenation to join behind the new president. He was described by an aide as “resolved andresigned.”

While some constitutional experts had said they believed states could present electors as lateas Dec. 18, the U. S. high court made clear that it saw no such leeway.

The U.S. high court sent back “for revision” to the Florida court its order allowing recounts butmade clear that for all practical purposes the election was over.

In its unsigned main opinion, the court declared, “The recount process, in its features heredescribed, is inconsistent with the minimum procedures necessary to protect thefundamental right of each voter.”

That decision, by a court fractured along philosophical lines, left one liberal justice chargingthat the high court’s proceedings bore a political taint.

Justice John Paul Stevens wrote in an angry dissent:” Although we may never know withcomplete certainty the identity of the winner of this year’s presidential election, the identityof the loser is perfectly clear. It is the nation’s confidence in the judge as an impartialguardian of the law.”

But at the end of five seemingly endless weeks, during which the physical, legal andconstitutional machines of the U. S. election were pressed and sorely tested in ways unseenin more than a century, the system finally produced a result, and one most Americans appearedto be willing at lease provisionally to support.

The Bush team welcomed the news with an outward show of restraint and aplomb. Thegovernor’s hopes had risen and fallen so many times since Election night, and the legal warriorsof each side suffered through so many dramatic reversals, that there was little energy left forcelebration.

1. The main idea of this passage is

[A]. Bush’s victory in presidential election borea political taint.

[B]. The process of the American presidentialelection.

[C]. The Supreme Court plays a very important part in the presidential election.

[D]. Gore is distressed.

2. What does the sentence “as if to leave space for Mr. Gore to contemplate his next step”mean

[A]. Bush hopes Gore to join his administration.

[B]. Bush hopes Gore to concede defeat and to support him.

[C]. Bush hopes Gore to congraduate him.

[D]. Bush hopes Gore go on fighting with him.

3. Why couldn’t Mr. Gore win the presidential election after he outpolled Mr. Bush in thepopular vote? Because

[A]. the American president is decided by the supreme court’s decision.

[B]. people can’t directly elect their president.

[C]. the American president is elected by a slate of presidential electors.

[D]. the people of each state support Mr. Bush.

4. What was the result of the 5—4 decision of the supreme court?

[A]. It was in fact for the vote recount.

[B]. It had nothing to do with the presidential election.

[C]. It decided the fate of the winner.

[D]. It was in essence against the vote recount.

5. What did the “turbulent election of 1876” imply?

[A]. The process of presidential election of 2000 was the same as that.

[B]. There were great similarities between the two presidential elections (2000 and 1876).

[C]. It was compared to presidential election of 2000.

[D]. It was given an example.

1. avenue 通向成功/獲取成功的途徑/手段

2. running mate 競選伙伴，如作為總統(tǒng)的競選伙伴，獲勝后為副總統(tǒng)

3. pivotal 重要的，樞紐的

4. gingerly=carefully 小心翼翼地

5. tumultuous 吵鬧的，騷動的，激動的

6. rancorous 充滿仇恨的

7. elector 總統(tǒng)選舉團成員

8. elector college 美國選舉總統(tǒng)的選舉團

9. leeway 風壓差，余地

10. for all practical purpose 事實上，實際

11. fracture 斷裂，折斷

12. taint 污點，敗壞，感染

13. dissent 不同意，異議

14. provisionally 暫時的，臨時的

15. aplomb 鎮(zhèn)靜，沉著

16. restraint 抑制，克制，謹慎

1. stand down 退出競爭/競選，辭職，推出法庭。這里指戈爾感謝這些競爭支持者后，就退出競選。此短語的對立面是stand for 競選。 Ex: to stand for parliament 競選國會議員。

2. The Bush campaign kept a low profile and moved gingerly, as if to leave space for Mr. Goreto contemplate his next steps.

[結構簡析] profile 外形，輪廓，外觀。Low profile 低姿態(tài)，不出頭露面，不惹人注意。High profile 鮮明的姿態(tài)。

3. recount committee 重新計算選票委員會。

4. …one certain to leave scars is a badly divided country.

[結構簡析] election 的同位語one (election) which was certain。 Leave scar 留下傷疤。

[參考譯文] 人們可以肯定計算問題在這兩派分裂的國家上留下傷疤。

5. It was a bitter ending for Mr. Gore, who had outpolled Mr. Bush nationwide by some 300000votes, but, without Florida, fell short in the Electoral College by 271votes to 267—thenarrowest Electoral College victory since the turbulent election of 1876.

[結構簡析] outpoll 得到的選票超過某人。Fall short (of) 缺少，不足，達不到。Electoral college 選舉團票，指每一個州人民選出一群人組成選舉團，由它們直接選舉總統(tǒng)。

6. The election of 1876

這是指1876年11月7日美國內戰(zhàn)時少將，共和黨人，俄亥俄州州長盧瑟福海因斯，在總統(tǒng)選舉結束后，認為自己輸給民主黨人，紐約州長薩繆爾萊爾登而安息。可在第二天，因為涉嫌欺騙行為，有爭議之州，如佛羅里達，路易斯安娜，南卡羅萊納重新計票及訴訟。那一年選舉結果爭議持續(xù)了四個月的時間。國會因爭議，不得不推遲總統(tǒng)就職時間。到第二年，1877年3月4日，總統(tǒng)就職最后期限的前兩天，國會建立了一個兩黨聯(lián)合選舉委員會：包括八名共和黨人和七名民主黨人。最后該會把所有爭議的選舉人票都給了海因斯。結果以185票對萊爾登184張選舉團票。海因斯多一票當選為美國第19任總統(tǒng)。2000年的美國總統(tǒng)選舉與1876年的很相似。所以句內提及。

7. James Baker 3rd 貝克曾任前共和黨總統(tǒng)里根(Ronald Reagen)政府的內閣成員和白宮辦公所主任。在小布什父親的父親George Bush任總統(tǒng)時又擔任過國務卿(1989——1993)。這次他是小布什為重新計票問題在法庭展開斗爭的律師代表，而民主黨的律師代表似乎克林頓政府中擔任過國務卿的克里斯托弗WarrenChristopher (1993--1997)。

8. Dick Cheney 切尼是小布什父親執(zhí)政時的老臣。他這次出山要以輔弼大臣的資格和經驗輔佐朝政。所以報道中提到he will act in the Bush administration as a president in a corporation while GeorgeW. Bush as the Chairman of the board of directors.

