「不自律的人生是一種怎樣的體驗？」
「被命運反覆羞辱，卻毫無還手之力」
Covid-19 and the next president
新冠肺炎與下任總統
Transmission and the transition
傳播與轉換
英文選自1114《經濟學人》United States版塊
譯：August, Faith 審：Echo
WASHINGTON, DC
華盛頓特區
What the Biden administration would do differently, and how much difference it would make拜登政府執政將與之前不同，但將會帶來多大的改變
PARTISANSHIP HAS long colored American perceptions of covid-19. Even so, the contrast between the top echelons of the main parties was striking on November 9th, the day the country passed 10m recorded cases of the disease. On that day the White House of outgoing President Donald Trump was dealing with reports that it may have hosted a second superspreading event in the span of a month—this one for an election-night party that may have sickened Ben Carson, the housing secretary, among others. The same day, President elect Joe Biden announced the members of the coronavirus advisory board for his transition, staffed by the sort of public-health experts the president likes to mock.
黨派之爭一直影響著美國人對新冠肺炎的看法。即便如此，在11月9日，也就是該國報導病例突破1000萬的那一天，主要政黨高層之間的分歧仍令人震驚。當天，即將卸任的總統唐納·川普(Donald Trump)所在的白宮正在處理有關它也許在一個月內舉辦了兩場超級傳播活動的報導——這次是一場選舉之夜的派對，可能會讓包括住房部長本·卡森(Ben Carson)在內的人感到噁心。同一天，候任總統喬·拜登(Joe Biden)宣布了總統交接期冠狀病毒顧問委員會的成員，該委員會的成員都是現任總統喜歡嘲笑的那種公共衛生專家。
On that day the White House of outgoing President Donald Trump was dealing with reports that it may have hosted a second superspreading event in the span of a month—this one for an election-night party that may have sickened Ben Carson, the housing secretary, among others.這種成分複雜的長句怎麼斷句怎麼理解怎麼翻譯比較好？
一般在介詞、從句、非謂語、標點符號等處進行斷句，長句建議先把主幹找出來，此大長句的主幹部分為」the White House was dealing with reports「，第一個」that「是引導的同位語，後面的」it maymonth「是對」report「的解釋說明，即白宮在處理什麼樣的報導，破折號後面的句子實質是對前面的event進行進一步的解釋說明，也在轉入另外一個話題，即第二次超級傳播活動讓Ben Carson等人感到噁心。
■單詞釋義
echelon/ˈɛʃəˌlɒn /
【n.】 An echelon in an organization or society is a level or rank in it.等級；階層
■積累
deal with處理
While national attention was otherwise diverted, an extraordinary third surge in covid-19 infections began in the weeks before the presidential election. There are now 1,000 new deaths reported each day along with 120,000 new infections. Even though testing has been ramped up to nearly 1.5m per day, the test-positivity rate is approaching 10%—suggesting that even now, many infections are being missed. In all but a handful of states, there seems to be uncontrolled transmission, limiting the efficacy of contact-tracing. Hospitalizations had been declining up until the end of September, when they bottomed out under 30,000. Now they have doubled to over 60,000—higher than the previous peak in April. In North Dakota, the location of the worst outbreak in the country, nearly every intensive-care bed is occupied.
儘管總統大選轉移了全國的注意力，但在選舉前幾周，新冠肺炎感染病例出現了第三次異常激增。現在每天有1 000例新增死亡報告和12萬例新增感染病例。儘管每天的檢測人數增加到將近150萬，檢測出的陽性率卻只有10%不到——這表明即使是現在，許多感染病例仍然被遺漏在外。除了少數幾個州之外，其他州似乎都出現了疫情無法控制的情況，這限制了接觸者追蹤的效力。截至9月底，住院人數一直在下降，最終降至3萬人以下。現在又翻了一倍，人數超過6萬，比4月份的高峰還要高。在疫情最嚴重的北達科他州，幾乎所有的重症監護病床都已住滿。
■單詞釋義
surge/ sɜːrdʒ /
【n.】 A surge is a sudden large increase in something that has previously been steady, or has only increased or developed slowly. 劇增
efficacy/ ˈefɪkəsi /
【n.】 If you talk about the efficacy of something, you are talking about its effectiveness and its ability to do what it is supposed to.功效
■積累
ramp up加足馬力
The argument that Mr Trump has handled the epidemic uniquely terribly may just have cost him the election. However, this most recent surge is not an America First phenomenon. It has roughly coincided with a second wave in Europe which, measured both by deaths and by cases per person, is even more severe. European countries have reimposed harsh lockdown measures, whereas the president and America’s governors have been less draconian. France’s intensive-care wards look almost as strained as those of North Dakota.
