VOA慢速英語：美國將在11月6日舉行中期選舉

US Holds Elections on November 6

美國將在11月6日舉行中期選舉

On Tuesday, November 6, Americans will choose hundreds of federal lawmakers and state officials. The election is called the midterm because it comes in the middle of the president's four-year term.

11月6日星期二，美國人將會選出數百名聯邦議員和州級官員。這次選舉被稱為中期選舉，因為它發(fā)生在總統(tǒng)四年任期的中期。

But even though the president is not competing for re-election this year, the results of the midterm will be important to him. They will decide whether his political party, the Republicans, continues to control both parts of Congress.

但是即使總統(tǒng)今年沒有競選連任，中期選舉對他來說也很重要，這將決定他的政黨共和黨是否能繼續(xù)控制國會參眾兩院。

If the Republicans do, Congress will likely help him reach his policy goals. If the opposition Democratic Party wins a majority in Congress, those lawmakers will likely try to block the president's goals.

如果共和黨實現這點，國會可能會有助于總統(tǒng)實現其政治目標。如果反對黨民主黨在國會贏得多數席位，這些議員可能會試圖阻止總統(tǒng)的目標。

It is also very possible that after November 6 the Republicans will control one part of Congress, and the Democrats another. If that happens, the two groups of lawmakers will probably oppose each other and few changes will advance.

也很有可能在11月6日之后，共和黨控制國會的一部分，民主黨則控制另一部分。如果發(fā)生這種情況，這兩派議員可能會相互反對，就會少有變革。

The numbers

相關數字

Here are the numbers: Congress has seats for 535 voting members. One hundred are in the Senate. The rest are in the House of Representatives.

以下是相關數字：國會有535名擁有表決權的議員。參議院有100人，其余的都在眾議院。

This month, voters will choose 35 senators and all 435 House members. To win a majority in the House, Democrats would need to keep all their seats and gain 24 more.

這個月，選民將會選出35名參議員和435名眾議員。為了贏得眾議院的多數席位，民主黨需要保住所有席位，并新增24個席位。

Such a gain would be large, but not impossible. Historically, the opposition party makes some gains in midterms. Eight years ago, Republicans gained more than 60 House seats in the midterm after then-President Barack Obama was elected. That election was seen as a check on Obama's efforts to reform health care in America. This year, a gain half as big by Democrats would give them control of those House.

贏取這么多席位是一次大勝，但是也并非不可能。反對黨歷來在中期選舉會有所斬獲。8年前，時任總統(tǒng)奧巴馬當選之后，共和黨在中期選舉新增了60多個眾議院席位。這次選舉被視為奧巴馬改革美國醫(yī)療體系的一項約束。今年，民主黨只要贏得當年共和黨一半的席位就能使他們控制眾議院。

To win a majority in the Senate may be harder for Democrats, although Republicans have only a one-seat advantage now. The reason is because Democrats risk losing some Senate seats they currently control.

盡管共和黨現在只有一個席位的優(yōu)勢，但是要贏得參議院多數席位對民主黨來說可能更難。原因是民主黨有可能失去他們目前控制的一些參議院席位。

For example, ten Democratic senators are running in states that Trump won in 2016. In other words, voters there may now decide they want a lawmaker who is more like the president.

例如，有10位民主黨參議員在川普2016年獲勝的州競選。換言之，那些州的選民現在可能會決定選出一位更倒向總統(tǒng)的議員。

I'm Kelly Jean Kelly.

凱莉·吉恩·凱莉報道。