NBC晚间新闻 选区划分不公：政府职能失效的解药

Gerrymandering: the recipe for dysfunctional government?

选区划分不公：政府职能失效的解药？

The age-old practice of politicians re-drawing Congressional districts to find friendly voters, or, gerrymandering, has allowed members of the House of Representatives from both sides of the aisle¹ to stay in power regardless of public opinion. NBC’s Kevin Tibbles reports.

政客们通过古老做法重新绘制国会选区寻求友好的选民，或者不公正划分选区，使得两档的众议院成员可以不顾民意仍然掌权。NBC的Kevin Tibbles报道。

We touched on this earlier, this current showdown and this current government shutdown traces its history back to a determined² core of GOP house members who are vehemently³ against Obama Care and were willing to shut down the government because of it. These members happen to be from very conservative districts where they won by big margins⁴, and their jobs are secure more or less. And in both parties, there are congressional districts that are set up by the states to keep the parties in power. But some believe if the system stays this way, our politics will kind of stay this way. I'll report on all of it tonight from NBC's Kevin Tibbles.

You're willing to bring this country to its knees!

reporter: Ever wonder how we got here?

We did not elect a dictator. We elected a president.

reporter: A good many fingers are pointing at this guy, founding father and Massachusetts governor El Ridge⁵ Gary drew this contorted district to ensure his party's victory in 1812. One political cartoonist likened it to a salamander. From that day on the practice of redrawing maps to find friendly voters has been known as Gerrymandering. North Carolina's 12th district looks like spilled coffee. Pennsylvania's 16th is flexing⁶ its muscles. And one commentator⁷ compared Maryland's third to a broken-winged terodactyl. And then there is this. They call it the earmuffs.

You may think I'm zipping along an eight-lane highway, when in fact I'm traveling the single thread that links the two halves of the Illinois fourth congressional district.

The control of the house of representatives would switch from the Democratic party to the Republicans.

reporter: When Republicans won the majority of state houses in 2010, it ensured they would be redrawing the maps in those States. And lo and behold⁸, it paid off in 2012. Nationwide, Democrats⁹ running for congress got 1.1 million more votes, but Republicans sent 33 more members to the house. But it's not just Republicans who draw safe districts. Democrats do it too. In 2012, both Republicans and Democrats had a paltry¹⁰ 15% approval rating, and yet 90% of house members were re-elected. We now created a system where politicians are choosing their voters more than voter are choosing their politicians.

reporter: Mathmaticians using algorithms have proposed creating electoral maps based on geography and population to eliminate the politics. If we continue to have a system which allows ridiculous folks to be elected, then we're going to have a situation where government actually just literally¹¹ does not function.

reporter: And on day 14 of the government shutdown, some may argue that's exactly what's

happening.

Kevin Tibbles, NBC News, Illinois.

1 aisle   

n.（教堂、教室、戏院等里的）过道，通道

参考例句：

• The aisle was crammed with people.过道上挤满了人。
• The girl ushered me along the aisle to my seat.引座小姐带领我沿着通道到我的座位上去。

2 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

3 vehemently   

adv. 热烈地

参考例句：

• He argued with his wife so vehemently that he talked himself hoarse. 他和妻子争论得很激烈，以致讲话的声音都嘶哑了。
• Both women vehemently deny the charges against them. 两名妇女都激烈地否认了对她们的指控。

4 margins   

边( margin的名词复数 )； 利润； 页边空白； 差数

参考例句：

• They have always had to make do with relatively small profit margins. 他们不得不经常设法应付较少的利润额。
• To create more space between the navigation items, add left and right margins to the links. 在每个项目间留更多的空隙，加左或者右的margins来定义链接。

5 ridge   

n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭

参考例句：

• We clambered up the hillside to the ridge above.我们沿着山坡费力地爬上了山脊。
• The infantry were advancing to attack the ridge.步兵部队正在向前挺进攻打山脊。

6 flexing   

n.挠曲，可挠性v.屈曲( flex的现在分词 )；弯曲；（为准备大干而）显示实力；摩拳擦掌

参考例句：

• Flexing particular muscles allows snakes to move in several ways. 可弯曲的特殊的肌肉使蛇可以用几种方式移动。 来自电影对白
• China has become an economic superpower and is flexing its muscles. 中国已经成为了一个经济巨人而且在展示他的肌肉。 来自互联网

7 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。

8 behold   

v.看，注视，看到

参考例句：

• The industry of these little ants is wonderful to behold.这些小蚂蚁辛勤劳动的样子看上去真令人惊叹。
• The sunrise at the seaside was quite a sight to behold.海滨日出真是个奇景。

9 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》

10 paltry   

adj.无价值的，微不足道的

参考例句：

• The parents had little interest in paltry domestic concerns.那些家长对家里鸡毛蒜皮的小事没什么兴趣。
• I'm getting angry;and if you don't command that paltry spirit of yours.我要生气了，如果你不能振作你那点元气。

11 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。