英美报刊选读Unit1.2.9

新闻英语的五大特点
1. brevity 简洁
2. popularity 大众性
3. interest 趣味性
4. freshness 新颖性
5. objectiveness客观性
Unit 1 Politics
第一单元政治
Text
The higher Education of Washington
华盛顿高等教育
Universities step up lobbying to protect funding interests
大学为保护资金利益
而大肆游说
By Dan Morgan
When the University of California at Los Angeles put Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-Calif.) on the cover of this winter’s alumni bulletin, it was a tribute to a distinguished graduate who is so close to his alma mater that he named his dog Bruin, after UCLA’s r evered symbol.
Words: lobbying游说拉票；step up增加，促进，加速；University of California at Los Angeles美国加州大学洛杉矶分校Rep.＝Representative众议员；alumni毕业生男校友；bulletin期刊，公告, 公报；tribute贡品, 礼物, 颂词, 殷勤；alma mater母校；Bruin吉祥物熊〔布轮熊〕；revere尊敬，敬畏
参考译文：美国加州大学洛杉矶分校在今年冬季毕业生期刊封面刊登美国国会议员杰尔. X易斯〔加州某某党人〕，对与其母校的关系密切得能用美国加州大学洛杉矶分校吉祥物将其宠狗取名为布轮熊的杰出毕业生大肆颂扬。

But the cover story, which was engineered in part by the University of California’s government relation office in Washington, was also a shrewd ploy to cement relations with a key member of the House Appropriations mittee.
Words：in part局部地，在某种程度上；shrewd ploy机敏的，精明的，奸诈的计谋，手段；cement水泥，粘结；
House Appropriations mittee〔HAC〕美国国会众院拨款委员会
参考译文：但是在某种程度上由加州大学华盛顿政府关系办公室策划的这一封面故事也是密切与美国国会众院拨款委员会某一关键委员的精明手段。

As Congress takes up President Bush’s fiscal 2005 budget proposal, which cuts some basic research programs vital to universities, the higher education munity is using every lobbying tool at its disposal to protect its interests.
参考译文：在美国国会受理布什总统提交的砍掉了对大学至关重要的一些根本研究计划的2005财政年度预算案之际，高等教育团体无不竭尽游说之能来保护自己的利益。

On the line are billions of dollars in federal support for medical, defense, space and physics research, as well as special “earmarks〞for agricultural research stations, buildings and other local projects.
Words：earmarks指拨〔款项〕，标志
参考译文：列入年度预算的是联邦支持医疗，国防，空间和物理研究的数十亿美元以与农业研究站，建筑和其它地方项目的指拨款项。

As recently as the 1980s, lobbying by higher education was a two-horse operation, involving a few large universities and a handful of K Street firms.
Words：two-horse operation小规模经营
参考译文：近在20世纪80年代，高等教育团体的游说就以小规模进展，涉与一些规模大的大学和少量华盛顿K 街的企业。

Colleges and universities still shy away from organized political fundraising and campaign advertising---the stock in trade of modern lobbying. Nonprofit status or state laws prohibit many of them from engaging in it.
Words：shy away from躲避，离开，羞于；stock in trade存货,惯用手段
参考译文：学院和大学仍然回避有组织的政治性募捐活动和广告活动――现代游说的惯用手段。

非盈利状态或国家法律使他们中的多数望而止步。

But that has not precluded the higher education industry from greatly increasing its presence in Washington. Words：preclude〔与from连用〕防止；排除；阻止；妨碍
参考译文：但是这并没有阻止高等教育业越来越多地出现在华盛顿。

“At the end of the day, having campaign dollars in your back pocket isn’t the only way to get attention and help in Congress,〞said A. Scott Sudduth, the University of California’s vice president for government relations.
Words：back pocket后袋
参考译文：“在这一天完毕时，把活动用的美元放在你的后袋里不是在国会里获取注意和帮助的唯一方法〞，加州大学主管政府关系的副校长A.斯科特.沙都斯说道。

Last year, more than 150 colleges and universities shelled out tens of millions of dollars to lobby on spending issues, as well as on legislation affecting student visas, stem cell research, student aid and homeland security.
Words：shell out支付,缴清,支付；stem cell干细胞；homeland security国土安全
参考译文：去年，150多所大学和学院用了数百万美元为经费问题，影响学生办签证的法规，干细胞研究，助学金和国土安全等进展了游说。

Van Scoyoc Associates Inc., for instance, has 55 university clients.
Words：Van Scoyoc Associates Inc.〔VSA〕X.斯科约克合伙公司〔美国游说公司
参考译文：例如，X.斯科约克合伙公司〔美国游说公司，建于1990年〕拥有客户55所大学。

