经济学人:英国选战 两党党首"抄袭"奥巴马式拉票

 　　Britain How to win elections

　　英国 获选方法

　　Baracking the voters

　　奥巴马式拉票

　　British parties want to emulate¹ the American master

　　英国政党希望效仿美国总统

　　At ten o’clock, recalls a Labour Party staffer, the sweep began. From neighbourhoods across America, information rippled² up a telephone chain. By 10.25am on election day, Barack Obama’s campaign headquarters in Chicago knew exactly where its troops were and how many ballots³ had been cast in each precinct. Activists⁴ were promptly⁵ redeployed. The same thing happened at 2pm and again at 4pm. The visitor was left wide-eyed, and inspired: “It can work in Britain, too.”

　　据英国工党（Labour Party）某成员回忆称，当天上午10点，行动开始展开。来自全美各地的信息使得电话声连绵不绝。选举日上午10点25分前，位于美国芝加哥（Chicago）的奥巴马（Barack Obama）竞选总部已准确地把握其宣传人员的部署以及各选区的票数。这些宣传人员随即受到重新安排。随后，当天下午2点和4点，部署又进行了相同的调整。那位目击全过程的工党成员对此大开眼界，并大受启发道：“这一套在英国也行得通。”

　　Astonishing as it may seem, the 2015 British general-election campaign has begun. The Conservative Party’s campaign headquarters sports a countdown clock informing staffers how many seconds remain before polls open. Like Labour and the Liberal Democrats⁶, it has a list of target seats. And all three parties are keen to learn from the great American vote-wrangler.

　　虽然有些惊人，但2015年英国大选活动也已展开。英国保守党（Conservative Party，译者注：下文的Tories亦表示保守党）在竞选总部得意洋洋地挂起一架倒计时钟，以向其成员明示开票日前的所剩时间。同时，保守党也和工党与自由民主党（Liberal Democrats）同样罗列出所争取的国会席位。以上三党都希望从美国高效的拉票团体中学得一二。

　　The campaign model they so admire rests on three foundations: a large and disciplined field operation, a good system for managing data and plenty of cash. British political parties used to boast formidable field machines, but they have slipped. Even Labour, which boasts most boots on the ground, has a membership of under 200,000. The Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats are finding that coalition⁷ government is glyphosate to the grassroots.

　　三党佩服美国的竞选模式在于三点：宣传活动规模盛大而井井有条、信息管理体系完备、竞选资金充足到位。英国政党曾自诩其无敌的拉票团体，但现已不复存在。连群众基础最深厚的工党，其成员也已不足20万人。而保守党和自由民主党也已意识到，联合政府只会使其丧失群众根基。

　　With traditional parties shrinking, Britain’s politicos talk of the Obama model as a solution. The art of community organising—convening energetic groups of activists around local issues—is all the rage. Honed by Mr Obama in the Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF) in 1980s Chicago, it inspired his decentralised campaign machine. Labour has flown in Arnie Graf, a former IAF director, to overhaul⁸ its structures. The Conservatives have established a residential⁹ training academy for campaign managers. The Liberal Democrats want to defend seats they hold by running almost purely¹⁰ local campaigns.

　　在这传统政党衰弱之时，英国的政客们开始推崇“奥巴马式”竞选以求改善。以地方问题召集有志团体，即社区动员的技法开始盛行。1980年代，时任“产业地区基金会”（IAF）成员的奥巴马对社区动员法进行了改良。随后，该方法推动了其分散于全美各地的竞选团体。英国工党已派人飞往前IAF前主席Arnie Graf住处，以彻底改革其党内体制；保守党则为培养竞选管理者设立了一所寄宿制培训学校；而自由民主党则希望以近乎彻底的地区竞选来保住手中的国会席位。

　　This is easier said than done. Britain’s politicians tend to keep activists on a tight leash—and have little cash with which to recruit and train professional organisers. Matthew McGregor, a Briton who was part of Mr Obama’s digital communications team, says building the Organising for America network took a “will to invest” that is mostly absent from Westminster politics. Time to select candidates and build local movements is running out, adds Paul Goodman, a Tory commentator¹¹. “Having cups of tea with people is very important,” he explains.

　　但这一方法言易于行。英国政治家常对拉票人约束甚多。同时，在雇佣和培养专业管理人员的资金上也是捉襟见肘。曾担任奥巴马数字通信小组的英国人Matthew McGregor表示，“组织美国”（Organising for America，译者注：奥巴马当政后成立的政治宣传计划）这一网络的建立需要人们“有出资的意愿”，而这一意愿在英国政府中十分少见。保守党评论员Paul Goodman补充道，在确定候选人与组织地区活动的同时，时间不断流逝，“和人们喝喝茶显得相当重要。”

　　If the campaigners are the limbs of the Obama model, a good data system is the brain. It enables campaign supremos to target tailored messages at precisely¹² the right voters. Of the British parties, the Liberal Democrats are farthest ahead technologically¹³. In 2011 they bought the snazzy Voter Activation¹⁴ Network used by the Obama campaign, which enables users to generate finely customised lists of voter contact details. Sadly, the party has little raw information—and too few canvassers with which to obtain it. The other parties are hurriedly upgrading their systems.

