时代周刊:共和党众议院议长之争不会太体面(2)（在线收听）

Just hours before Ryan announced his resignation in April,

就在瑞安4月份宣布辞职的几个小时前，

McCarthy asked for pledges of support from Representative Steve Scalise,

麦卡锡曾要求众议院三号共和党人史蒂夫·斯卡利斯，

the No.3 Republican in the House, and his deputy, Representative Patrick McHenry.

以及他的助手帕特里克·麦克亨利承诺支持他竞选众议院议长。

In exchange, the suggestion went, he would help them keep their place in the pecking order.

作为交换，他提出，他会帮助他们保住自己的地位。

Scalise later endorsed McCarthy, fearing that his silence could fuel drama.

后来，斯卡利斯的确给麦卡锡投了支持票，因为他担心他的沉默会让局势变得更加戏剧化。

But many lawmakers think he could still make a play for the top job.

但许多议员都认为，他自己也是有可能竞选上众议院议长这一最高职位的。

Scalise, who survived the GOP baseball practice shooting in 2017, is respected in the conference.

曾在2017年共和党棒球练习赛投球中受伤，但幸存了下来的斯卡利斯在委员会中颇有威望。

He has served as the recruitment chief for the GOP’s House elections arm

他曾担任共和党众议院选举部门的招聘负责人，

and helmed the powerful Republican Study Committee (RSC), winning allies by pushing a conservative policy agenda.

还执掌过强大的共和党研究委员会(RSC)，凭借保守主义政策议程赢得了大批盟友。

But while Scalise has made a tremendous recovery from the shooting,

然而，尽管斯卡利斯的伤势有了极大的好转，

the Speaker’s gig requires near constant travel, and some Republicans fear he won’t be physically up to it.

但议长需要经常出差，一些共和党人担心他的身体无法胜任这一工作。

(Scalise’s allies note that he raised a record amount of money in the first three months of 2018 for someone in his position during an election year.)

(斯卡利斯的盟友指出，他在2018年头三个月筹集到的资金创下了一个众议院三号共和党人在选举年所能筹集到的资金的最高纪录。）

Another variable in the race is the hard-line Freedom Caucus,

这次竞选的另一个变数是强硬派路线的自由党团会议，

a group of 30 to 50 members that has often derailed the party’s plans.

该党团拥有30到50名成员，且经常扰乱党的计划。

Representative Mark Meadows of North Carolina, the group’s chairman,

该党团主席、北卡罗来纳州众议员马克·梅多斯得意地表示，

has crowed that it is impossible to get to 218 votes without his members.

没有他的成员的支持，议长候选人便不可能跨越218票这一入选门槛。

Whoever rises to lead the caucus will need Meadows’ permission,

无论谁上台领导众议院的共和党人，都需要梅多斯的许可，

if not his support, which explains McCarthy’s courtship and collaboration.

即便得不到他的支持的话，这就解释了麦卡锡示好和求取合作的行为。

Others on the right, including Fox News host Sean Hannity,

此外，包括福克斯新闻主持人肖恩·汉尼提在内的一些右翼人士

have pushed Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio, who says he’s open to running.

推举了俄亥俄州的众议员吉姆·乔丹，后者曾表示愿意参选。

Meanwhile, Republicans on Capitol Hill are weighing other possibilities.

与此同时，国会的共和党人也在权衡其他可能性。

Brady helped guide the GOP’s tax cuts into law and has shown a willingness to work across the party caucus.

曾在共和党将减税政策纳入法律这一工作中发挥引导作用的布兰迪也表示，自己愿意在党团会议上发挥领头作用。

Like his roommate, Scalise, Brady has endorsed McCarthy.

和斯卡利斯同在国会的一个办公室办公的布拉迪也将票投给了麦卡锡。

As current chair of the RSC, Walker heads a group that counts about two-thirds of the conference as members.

作为RSC的现任主席，沃克领导的RSC内有着众议院三分之二的共和党议员。

If the GOP is looking for a transitional figure, it could land on Representative Rob Bishop,

如果共和党要找的是一个过渡性的角色，则还有可能敲定众议员罗伯·毕晓普，

a Utah lawmaker and former NRA lobbyist who says that if he wins in November, it will be his last term.

此人来自犹他州，前全国步枪协会说客，他表示，如果他在11月获胜，这将是他的最后一届任期。

It will be tough for anyone to round up the votes needed to take over the fractious House.

参与本次竞选的任何候选人要想获得足够的选票并接管这个难以驾驭的众议院都不会容易。

The early tensions in its leadership skirmish speak to just how little unity exists inside the party.

因为竞选早期，共和党领导层就已经剑拔弩张，爆发了小规模的冲突，这一态势就已经表明，该党内部的团结氛围几乎已经荡然无存。