Lawmakers and congressional staffers troop to breakfasts several times a week at the firm’s Constitution Avenue offices, at the foot of Capitol Hill.
Words：staffer编辑, 职员；troop成群而行，群, 组, 多数，军队；Capitol Hill美国国会山
参考译文：立法者和国会职员每周几次成群结队地前往位于美国国会山脚下立宪大街的公司办事处用早餐。

These can be discussion forums on educational issues, or fundraisers for supportive members.
Words：forum论坛, 法庭, 讨论会；fundraiser筹资者，如宴会等资金筹集会
参考译文：这些可能是关于教育问题的讨论论坛或赞助成员的资金筹集会。

In the 2002 election cycle, Van Scoyoc employees made 493 donations, totaling about $250,000, to candidates or political parties.
Words：donation捐赠品, 捐款, 贡献
参考译文：在2002年选举中，X.斯科约克合伙公司雇员对候选人或政党捐赠493次，共计约250，000美元。

Individual professors and college administrators have also been increasing their political donations, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
Words：Center for Responsive Politics美国超党派机构“政治反响中心〞
参考译文：从美国超党派机构“政治反响中心〞获悉，单个教授和学院行政管理人员也在增加他们的政治捐赠。

Gifts by university employees to presidential candidates totaled more than $2.4 million in the first three quarters of 2003, according to the center.
参考译文：据该中心统计，大学雇员对总统候选人的捐赠在2003年头三个季度总数达到约二百四十万美元。

The leading recipient was Howard Dean, who collected $719,000, with large amounts ing from employees of the University of California, Harvard, Emory, Stanford and Dartmouth College.
参考译文：主要的捐赠承受人为霍华德. 迪安，他收到719，000美元，这大局部来源于加州大学，哈佛大学，埃莫里大学，斯坦福大学和达特茅斯学院的雇员。

Close behind was Bush, whose $680,000 in contributions drew heavily from the University of Texas, Vanderbilt University, University of Chicago, University of Cincinnati and Stanford.
参考译文：紧接着的是布什，他收到的680，000美元捐赠款主要来源于德克萨斯大学，X德比尔特大学，芝加哥大学，辛辛那提大学和斯坦福大学。

The Washington lobby shop of PodestaMatoon received $300,000 in the first six months of 2003 to represent the Science Coalition – 60 top research universities that seek increased funding for basic research.
Words：PodestaMatoon 波德斯塔马土恩游说与公共关系公司
参考译文：波德斯塔马土恩游说与公共关系公司华盛顿游说部在2003年头六个月收到300，000美元，为代表美国科学联合会――60个想为根本研究谋求增加资金的高等研究性大学代言。

It staged science seminars for lawmakers and periodic “breakfasts of champions〞honoring members, including Lewis, who have supported the cause of science in legislation.
Words：breakfasts of champions为游说人员准备的早餐
参考译文：该公司为包括X易斯在内的，在立法中支持了科学事业的立法者和定期参加“吃早餐〞人员举办科学研讨会。

“Our message is our muscle,〞said Michelle Tessier, a PodestaMatoon Lobbyist.
参考译文：“我们的信息是我们的力量，〞一个波德斯塔马土恩的说客米歇尔.泰茜尔说道。

The stakes are unusually high this year.
参考译文：今年赌注异常高。

As Congress prepares to reauthorize the Higher Education Act, many universities are gearing up for a fight. Words：Higher Education Act高等教育法案；gear up使换快档, 促进,为…准备好
参考译文：因为国会准备重新批准高等教育法案，许多大学正准备进展阻止。

Rep. Howard P. “Buck〞McKeon (R-Calif.), who chairs the House Education and Workforce submittee overseeing post-secondary education, has proposed barring institutions from participating in certain student aid programs if they increase tuition and fees at more than twice the rate of inflation for three years in a row.
Words：House Education and Workforce submittee 美国众议院教育和劳工委员会post-secondary education后中等教育student aid助学金in a row连续
参考译文：监视后中等教育的美国众议院教育和劳工委员会主席，议员霍华德.P.“巴克〞迈克翁〔加州代表〕建议，如果公共机构以连续三年的通货膨胀率的两倍以上的速度增加学费和杂费，就要阻止他们参加某些助学金计划。