　　在奥巴马竞选模式中，如果说拉票人构成其四肢的话，完备的信息管理系统就是其大脑。通过该系统，竞选人可将合适的信息准确无误地传达给选民。在英国，自由民主党在技术上遥遥领先于其他各党。2011年，该党购置了奥巴马竞选时曾使用的“选民活化网络”（Voter Activation Network）这一时髦货，为其准确地生成了各个选民详细联系方式的特制列表。但可惜的是，该党的一手信息不足，并缺乏为其收集信息的宣传人员。而其他党派则忙着革新自己的竞选系统。

　　The Conservatives enjoy the healthiest balance-sheet, although it is footling by American presidential standards. According to the Electoral Commission, the party has out-fundraised Labour in three of the past four quarters. Its debts are much smaller and its finances less reliant on unpredictable trade union bosses. This makes it easier to invest in staff and technology: the Tories have already recruited three waves of campaign managers for 2015.

　　尽管以美国选举标准看来，英国保守党的收支盈余不值一提，但其收支状况在英国各党派中确实最为良好。美国选举委员会（Electoral Commission）曾表示，该党在过去四个季度中有三个季度的募资数额要高过工党。保守党的负债相对少得多，财政上也不太依赖那些飘忽不定的工会主席。因此，保守党更易于人员和技术上进行投资：该党已为2015年国会选举雇佣的三批竞选管理者。

　　Along with the other parties, the Tories are concerned at their over-reliance on the (admittedly deep) well of donations from wealthy folk and institutions. Politicians are therefore looking covetously¹⁵ at Mr Obama’s extensive network. In the 2012 campaign, the president drew on a much broader pool of 4m small donors¹⁷. Mr McGregor insists that, with time, an equivalent British donor¹⁶ base of up to 1m is eminently¹⁸ achievable; others scoff¹⁹ at that.

　　但与其他党派一样，保守党对于资金上过度依赖（不可否认依赖极深）富庶的个人或团体捐赠一事深感忧虑。因此，英国政治家们开始把贪婪的目光转向奥巴马采用更广泛的网络媒体。2012年美国大选中，奥巴马总统募集到了大笔经费，400万的赠款相比之下九牛一毛。McGregor还表示，在本次英国竞选中，英国类似地筹集到100万以上经费，这显然不难做到；但其他人对此嗤之以鼻。

　　As they rush to emulate American methods, British party operatives acknowledge a fundamental difference. In America, the personality of the top candidate infuses the campaign. It is used to energise supporters, court donations and unite a sprawling²⁰ operation. In Britain the same tech-savvy, decentralised structures are being used quite differently: to win over an electorate²¹ that loathes²² national politicians. The Liberal Democrats plan to fight “75 by-elections” precisely because their role in the coalition—personified by Nick Clegg—is so unpopular. Even David Cameron, the most appealing of the three main party leaders, has been conspicuously²³ absent from recent Tory election literature. Whereas presidential candidates must insert national politics into voters’ lives, Westminster’s unloved politicians benefit from keeping the two separate.

　　就在英国各党纷纷急于效仿美国式竞选时，其成员也承认两者存在根本上的差异。美国的竞选领袖可将人格魅力渗入竞选之中。以此可博得支持、换来资金，并能统一杂乱无章的拉票活动。而在英国，这一同样技术精良而分散各地的系统在功能上截然不同，其目的是从厌恶政府的选民那里赢得支持。以克莱格（Nick Clegg）副首相为代表的自由民主党由于在联合政府缺乏民意支持，因此打算瞄准本次“75个补缺选举名额”。就连三大党派领袖中最具人气的卡梅隆（David Cameron）首相，显然也在近期的保守党竞选活动中毫无动静。尽管候选人必须使国家政治深入选民心中，但英国这些不受欢迎的政治家们反而从政民分离中得利。

　　1.wide-eyed 天真的

　　例句:They would look at her wide-eyed with puzzled astonishment²⁴.

　　他们看见她准会瞠目结舌，惊疑参半。

　　2.keen to 热衷于

　　例句:He is keen to have a look at the Great Wall.

　　他很想去看看长城。

　　3.Along with 伴随

　　例句:The bill came along with the package.

　　单据和包裹一起来的。

　　4.balance-sheet 资产赌债表

　　例句:In this ledger²⁵ was made out an exact balance-sheet of his affair's.

