讀聖賢書，所學何事？而今而後，庶幾無愧。
Why bother counting?
為什麼要唱票
The West once dreamed of democracy taking root in rural China.
西方曾經夢想民主在中國農村紮根
英文選自0116《經濟學人》China板塊
譯審：Kiki, Doris, Lucy 編輯：Robin
「I like winning better than losing,」 America’s than president, Bill Clinton, told villagers in China in 1998 as they prepared to elect their community’s leader. In a gentle prod to his hosts, he added: 「But whenever there is an election and the people decide, everyone wins.」
1998年，中國村民準備選舉社區領袖時，美國總統比爾•柯林頓(Bill Clinton)對他們說:「我喜歡贏，而不喜歡輸。」他溫和地提醒東道主，補充說:「只要舉行選舉，就應由人民來決定，大家贏才是真的贏。」
■單詞釋義
Prod/prɑːd/
【v.】If you prod someone into doing something, you remind or persuade them to do it. 敦促
■補充
1998年，美國總統柯林頓訪華，觀摩了西安城郊的一個村莊村委會選舉後說：「我了解到，像其他遍及中國的近五十萬個村莊一樣，你們很快就要通過選舉推舉你們當地的領導……只要有選舉，人民就有決定權……你們的成就是一個窗口。」
At that time, Western leaders were excited by China’s new and much-vaunted experiment with rural democracy. It would, they hoped, lead to broader political change. Today it is election season once again in the countryside. But the Communist Party is making it clear that the days of dalliance with modest political freedom in villages are over. The biggest effort in decades is under way to make sure the party’s candidates win, unopposed.
當時，西方領導人對中國大肆吹噓的新型農村民主實驗感到興奮。他們希望，這將帶來更廣泛的政治變革。今天又到了鄉村的選舉季。但共產黨已經明確表示，在農村，閒混溫和的政治自由的日子已經結束。幾十年來共產黨一直在盡最大的努力，以確保該黨候選人在沒有對手的情況下獲勝。
■單詞釋義
Dalliance/ˈdæliəns/
【n.】the deliberate act of delaying and playing instead of working閒混
■積累
much-vaunted 大肆吹噓的
Seeding democracy was not the party’s plan when it introduced elections in the countryside in 1988. Corruption was rampantamong rural party bosses. Many were incompetent. The party feared that farmers』 anger would foment unrest. Making village leaders more accountable could help keep the lid on, officials thought. But, to the party’s chagrin, its stooges did not always win. In the 2000s Chinese leaders reemphasised that (appointed) party secretaries, not elected committees, still had the final say in villages. In the West, dreams gradually faded of democracy spreading upwards through the system. But every three years, as the law decreed, villages still held elections, and, occasionally, snubbed the party’s preferred candidates.
1988年引入農村選舉，播下民主種子並非共產黨的計劃。那時，腐敗在農村的黨魁中猖獗。許多人無法勝任其職務。共產黨擔心農民的憤怒會引發騷亂。官員們認為，村幹部挑起重責可稍稍緩解這樣的局面。但是，令該黨懊惱的是，這些人並非總能勝出選舉。21世紀初，中國領導人再次強調，在農村，(任命的)黨委書記，而不是選舉產生的黨委，仍然擁有最終決定權。在西方，民主夢想在體制內逐漸褪色。但是，按照法律規定，村莊每三年仍要舉行選舉，而且偶爾會冷落黨偏愛的候選人。
■單詞釋義
Rampant/ˈræmpənt/
【adj.】If you describe something bad, such as a crime or disease, as rampant, you mean that it is very common and is increasing in an uncontrolled way. 猖獗的; 泛濫的
Foment/foʊˈment/
【v.】If someone or something foments trouble or violent opposition, they cause it to develop. 煽動
Chagrin/ʃəˈɡrɪn/
【v.】Chagrin is a feeling of disappointment, upset, or annoyance, perhaps because of your own failure. 失望; 懊惱
Late in 2020 rural residents began voting for their leaders once again. It is a process that will take months to complete, with different places conducting polls at different times. In this cycle the party is pulling out all the stops to get its way.