“The higher education munity is up in arms over this, but the congressman feels th is is a crisis and the current situation is unacceptable,〞said Vartan Djihanian, McKeon’s spokesman.
Words：up in arms起来进展武装斗争,感到愤怒
参考译文：“高等教育团体对此感到愤怒，但国会议员感到这是一种危机，而且当前形势不可承受，〞迈克翁的代言人瓦尔坦.迪韩林说。

In the budget released Monday, Bush put the brakes on funding for most basic research, providing only small increases for the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation.
Words：National Institutes of Health 国家健康研究院；National Science Foundation美国国家科学基金会
参考译文：在星期一公布的预算中，布什停止了对最根本的研究的资助，只对美国国家健康研究院和美国国家科学基金会增加了少量资助。

Nils Hasselmo, president of the Association of American Universities (AAU), lambasted the research funding proposal, saying it included “a double-digit cut in critical defense research programs essential to the nation’s long-term security.〞
Words：Association of American Universities (AAU) 美国大学协会；lambaste痛打, 严责
参考译文：美国大学协会主席妮尔斯.哈赛尔莫严厉谴责这一研究资金提案，说这包含了“对国家长期安全至关重要的关键国防研究计划的两位数削减。

〞
The shifting priorities could affect some of the nation’s most prestigious universities.
参考译文：这一变换的优先次序影响了国家一些最有威望的大学。

NIH, for example, funds about $270 million a year of medical research at Harvard.
参考译文：例如，国家健康协会每年为哈佛大学医疗研究提供约二亿七千万美元资金。

The University of California system relies on Washington to finance tuition aid for many of its 150,000 students and to support the system’s three national science labs, five medical research centers, agricultural research stations, and numerous graduate and undergraduate programs.
参考译文：加州大学系统依赖华盛顿为其150，000名学生的多数承当学费补贴，并且支持系统的三个国家科学实验室，五个医疗研究中心，农业研究院和无数毕业生与大学生计划。

“There are concerns that we’re in an environment where we won’t see growth in these budgets, and we’re certainly worried about that,〞said Tobin L. Smith, AAU’s senior federal relations officer.
参考译文：“所关心的是我们处在我们在这些预算中看不见经费增加的环境中，我们对此确实感到担忧，〞美国大学协会的高级联邦关系官员托宾.L.史密斯说。

The growing budgetary pressures were evident last year when Senate fiscal conservatives blocked Sen. Arlen Specter’s bid to add $1.5 billion in NIH funding to a spending bill on the floor.
Words：Senate参议院Sen.＝senator参议员；on the floor在参议院会议上
参考译文：去年在参议院财政保守派阻止参议员阿伦.斯百克特在参议院会议上提出的在经费议案中给国家健康协会资金加上一百五十万美元的提案时就可以明显看到日以增长的预算压力。

In an interview, Specter (R-Pa.) bemoaned the genteel approach of the higher education lobby on such issues. Words：bemoan为…哀痛；悲痛genteel优雅的
参考译文：在会见时，斯百克特〔宾夕法尼亚州某某党成员〕对高等教育在那些问题上游说的彬彬有礼的方式感到遗憾。

“Universities aren’t as politically active as they ought to be,〞he said.
参考译文：“大学不像他们应该是的那样政治上活跃〞他说。

“They ought to be identifying the people who voted against NIH funding and going to work in their states… Defense contractors e in with all guns blazing, no pun intended, and really mean business.〞
Words：contractor 承包商；with all guns blazing用坚决不移，咄咄逼人的方式；pun双关语
参考译文：“他们应该识别那些投票反对国家健康协会资助的人，回他们的州去工作…防卫承包商用咄咄逼人的方式进入，无双关语意图，真正是在做生意。

〞
But Sudduth, who heads the University of California’s nine-person lobbying team in Washington, says his group has rejected forming political action mittees or resorting to “hardball〞lobbying methods.
Words：political action mittee政治行动委员会；hardball激烈的
参考译文：但是华盛顿加州大学9人游说团团长苏达斯说，他的游说团已经拒绝了组建政治行动委员会或采用“激烈的〞游说方式的提议。

Instead, he said, the university uses its enormous grass-roots influence in California to further its interests. Words：grass-roots般民众的，民间的
参考译文：他说，大学宁愿使用他在加州巨大的民间影响来增进它的利益。

Sudduth said the UCLA alumni bulletin’s cover story on Lewis, which descri bed the lawmaker as a longtime friend, was coordinated between his office and the UCLA Alumni Association.
Words：UCLA美国加州大学洛杉矶分校
参考译文：苏达斯说，美国加州大学洛杉矶分校毕业生期刊上关于X易斯的封面故事把立法者描述成长期朋友，在他的办公室与美国加州大学洛杉矶分校校友会之间互相配合。