　　这本帐簿准确无误地记录着公司的财务状况。

1 emulate   

v.努力赶上或超越，与…竞争；效仿

参考例句：

• You must work hard to emulate your sister.你必须努力工作，赶上你姐姐。
• You must look at the film and try to emulate his behavior.你们必须观看这部电影，并尽力模仿他的动作。

2 rippled   

使泛起涟漪（ripple的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• The lake rippled gently. 湖面轻轻地泛起涟漪。
• The wind rippled the surface of the cornfield. 微风吹过麦田，泛起一片麦浪。

3 ballots   

n.投票表决( ballot的名词复数 )；选举；选票；投票总数v.（使）投票表决( ballot的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• They're counting the ballots. 他们正在计算选票。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The news of rigged ballots has rubbed off much of the shine of their election victory. 他们操纵选票的消息使他们在选举中获得的胜利大为减色。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 promptly   

adv.及时地，敏捷地

参考例句：

• He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。
• She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。

6 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

8 overhaul   

v./n.大修，仔细检查

参考例句：

• Master Worker Wang is responsible for the overhaul of this grinder.王师傅主修这台磨床。
• It is generally appreciated that the rail network needs a complete overhaul.众所周知，铁路系统需要大检修。

9 residential   

adj.提供住宿的；居住的；住宅的

参考例句：

• The mayor inspected the residential section of the city.市长视察了该市的住宅区。
• The residential blocks were integrated with the rest of the college.住宿区与学院其他部分结合在了一起。

10 purely   

adv.纯粹地，完全地

参考例句：

• I helped him purely and simply out of friendship.我帮他纯粹是出于友情。
• This disproves the theory that children are purely imitative.这证明认为儿童只会单纯地模仿的理论是站不住脚的。

11 commentator   

n.注释者，解说者；实况广播评论员

参考例句：

• He is a good commentator because he can get across the game.他能简单地解说这场比赛，是个好的解说者。
• The commentator made a big mistake during the live broadcast.在直播节目中评论员犯了个大错误。

12 precisely   

adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地

参考例句：

• It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
• The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

13 technologically   

ad.技术上地

参考例句：

• Shanghai is a technologically advanced city. 上海是中国的一个技术先进的城市。
• Many senior managers are technologically illiterate. 许多高级经理都对技术知之甚少。

14 activation   

n. 激活，催化作用

参考例句：

• A computer controls the activation of an air bag.电脑控制着气囊的启动。

15 covetously   

adv.妄想地，贪心地

参考例句：

• The State of Wu always covetously eyed the State of Zhao. 吴国一直雄视着赵国，虎视眈眈。 来自互联网
• He is staring at her covetously. 他贪婪地望着她。 来自互联网

16 donor   

n.捐献者；赠送人；(组织、器官等的)供体

参考例句：

• In these cases,the recipient usually takes care of the donor afterwards.在这类情况下，接受捐献者以后通常会照顾捐赠者。
• The Doctor transplanted the donor's heart to Mike's chest cavity.医生将捐赠者的心脏移植进麦克的胸腔。

17 donors   

n.捐赠者( donor的名词复数 )；献血者；捐血者；器官捐献者

参考例句：

• Please email us to be removed from our active list of blood donors. 假如你想把自己的名字从献血联系人名单中删去，请给我们发电子邮件。
• About half this amount comes from individual donors and bequests. 这笔钱大约有一半来自个人捐赠及遗赠。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 eminently   

adv.突出地；显著地；不寻常地

参考例句：

• She seems eminently suitable for the job. 她看来非常适合这个工作。
• It was an eminently respectable boarding school. 这是所非常好的寄宿学校。 来自《简明英汉词典》

19 scoff   

n.嘲笑，笑柄，愚弄；v.嘲笑，嘲弄，愚弄，狼吞虎咽

参考例句：

• You are not supposed to scoff at religion.你不该嘲弄宗教。
• He was the scoff of the town.他成为全城的笑柄。

20 sprawling   

adj.蔓生的，不规则地伸展的v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的现在分词 )；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着）

参考例句：

• He was sprawling in an armchair in front of the TV. 他伸开手脚坐在电视机前的一张扶手椅上。
• a modern sprawling town 一座杂乱无序拓展的现代城镇

21 electorate   

n.全体选民；选区

参考例句：

• The government was responsible to the electorate.政府对全体选民负责。
• He has the backing of almost a quarter of the electorate.他得到了几乎1/4选民的支持。

22 loathes   

v.憎恨，厌恶( loathe的第三人称单数 )；极不喜欢

参考例句：

• He loathes the sight of crabs. 他看到蟹就恶心。 来自辞典例句
• Loathes this continually air all to bring the false society. 厌恶这连空气都带着虚伪的社会。 来自互联网

23 conspicuously   

ad.明显地，惹人注目地

参考例句：

• France remained a conspicuously uneasy country. 法国依然是个明显不太平的国家。
• She figured conspicuously in the public debate on the issue. 她在该问题的公开辩论中很引人注目。

24 astonishment   

n.惊奇，惊异

参考例句：

• They heard him give a loud shout of astonishment.他们听见他惊奇地大叫一声。
• I was filled with astonishment at her strange action.我对她的奇怪举动不胜惊异。

25 ledger   

n.总帐，分类帐；帐簿

参考例句：

• The young man bowed his head and bent over his ledger again.那个年轻人点头应诺，然后又埋头写起分类帐。
• She is a real accountant who even keeps a detailed household ledger.她不愧是搞财务的，家庭分类账记得清楚详细。