大学英语四级阅读题文章精读(4)
But at the end of five seemingly endless weeks, during which the physical, legal and constitutional machines of the U. S. election were pressed and sorely tested in ways unseen in more than a century, the system finally produced a result, and one most Americans appeared to be willing at lease provisionally to support.
The Bush team welcomed the news with an outward show of restraint and aplomb. The governor's hopes had risen and fallen so many times since Election night, and the legal warriors of each side suffered through so many dramatic reversals, that there was little energy left for celebration.
1. The main idea of this passage is
[A]. Bush's victory in presidential election bore a political taint.
[B]. The process of the American presidential election.
[C]. The Supreme Court plays a very important part in the presidential election.
[D]. Gore is distressed.
2. What does the sentence “as if to leave space for Mr. Gore to contemplate his next step” mean
[A]. Bush hopes Gore to join his administration.
[B]. Bush hopes Gore to concede defeat and to support him.
[C]. Bush hopes Gore to congraduate him.
[D]. Bush hopes Gore go on fighting with him.
3. Why couldn't Mr. Gore win the presidential election after he outpolled Mr. Bush in the popular vote? Because
[A]. the American president is decided by the supreme court's decision.
[B]. people can't directly elect their president.
[C]. the American president is elected by a slate of presidential electors.
[D]. the people of each state support Mr. Bush.
4. What was the result of the 5—4 decision of the supreme court?
[A]. It was in fact for the vote recount.
[B]. It had nothing to do with the presidential election.
[C]. It decided the fate of the winner.
[D]. It was in essence against the vote recount.
5. What did the “turbulent election of 1876” imply?
[A]. The process of presidential election of 2000 was the same as that.
[B]. There were great similarities between the two presidential elections （2000 and 1876）.
[C]. It was compared to presidential election of 2000.
[D]. It was given an example.
Vocabulary
1. avenue 通向成功/获取成功的途径/手段
2. running mate 竞选伙伴，如作为总统的竞选伙伴，获胜后为副总统
3. pivotal 重要的，枢纽的
4. gingerly=carefully 小心翼翼地
5. tumultuous 吵闹的，骚动的，激动的
6. rancorous 充满仇恨的
7. elector 总统选举团成员
8. elector college 美国选举总统的选举团
9. leeway 风压差，余地
10. for all practical purpose 事实上，实际
11. fracture 断裂，折断
12. taint 污点，败坏，感染
13. dissent 不同意，异议
14. provisionally 暂时的，临时的
15. aplomb 镇静，沉着
16. restraint 抑制，克制，谨慎
难句译注
1. stand down 退出竞争/竞选，辞职，推出法庭。这里指戈尔感谢这些竞争支持者后，就退出竞选。此短语的对立面是stand for 竞选。 Ex: to stand for parliament 竞选国会议员。
2. The Bush campaign kept a low profile and moved gingerly, as if to leave space for Mr. Gore to contemplate his next steps.
[结构简析] profile 外形，轮廓，外观。Low profile 低姿态，不出头露面，不惹人注意。High profile 鲜明的姿态。
3. recount committee 重新计算选票委员会。
4. …one certain to leave scars is a badly divided country.
[结构简析] election 的同位语one （election） which was certain. Leave scar 留下伤疤。
[参考译文] 人们可以肯定计算问题在这两派分裂的国家上留下伤疤。
5. It was a bitter ending for Mr. Gore, who had outpolled Mr. Bush nationwide by some 300000 votes, but, without Florida, fell short in the Electoral College by 271votes to 267—the narrowest Electoral College victory since the turbulent election of 1876.
[结构简析] outpoll 得到的选票超过某人。Fall short （of） 缺少，不足，达不到。Electoral college 选举团票，指每一个州人民选出一群人组成选举团，由它们直接选举总统。
6. The election of 1876
这是指1876年11月7日美国内战时少将，共和党人，俄亥俄州州长卢瑟福?海因斯，在总统选举结束后，认为自己输给民主党人，纽约州长萨缪尔?莱尔登而安息。可在第二天，因为涉嫌欺骗行为，有争议之州，如佛罗里达，路易斯安娜，南卡罗莱纳重新计票及诉讼。那一年选举结果争议持续了四个月的时间。国会因争议，不得不推迟总统就职时间。到第二年，1877年3月4日，总统就职最后期限的前两天，国会建立了一个两党联合选举委员会：包括八名共和党人和七名民主党人。最后该会把所有争议的选举人票都给了海因斯。结果以185票对莱尔登184张选举团票。海因斯多一票当选为美国第19任总统。2000年的美国总统选举与1876年的很相似。所以句内提及。