美国国家公共电台 NPR Do Women Candidates Have An Advantage In 2018?

 

NOEL KING, HOST:

Voters in the U.S. have not always seen women and men as equals in politics. Research has shown that women running for office have to work extra hard to be seen as likable and to prove their qualifications. But in a year when women are particularly energized¹ about politics, NPR's Danielle Kurtzleben explores whether being a woman could give some candidates an edge.

DANIELLE KURTZLEBEN, BYLINE²: Mary Wilson raised just $40,000 ahead of the Democratic primary in the Texas 21st Congressional District. She bested three men who raised far more money than she did. And now, Wilson's headed into a runoff against an opponent who raised 19 times as much as her. In her opinion, being a woman in 2018 in particular works to her advantage.

MARY WILSON: If I would have thought about doing this 10 years ago, I don't think I would have been as successful as I was on Election Day this year.

KURTZLEBEN: She spoke³ to me from her office at Church of the Savior near Austin where she's a minister. Her poodle, Louie, had come with her to work that day.

WILSON: There's something about this time and this wave of emotion and resistance and frustration⁴.

KURTZLEBEN: Plenty of factors contributed to Wilson's win. For example, she says voters like how she talks about politics as an avenue for people to care for one another. But still, her comments raise the question - do women candidates have an advantage this year over other years?

CELINDA LAKE: The answer is yes but not always.

KURTZLEBEN: That's Democratic pollster Celinda Lake.

LAKE: In all this cacophony⁵ and chaos⁶, women are grabbing people's attention. They communicate change. And they mobilize more peripheral⁷ women voters who tend to support women candidates.

KURTZLEBEN: Those factors tend to benefit Democrats⁸ in particular. With Republicans controlling Congress and a majority of state legislatures, Democrats want more change. On top of that, there's one more gaping⁹ partisan¹⁰ divide, according to Republican pollster Christine Matthews.

CHRISTINE MATTHEWS: There is a very big difference between the attitudes of Democrats and Republicans on the importance of electing more women candidates. And for Democrats, it's just a significantly higher priority.

KURTZLEBEN: She points to a January CBS News poll, which found that 84 percent of Democratic women think that more women in political office would make the country better compared to 19 percent of Republican women. Regardless of party, voters have been found to treat women and men differently on both style and substance.

MATTHEWS: Women candidates generically¹¹ have an advantage on health care. That's one of the issues that is attributed to women candidates.

KURTZLEBEN: And health care is one of the top concerns for voters going into this year's midterms. The ultimate effect of gender¹² on voter choices this November may well be minimal¹³. After all, Lake says, Americans overwhelmingly vote based on party.

LAKE: Ninety percent of the vote is determined¹⁴ by party identification. But in all these close elections, that 10 percent margin¹⁵ can make a difference.

KURTZLEBEN: And to the degree that gender does affect votes, many voters don't even realize it's happening.

LAKE: They don't store it that way. But then when you ask why did you vote for Susie Smith, they'll say, well, she was in touch with my life. She was really exciting. She represented change.

KURTZLEBEN: For her part, Mary Wilson doesn't want her gender to weigh on voters' choices too much.

WILSON: I don't want you to vote for me simply because I'm a woman. I want you to vote for me because I'm a qualified¹⁶ female candidate. And we need more qualified women in Congress.

KURTZLEBEN: But she knows that being a woman may help her stand out. Danielle Kurtzleben, NPR News, Washington.

(SOUNDBITE OF GLADYS LAZER'S "VERONICA")

1 energized   

v.给予…精力，能量( energize的过去式和过去分词 )；使通电

参考例句：

• We are energized by love if we put our energy into loving. 如果我们付出能量去表现爱意，爱就会使我们充满活力。 来自辞典例句
• I am completely energized and feeling terrific. 我充满了活力，感觉非常好。 来自辞典例句

2 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

3 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

4 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

5 cacophony   

n.刺耳的声音

参考例句：

• All around was bubbling a cacophony of voices.周围人声嘈杂。
• The drivers behind him honked,and the cacophony grew louder.后面的司机还在按喇叭，且那刺耳的声音越来越大。

6 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

7 peripheral   

adj.周边的，外围的

参考例句：

• We dealt with the peripheral aspects of a cost reduction program.我们谈到了降低成本计划的一些外围问题。
• The hotel provides the clerk the service and the peripheral traveling consultation.旅舍提供票务服务和周边旅游咨询。

8 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》

9 gaping   

adj.口的；张口的；敞口的；多洞穴的v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的现在分词 )；张开，张大

参考例句：

• Ahead of them was a gaping abyss. 他们前面是一个巨大的深渊。
• The antelope could not escape the crocodile's gaping jaws. 那只羚羊无法从鱷鱼张开的大口中逃脱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 partisan   

adj.党派性的；游击队的；n.游击队员；党徒

参考例句：

• In their anger they forget all the partisan quarrels.愤怒之中，他们忘掉一切党派之争。
• The numerous newly created partisan detachments began working slowly towards that region.许多新建的游击队都开始慢慢地向那里移动。

11 generically   

adv.一般地

参考例句：

• The so-called critics are generically mentioned, but not individually mentioned. 当所谓的批评提及时总是一笔带过，从不指名道姓。 来自互联网
• We market these drugs generically. 我们推广的这些药是未经注册的。 来自互联网

12 gender   

n.（生理上的）性，（名词、代词等的）性

参考例句：

• French differs from English in having gender for all nouns.法语不同于英语，所有的名词都有性。
• Women are sometimes denied opportunities solely because of their gender.妇女有时仅仅因为性别而无法获得种种机会。

13 minimal   

adj.尽可能少的，最小的

参考例句：

• They referred to this kind of art as minimal art.他们把这种艺术叫微型艺术。
• I stayed with friends, so my expenses were minimal.我住在朋友家，所以我的花费很小。

14 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。

15 margin   

n.页边空白；差额；余地，余裕；边，边缘

参考例句：

• We allowed a margin of 20 minutes in catching the train.我们有20分钟的余地赶火车。
• The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。

16 qualified   

adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的

参考例句：

• He is qualified as a complete man of letters.他有资格当真正的文学家。
• We must note that we still lack qualified specialists.我们必须看到我们还缺乏有资质的专家。