9. John Adams (1735—1848), 約翰亞當斯，美國第二任總統(tǒng)(1979——1801)，聯(lián)邦黨人，F(xiàn)ederalist, 是起草獨立宣言的關鍵人物。

10. John Quincy Adams (1767—1848) 美國第六任總統(tǒng)，是上述亞當斯大兒子。

11. resolved and resigned 這里指他的追隨者認為戈爾堅定而又順從(天命)，因為戈爾的演說，一方面感謝他們的支持，五星期來保證每張票都應計算的努力是捍衛(wèi)了原則問題，另一方面也是號召全國支持新總統(tǒng)。

12. It saw no such leeway. 美國高等法院認為這是沒有成功的多花時間，金錢的事。和后面句內for allpractical purpose the election was over 事實上選舉已結束(已成定居)，傳達了高等法院認為重新計票毫無作用之義。

13. That decision, by a court fractured along philosophical lines, left one liberal justicecharging that the high court’s proceedings bore a political taint.

[參考譯文] 法院這一裁決割裂了哲學思想，使一位自由派法官(司法官)指高等法院程序沾上了政治污點。

14. But at the end of five seemingly endless weeks, during which the physical, legal andconstitutional machines of the U. S. election were pressed and sorely tested in ways unseenin more than a century, the system finally produced a result, and one most Americans appearedto be willing at lease provisionally to support.

[參考譯文] 經過5個似乎無休止的星期之后，這個制度總算產生了一個結果，一個大多數美國人，至少目前能暫時支持的總統(tǒng)。在這五星期內，有形的，法律的，政體的機器都經受了壓力(都很緊張)，也經受了一百多年來沒有見過的這方面的沉重考驗。

1. A. 布什在總統(tǒng)選舉中獲勝沾上了政治污點。整篇文章環(huán)繞這一點而寫。文章一開始就寫戈爾在高等法院裁決下退出競選，再寫布什得勝后的低調行動表示對戈爾的期望。仁厚點出271——276選舉團票布什的險勝是和全國最 高法院的欺詐性裁決有關，這令戈爾痛心疾首，令布什等感恩戴德。最后集中寫了高等法院司法程序沾上了政治污點，以及當選之布什的后果——大多數美國人似乎暫時會支持。這一切說明布什勝勝不武，而戈爾卻是雖敗尤勝。

B. 美國總統(tǒng)選舉過程，文章過程的焦點在布什獲勝之因，不單單是過程，故B. 項不對。

C. 高等法院在總統(tǒng)選舉中起著重要的作用。其作用是欺詐性裁決，偏袒布什獲勝，是政治污點，反映了布什的手段。 D. 戈爾很難受，這是事實，但不是中心思想。

2. B. 布什希望戈爾(能退一步)承認失敗，并支持他，而戈爾確實是也這樣做了。所以他的助手稱戈爾為“resolved and resigned.” 堅決而又順從天命的人。至少在他的演講中號召人們追隨新總統(tǒng)。

A. 布什希望戈爾參與他的政府。 C. 布什希望戈爾祝賀他。 D. 布什希望戈爾繼續(xù)和他斗下去。

3. C. 美國的總統(tǒng)由選舉團提名選舉產生。見難句譯注5和6。

A. 美國總統(tǒng)由高等法院裁決。 B. 人民不能直接選舉總統(tǒng)。這只是第 一步的原因，主要原因在C. D. 各州人民支持布什。

4. D. 其結果實質上就是反對重新計票。這在第十二段闡述得很清楚：高等法院5比4之裁決實質上就是重新計票在12月12日州選舉總統(tǒng)選舉團的最后一天之前是不能進行的，而戈爾曾認為弗羅里達州可以法律和憲法的形式重新計票?？偨y(tǒng)選舉團一產生?？偨y(tǒng)由選舉團提名選舉產生，那么重新計票與否對總統(tǒng)選舉實際上是毫無作用，所以說5比4裁決12月12日之前……實質上就是反對重新計票。

A. 其結果實際上是支持重新計票。不對。 B. 其結果和總統(tǒng)選舉毫無關系，不對，關系很大，見D項注釋。 C. 其結果決定勝者的命運。

5. B. 它隱射2000年的總統(tǒng)選舉和1876年的總統(tǒng)選舉兩者之間有著很大的相似之處。見難句譯注6，海因斯認為輸了，正準備放棄，誰知涉嫌欺騙行為，對有爭議的州進行重新計票。結果是海因斯以一票之差險勝。重新計票以及險勝都和2000年總統(tǒng)選舉相似，其它方面，如以為輸而沒有輸，重新計票州多而且起到作用等……，都和2000年選舉不同，所以只能選B項，A項完全一樣是錯誤的。

A. 兩者選舉總統(tǒng)過程一個樣。 C. 把1876年總統(tǒng)選舉比作2000年的總統(tǒng)選舉。 D. 作為例子給出。 這里沒有說明。

【責任編輯：Xiaoxu】