VOA常速英语:American Democracy in Action(翻译)

A democracy is a political system wherein the ultimate power lies with the voting citizenry. It is exercised by the people during periodically-held free elections, through which the electorate chooses representatives to run the government at every level.
民主是一种政治制度，其根本权力属于投票的公民。民主的践行是通过人民进行定期自由选举而实现的，选民们通过自由选举选出代表来组成各级政府。

Here in the United States, nearly 220 million people [218,959,000] are eligible to vote in this year’s election, though fewer than 147 million [146,311,000] have registered to do so, and fewer still choose to vote. It has been a contentious election, more so than usual,with a country divided along ideological lines behind candidates that represent vastly different proposals for governing over the next four years.
在美国，有近2.2亿人（218，959，000）有资格在今年的大选中投票，在美国，有近1.47亿人（146，311，000）已经进行了选举注册，而其中选择会参加投票的人更少。这是一届比历届都有争议的大选。整个国家根据两位候选人思想路线的不同分为两派，未来四年治理国家时，不同的路线也会表现出风格迥异的执政理念。

Yet despite the acrimony, regardless of which candidate wins, and no matter how close the final vote count,the loser is expected to concede the election, step aside, and the outgoing administration will peacefully hand over power to its successor. That is how democracy works.
尽管双方恶语相向，无论哪一位候选人最终赢得大选、也无论他们最终得票数多么相近，败北者都将退出大选，而卸任的政府则会和平地移交权力给下任总统。这就是民主。

The United States has a federal system by which the voters do not directly elect a President, but instead are represented by electors, chosen by the state and the political party of the popular winner in each state.Individual states have a specific number of electors determined by the size of their populations.Collectively called the electoral college, these are the people who officially elect the president and vice president of the United States.
美国是联邦制国家，选民们却并不直接选出总统，而是由选举人代表他们选出总统，选举人是由各州议会、以及各州有希望赢得选举的候选人所属政党选出的。每州的选举人名额由各州的人口数决定。全体选举人被称之为“选举人团”，最终正式选举出美国总统和副总统的就是这些人。

This is why sometimes, a candidate may win the popular vote, yet lose the election. Such was the case in the year 2000. In Florida, which has 25 electoral votes, the margin of victory was impossibly narrow, and a recount of votes was ordered. Because machines counting the votes could not read some of the ballots and therefore invalidated them, another, manual recount was begun.
这也就是为什么有时候一名候选人可能在普选中取得了胜利，但是最终却输掉了大选。2000年大选就发生了这样的情况。在拥有25张选举人票的佛罗里达州，当时胜负的差距非常微小，最后下令重新计算选票。因为机器无法识别一些选票，这些选票就会失效，所以当时重新开始人工计票。

Finally, the matter was referred to the Supreme Court which ordered the re-count stopped. George W. Bush emerged the winner with a margin of 537 votes. In line with the country’s democratic principles, his opponent, Al Gore, peacefully conceded the election.
最终，这件事被提交到美国最高法院，高法责令停止重新计票。最终乔治·W·布什以537票的优势成为胜者。按照美国民主原则，他的竞争对手阿尔·戈尔平静地退出了大选。

Like democracy itself, the election system has its flaws. Nonetheless, in the United States, it is still the ordinary voters who choose their representatives for the country’s top elected positions.
同民主本身一样，美国的选举制度也存在不足。尽管如此，在美国，还是那些普通选民选出投票团代表自己投票选出总统。

The United States remains, as President Abraham Lincoln called it, “a government of the people, by the people and for the people.”Through a free, fair and impartial election it remains so today.
按亚伯拉罕·林肯的话来说，美国仍然是一个“民有、民治、民享”的政府。通过自由、公平、公正的选举，美国依然践行着这点。