有關川普處理疫情的方式極其糟糕的說法可能正是讓他輸掉大選的原因。然而，最近的這種激增並非「美國優先」現象。大約同個時間段，歐洲出現了第二波疫情，無論是從死亡人數還是從人均患病人數來看，都更為嚴重。歐洲國家重新實施了嚴厲的封鎖措施，而美國總統和各州州長則沒有那麼嚴肅地對待。法國的重症監護病房看起來幾乎和北達科他州的一樣緊張。
■單詞釋義
draconian/drəˈkoʊniən /
【adj.】 Draconian laws or measures are extremely harsh and severe.嚴酷的（法令或措施）
■積累
coincide with 符合；與...相一致
But whereas President Emmanuel Macron has declared a second national lockdown, Governor Doug Burgum, a Republican, recently declined to impose even a mask mandate in his state.
但是，即便法國總統埃馬紐埃爾·馬克龍(Emmanuel Macron)已宣布了第二次全國封鎖的政策，而共和黨州長道格·伯古姆(Doug Burgum)最近甚至拒絕在自己的州內實施強制性佩戴口罩的命令。
最近，共和黨州長道格·伯古姆(Doug Burgum)甚至拒絕在自己的州內實施強制性佩戴口罩的命令，然而法國總統埃馬紐埃爾·馬克龍(Emmanuel Macron)已經宣布了第二次全國封鎖的政策。
■單詞釋義
mandate/ˈmændeɪt /
【n.】 If a government or other elected body has a mandate to carry out a particular policy or task, they have the authority to carry it out as a result of winning an election or vote.（政府或機構經選舉而獲得的）授權
Federal action on the economy does not seem imminent either. Democrats and Republicans in Congress have been deadlocked over a new economic stimulus since many supports expired in July. The stalemate has not yet been broken. Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic leader in the House of Representatives, may with to hold out for the larger package her party could achieve if Democrats win two run-off Senate elections in Georgia, thus flipping control of the chamber. Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader in the Senate, may not want to concede a preemptive victory to the Biden administration.
聯邦政府在經濟方面的行動看起來也不太可能會馬上發生。自許多支持措施在七月到期以來，民主黨和共和黨在國會因一項新的經濟刺激措施陷入了僵局。僵局尚未被打破。如果民主黨派能在喬治亞州贏得兩場決勝性的參議院選舉，由此脫離議會的控制，那麼眾議院民主黨領袖南希•佩洛西（Nancy Pelosi）可能會堅信自己的黨派能夠實施更大的計劃。參議院共和黨領袖米奇·麥康奈爾（Mitch McConnell）可能並不想承認拜登政府搶先取得了勝利。
Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic leader in the House of Representatives, may with to hold out for the larger package her party could achieve if Democrats win two run-off Senate elections in Georgia, thus flipping control of the chamber.長句要怎麼才能理的順，中文裡會習慣說如果……然後就會……
但感覺用在這裡不太對？
這裡個人認為還是按照因果關係處理比較好一些，先說明條件，再說在此條件下.樣。此長句的主幹部分就是」Nancy Pelosi may hold out for the larger package「，其餘的都是對名詞的修飾，翻譯的時候按照中文表達放在名詞前後，對名詞進行定義。
■單詞釋義
imminent /ˈɪmɪnənt/【adj.】 If you say that something is imminent, especially something unpleasant, you mean it is almost certain to happen very soon. (尤指不好的事情) 即將發生的
There appeared no imminent danger. 眼前似乎沒有危險。
stalemate /ˈsteɪlmeɪt/
【n】Stalemate is a situation in which neither side in an argument or contest can win or in which no progress is possible. 僵局
The proportional representation system was widely blamed for two inconclusive election results and a year of political stalemate. 兩次無結果的選舉和一年的政治僵局使得比例代表制受到廣泛地指責。
preemptive /priːˈɛmptɪv/
【adj.】A preemptive attack or strike is intended to weaken or damage an enemy or opponent, for example, by destroying their weapons before they can do any harm. 先發制人的
A preemptive strike against a sovereign nation raises moral and legal issues. 對一個主權國家進行先發制人的攻擊會引起道德和法律上的爭議。
A virus spreading fast with no compensating stimulus would be a brutal starting position for a Biden administration. Even with expedited approval and distribution, getting a vaccine to every American who needs it would take months(see Briefing). Mr Biden has announced plans to take more serious federal action. He has named Ron Klain, who co-ordinated Obama White House’s response to an Ebola outbreak in 2014, as chief-of-staff. Mr Biden would use his executive authority to create a Roose-veltian pandemic Testing Board to compel companies to produce more tests, laboratory materials and personal protective equipment. He probably lacks the authority to impose a mask mandate nationwide, but would push states to do so.
