VOA常速英语2019--2020年美国总统大选的第一轮投票即将开始（在线收听）

Imagine holding more than a thousand meetings all on the same day at the same time.

想象一下，在同一天、同一时间举行一千多次会议。

Thats what it’s like to hold a caucus in a state such as Iowa.

这就是在爱荷华这样的州举行党团会议的场景。

Every voting precinct in state of Iowa has a designated beauty place such as schools and libraries.

爱荷华州的每个投票区都有一个指定的美丽的地方，比如学校和图书馆。

On caucus day people go to those meetings to discuss and declare publicly and openly their support for a particular presidential candidate.

在预选会议那一天，人们会去参加那些会议，公开讨论和宣布他们对某位总统候选人的支持。

The results are tabulated and delegates are awarded to the candidates according to party rules.

选举结果被制成表格，代表根据政党规则授予候选人。

Political parties in six states will hold a caucus in 2020:

六个州的政党将在2020年举行党团会议：

Iowa, Nevada, Kentucky, Hawaii, North Dakota and Wyoming.

爱荷华州、内华达州、肯塔基州、夏威夷州、北达科他州和怀俄明州。

Most well-known is the Iowa caucus.

最著名的是爱荷华州党团会议。

Since 1972 Iowa has been the nations first caucus.

自1972年以来，爱荷华州一直是美国的第一个党团会议。

Its results are dissected providing the first tangible evidence of support for any of the candidates.

它的结果被仔细分析，为支持任何候选人提供了第一个切实的证据。

Iowas 2020 caucus will be held on the evening of February 3rd.

2020年爱荷华州会议将于2月3日晚举行。

The focus is on the Democrats,

焦点是民主党，

because US President Donald Trump with token opposition is almost assured the Republican nomination at the partys August convention.

因为8月份的共和党大会上几乎肯定会有美国总统唐纳德·特朗普象征性的反对提名。

Unlike the open nature of a caucus,voting in a primary election is private and done in a voting booth.

与党团会议的开放性不同，初选投票是私密的，而且是在投票站进行的。

The votes are tabulated and delegates are awarded to candidates according to party rules.

选票被制成表格，代表根据政党规则被授予候选人。

More than 40 states will hold a primary election in 2020.

超过40个州将在2020年举行初选。

New Hampshire state law mandates:it hold the nations first primary.

新罕布什尔州法律规定:将举行全国第一场初选。

This year it takes place on February 11th because they are the first to cast votes.

今年定在2月11日，因为他们是第一批投票的人。

Iowa and New Hampshire attract more attention than more populous more diverse states with more delegates at stake.

爱荷华州和新罕布什尔州比人口更多、代表人数更多的州更受关注。

A criticism of the current system is that Iowa and New Hampshire are overwhelmingly white.

对现行制度的批评是，爱荷华州和新罕布什尔州绝大多数是白人。

Presidential hopefuls spend months communing between the two states visiting restaurants,state fairs and town hall meetings,in an effort to meet as many voters as possible.

总统候选人花数月时间在这两个州之间进行交流，参观餐馆、州博览会和市政厅会议，以尽可能多地与选民见面。

For the candidates who survived Iowa and New Hampshire,

对于在爱荷华州和新罕布什尔州幸存下来的候选人来说，

their next big test is March 3rd 2020 known as Super Tuesday,

他们的下一个大考验是2020年3月3日，也就是超级星期二，

because of the number of states that hold primaries on that day:14.

因为在这一天举行初选的州有14个。

Among them Americas two most populous states California and Texas,

其中美国人口最多的两个州是加利福尼亚州和德克萨斯州，

about 30 percent of the delegates for each partys convention are at stake on Super Tuesday.

在“超级星期二”当天，两党的党代会大约有30%的代表处于危险之中。

Primary elections continue through the first week of June.

初选将持续到6月的第一周。

Usually one candidate clinches the nomination earlier than that,

通常一个候选人会在那之前获得提名，

making the party convention in the summer a crowning moment, along with the naming of the candidates choice of a vice president.

这个夏天的党代会和副总统候选人的提名一起成为了一个高潮。

But if no candidate clinches the nomination during the caucuses and primaries,

但是如果在预选和初选中没有候选人获得提名，

a contested convention would produce a summer political drama.

那么一场有争议的大会将在夏季上演一出政治大戏。