2020年末，農村居民再次開始投票選舉其領導人。選舉完成需要幾個月的時間，不同地方投票有所差異。在此周期間，共產黨正竭力實現其目標。
■積累
pull out all the stops全力以赴
get its way 達到其目的
To the 550m people who live in rural China, the results can matter. Decisions made by village bosses can have an enormous impact on people’s livelihoods. In particular, they wield power over the use of land, which is officially under 「collective」
control—none of it is privately owned. In some villages it is pooled for large-scale
farming or industrial purposes.
對於5.5億中國農村人口而言，選舉結構茲事體大。村幹部的決定可能對村民的生活有巨大影響。尤其是涉及土地使用的權利行使時，這些土地事實上並非私有，而由集體控制。還有一些村莊將土地集中用作大規模種植或工業用途。
■單詞釋義
pool /pu:l/【v.】If a group of people or organizations pool their money, knowledge, or equipment, they share it or put it together so that it can be used for a particular purpose. 集中(資金、知識或設備，供大家分享)
In 2018 the party began calling for all-out efforts to implement a system it describes as yijiantiao, or 「carrying across one shoulder」. This refers to the way that farmers suspend two loads on either end of a pole across their backs. In this case the loads are the two parallel structures that run China’s villages: the elected village committees and the party committees. The party wants memberships of both committees to be the same, and to be led by a single person: the village party secretary.
2018年，共產黨開始呼籲全力實行一肩挑體制。「一肩挑」指的是農民在背上用一根杆在兩端挑兩副扁擔。在此語境下，扁擔即管理中國農村的兩種平行結構：選舉產生的村委和黨委。黨希望兩委成員統一，並且由同一人——村書記領導。
■積累
all-out efforts 全力
In some places, local officials—with the party’s blessing—have long been practising the yijiantiao model. A five-year plan for「rural revival」, published in 2018, said it was being implemented in around one third of China’s more than 500,000 「administrative villages」 where the committees reside (there are 2.6m other 「natural villages」 that fall under their aegis). That year the party issued regulations saying that the system should become the norm. After the elections now under way the party wants at least half of village leaderships to be of the yijiantiao variety. Doubtless eager to impress, some places are aiming much higher. Township officials are being told their performance evaluations will depend on how well they do at ensuring targets are met. Red banners have been put up in streets saying yijiantiao will 「strengthen the party’s overall leadership」.
在一些地方，地方官員在黨的支持下長期實行一肩挑模式。2018年提出「鄉村振興」五年計劃，其中指出，中國超過五十萬個委員會所在行政村已經實施「行政村」模式（還有兩百六十萬個自然村受其支持）。同年，黨發布相關條例，稱這種體制應成為一種規範。目前的選舉結束之後，黨希望至少半數農村領導階層採取一肩挑模式。鄉鎮官員得知表現評估與目標完成確保度息息相關，一些地方想要拔尖，制定了更高的目標。大街小巷都懸掛著紅色橫幅，上面寫著一肩挑將會「加強黨的全面領導」。
■單詞釋義
aegis /ˈi:dʒɪs/【n.】Something that is done under the aegis of a person or organization is done with their official support and backing. 官方的庇護; 贊助
This requires some sleight of hand. The election law says that 「no organisation or
individual may designate, appoint or replace any member」 of elected committees. But localities have introduced rules that all but ensure the village party secretary gets the concurrent job of village chief. Commonly, the village’s party members (usually just a small fraction of the population) choose a party secretary and other members of the party committee—ie, endorse the choice made by higher-ups. Next, a member of this committee organises the election for the post of village chief. Finally an election is held in which every adult villager may vote. The party secretary wins.
這需要一定的手法。選舉法規定，「一切組織和個人不許指派、任命或替換當選委員會的任何成員」。但是各地幾乎都有這樣一些規矩，村支書兼任村主任職務。通常情況下，村裡的黨員（一般只有一小部分人）選出一位村書記和黨委其他成員，即同意上級做出的人員安排。然後，黨委的一名成員組織一場選舉，每位成年村民可以進行投票選出村主任。最後，村書記當選。
■積累
sleigh of hand花招
higher-up上司
Tips：
1. 英譯漢，要記住「說人話」的原則，在理解原意的情況下，譯出意思，不要歐化中文
2. 在翻譯政治相關的文章時，要注意查清背景，同時使用中性化詞彙。
ALP英語
2020.01.26
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