病毒迅速蔓延加上沒有補償性的經濟刺激措施，這對拜登政府來說將會是一個殘酷的開場。即使疫苗能夠迅速批准並分發出去，那也需要花費數月的時間才能送到每一個需要它的美國人手中（請參閱簡報）。拜登先生已經宣布會採取更嚴厲的聯邦行動計劃。他任命羅恩·克萊恩（Ron Klain）為疫情參謀長，此人曾在2014年協助歐巴馬在白宮應對伊波拉疫情。拜登先生將利用其執行權限建立羅斯-維爾特大流行病測試委員會，以迫使公司生產更多的測試劑、實驗室材料和個人防護設備。他可能沒有權利在全國範圍內實施強制佩戴口罩的命令，但會敦促各州這樣做。
■單詞釋義
compensating /'kɑmpən,set/
【v.】To compensate someone for money or things that they have lost, means to pay them money or give them something to replace those things. 補償 (損失)
The damages are designed to compensate victims for their direct losses. 該賠償金是用來補償受害人的直接損失的。
expedited /ˈekspədaɪtɪd/
【v.】 If you expedite something, you cause it to be done more quickly. 加快
We tried to help you expedite your plans. 我們試圖幫你加快你的計劃。
Most Republican governors are already wary about implementing public-health measures. They might see the change to defy Mr Biden’s recommendations as an additional incentive to stay that course. Democrats ones seem averse to a European-style response too. The ban announced by Phil Murphy, on indoor dining in restaurants between 10pm and 5am, typifies the urge to do something, but not too much.
大多數共和黨州長已經對實施公共衛生措施持謹慎態度。他們可能會蔑視拜登先生的建議，並將其視為保持這一態度的額外鼓勵。民主黨似乎也反對歐洲人對疫情的應對措施。菲爾·墨菲（Phil Murphy）宣布的禁令，規定禁止在晚上10點至凌晨5點之間在室內餐館用餐，這體現了人們想做一些事，但是又不想做太多。
■單詞釋義
implementing /ˈɪmplɪmentɪŋ/
【n.】 If you implement something such as a plan, you ensure that what has been planned is done. 實施; 執行
Very little has been achieved in the implementation of the peace agreement signed last January. 去年1月份籤署的和平協議的執行幾乎沒有什麼進展。
incentive /ɪnˈsɛntɪv/
【n.】 If something is an incentive to do something, it encourages you to do it. 鼓勵
There is little or no incentive to adopt such measures. 幾乎或根本沒有鼓勵來採取這樣的措施。
In her vice-presidential debate with Mike Pence, Kamala Harris expressed some distrust in the imminent vaccine Mr Trump had been hyping ahead of the election.」If the doctors tell us we should take it, I』ll be the first in line to take it. Absolutely. But if Donald Trump tells us to take it, I’m not taking it,」 she said. Republican voters offered a new vaccine by president Biden might be similarly skeptical. Already, 33% of Republicans tell pollsters that they would not take a coronavirus vaccine when it becomes available, compared with 18% of Democrats and 31% of independents.
在與副總統邁克•彭斯(Mike Pence)的辯論中，卡瑪拉•哈裡斯(Kamala Harris)對川普在大選前大肆宣傳的即將到來的疫苗表達了一些不信任。她說：「如果醫生說我們應該接種這種疫苗，我絕對會是第一個排隊去接種的人。但如果唐納·川普說我們應該接種這種疫苗，我不會接受。」由拜登總統提供的一種新疫苗，可能在共和黨選民看來同樣是令人懷疑的。已經有33%的共和黨人告訴民意調查者，即使可接種冠狀病毒疫苗，他們也不會接種，而這一比例在民主黨和無黨派人士中分別為18%和31%。
■單詞釋義
hype /haɪp/【v.】 Hype is the use of a lot of publicity and advertising to make people interested in something such as a product. 大肆的宣傳廣告; 炒作
We are certainly seeing a lot of hype by some companies. 我們的確看到一些公司天花亂墜的廣告宣傳。
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