VOA常速英语2018--选民期待大变化：2位女性当选国会议员

Casting a vote for former state lawmaker and congressional candidate Rashida Tlaib wasn’t about making history for Detroit voter David White… It was about making a difference. Rashida represents everything that undermines those stereotypes¹. She doesn’t just appeal to a Muslim community. I mean, she appeals to a wide swath of individuals, and it just so happens that she is a Muslim. That doesn’t define you and she doesn’t define you in the eyes of the nation. It also didn’t define Somali refugee and Minnesota congressional candidate Democrat³ Ilhan Omar to a diverse coalition⁴ of voters that helped her defeat the Republican challenger in her Minneapolis district. Tonight, throughout not only in my race but throughout the country, people are choosing hope over fear, and and unity² over division.

为前州立法议员、国会候选人拉希达·特莱布投票并不是为了名垂青史，至少对底特律选民大卫·怀特来说是这样。这样做是为了改变时局。拉希达代表着摧毁墨守成规的力量。她不只对穆斯林社群有魅力。我想说，她俘获了很多人的心，只不过她恰好是穆斯林，但并不是让选民投给她的决定性因素，在美国人民眼中她的身份不能决定我们的投票。她是穆斯林的事实也不是决定索马里难民、明尼苏达州民主党候选人伊尔汗·奥马尔的成败，不是让广大选民助力她击败共和党候选人失去明尼阿波利斯地区那一票的决定性因素。今晚，不管是我的族人们还是整个国家的人，大家都选择了希望，而非恐惧；选择了团结，而非分裂。

While both women were elected in districts that heavily favored their political party, voters like Allison Brooks⁵ who cast her ballot⁶ in the same Detroit polling location, as Rashida Tlaib says, this historic moment was a long time coming.

虽然两位女性在鼎力支持其所在政党的地区当选了，但包括艾莉森·布鲁克斯在内的很多选民虽然一直都有在底特律选区投票，但诚如拉希达所说，这一历史性的时刻他们等了很久。

It’s crazy that’s 2018, and you know this could be possibly the first time that this is happening, so I mean we need more Muslims and Congress…

这简直不可置信，毕竟今年已经是2018年了。这很有可能是第一次出现这样的选举结果，所以我觉得我们的国会需要更多的穆斯林议员。

Being Arab and being Muslim is always going to be a part of who I am, but just like Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, he was all about justice, so, so much of my faith is very much embedded⁷ in that justice.

我是阿拉伯人，我是穆斯林教徒，这个标签将永远伴随着我。但就像先知穆罕默德，他象征着和平与正义，所以我的信仰也是深深植根于正义的。

Tlaib, who also becomes the first Palestinian American in Congress, promises her reputation as an outspoken⁸ critic of President Donald Trump⁹ and his administration’s policies isn’t going to change as she makes the transition from candidate to congresswoman. It’s never going to happen. Yeah, it’s just it’s just not in me. I think people say to me all the time, we want a different and that’s why we voted for you. We need somebody that’s go in and fight, a fight Voter David White is confident she will deliver. Standing¹⁰ up in the middle of speech and you know shouting him down. We need some of that, right?

特莱布也是国会中的首位巴勒斯坦裔美国议员，她承诺自己批评特朗普总统及其政府推行政策的标签也不会改变，不管以前是候选人时，还是以后作为国会女议员都不会改变。我是不会改变的。没错，这种事情不会发生在我身上。我总是听到有人跟我说，我们想要听到不同的声音，所以我们给你投了票。我们需要的是敢于直面强权的勇士，而选民大卫·认为，特莱布就是这样的勇士。在他夸夸其谈时挺身而出，让他语塞。我们需要这样的勇士，不是吗？

We need that strong resistance, even though I don’t necessarily identify, you know, with that style, a style that will be put to the test come January, when Tlaib and Omar enter Congress as freshmen¹¹ lawmakers in a chamber¹² their party will control. Now I get to march into the United States Capitol.

我们需要这样强劲的抵抗精神，虽然我不一定认同这种风格。这种风格将在明年1月经历考验，因为那时候特莱布和奥马尔就会以新议员的身份进入国会，进入属于自己政党的国会。现在，我将向美国国会大厦进发。

1 stereotypes   

n.老套，模式化的见解，有老一套固定想法的人( stereotype的名词复数 )v.把…模式化，使成陈规( stereotype的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Such jokes tend to reinforce racial stereotypes. 这样的笑话容易渲染种族偏见。
• It makes me sick to read over such stereotypes devoid of content. 这种空洞无物的八股调，我看了就讨厌。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

2 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

3 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

4 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。

5 brooks   

n.小溪( brook的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Brooks gave the business when Haas caught him with his watch. 哈斯抓到偷他的手表的布鲁克斯时，狠狠地揍了他一顿。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Ade and Brooks exchanged blows yesterday and they were severely punished today. 艾德和布鲁克斯昨天打起来了，今天他们受到严厉的惩罚。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

7 embedded   

a.扎牢的

参考例句：

• an operation to remove glass that was embedded in his leg 取出扎入他腿部玻璃的手术
• He has embedded his name in the minds of millions of people. 他的名字铭刻在数百万人民心中。

8 outspoken   

adj.直言无讳的，坦率的，坦白无隐的

参考例句：

• He was outspoken in his criticism.他在批评中直言不讳。
• She is an outspoken critic of the school system in this city.她是这座城市里学校制度的坦率的批评者。

9 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

10 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

11 freshmen   

n.（中学或大学的）一年级学生( freshman的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• We are freshmen and they are sophomores. 我们是一年级学生，他们是二年级学生。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• University freshmen get lots of razzing, but they like the initiation. 大一新生受各种嘲弄，但是他们对这种入门经验甘之如饴。 来自辞典例句

12 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。