As chairman of the House Appropriations submittee with jurisdiction over the budget of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the magazine noted, Lewis was able to help UCLA recover from damage suffered in the Northridge earthquake.
新词：F ederal Emergency Management Agency 美国联邦紧急事务管理局；Northridge earthquake诺思里奇地震
参考译文：作为管辖美国联邦紧急事务管理局的预算的美国国会众议院拨款委员会主席，X易斯有能力帮助美国加州大学洛杉矶分校从诺思里奇地震损坏中恢复。

“With Lewis’s assistance, FEMA funding was secured to assist with the restoration of Powell Library and Royce Hall,〞the article said.
Words：Powell Library鲍威尔图书馆大楼Royce Hall罗伊斯会堂
参考译文：“在X易斯的帮助下，联邦紧急事务管理局资金可以保证帮助恢复鲍威尔图书馆大楼和罗伊斯会堂，〞文章说道。

Lewis now chairs the submittee that oversees the Pentagon’s research budget, which support research at UCLA on robotic surgery and nanotechnology.
新词：Pent a gon五角大楼；robotic surgery人工智能外科；nanotechnology纳米技术
参考译文：X易斯现在担任监视五角大楼研究预算的拨款委员会主席，这会支持美国加州大学洛杉矶分校对人工智能外科和纳米技术的研究。

The new alumni bulletin dubs Lewis the “cardinal from Westwood〞(Calif.), a reference to his role as chairman of one of the 13 appropriations submittees.
Words：dub把…称为，授予…新称号；cardinal红衣主教
参考译文：新毕业生期刊授予X易斯“西武德〔加州〕来的红衣主教〞称号，把他的作用叫做13个拨款委员会之一的主席。

“We happen to think he’d make a great chairman of the Appropriations mittee〞after the term of Rep. Bill Yong (R-Fla.) ends next year, Sudduth said.
参考译文：在众议员比尔.勇〔佛罗里达某某党人〕的任期明年完毕后“我们偶尔会想到他会成为拨款委员会伟大的主席〞，苏达斯说。

(From The Washington Post, February 4, 2004)
〔摘自2004年2月4日华盛顿邮报〕
Cultural Information P26
文化信息
2. The American Presidential Election
〔美国总统选举〕
Elections are a fundamental part of the American system of government, which was founded on the principle that the power to govern rests in the hands of the people.
Words: rest in 在于
参考译文：选举是美国政府制度的根本局部，根据统治的权力在人民手中的原如此而建立。

This system depends primarily on the votes.
参考译文：这一制度主要取决于投票。

The electoral process can only work if people participate.
参考译文：选举过程只有在人民参加的条件下才能进展。

In the United States, elections are held at federal, state and local levels, and the most import of all is the national presidential election with the purpose to choose 他he president and vice president of the country.
参考译文：在美国，选举分联邦，州和地方级进展，其中最重要的是选择国家总统和副总统的国家总统选举。

The president and vice president are the only government officials in the United States elected by and representing the entire nation.
参考译文：总统和副总统是美国全国选来代表全国的唯一的政府官员。

The president exercises the powers of chief executive officer of the federal government, the leader of the executive branch and the mander-in-chief of the armed forces.
参考译文：总统行使联邦政府首席执行宫，执行机构领导人和武装力量总司令的权力。

Although sharing power with Congress and the judiciary, the president is the most powerful and important officeholder in the country.
Words：officeholder官员，公务员
参考译文：尽管与国会和司法部门分享权力，总统是全国最有权力，最重要的公务员。

The Constitution of the United States specifies a four-year presidential term and the precedent established by George Washington limited his successors to two terms.
Words：precedent先例
参考译文：美国宪法规定4年总统任期，乔治.华盛顿确立的先例将他的继任的任期限制为两年。

In a reaction against Franklin Roosevelt’s extended presidency (1932-1944), Congress and state legislatures approved in 1951 the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, which limits a president to two elected terms.
Words：react against对抗,反对
参考译文：为反对富兰克林.罗斯福延长总统任期(1932-1944)，国会和州立法机关1951年批准了宪法第22修正案，将总统任期限制为两届。

A two-party system dominates the country’s politics, and since the mid-19th century the Democratic and Republic parties have been most prominent.
参考译文：两党制控制国家的政治，自20世纪中期以来，最突出的是某某党和某某党。

Political parties are the most representative organizations in the United States.
参考译文：各政党是美国最有代表性的组织。

They are made up of citizens who may differ in race, religion, age, and economic and social background, but who share certain perspectives on public issues and leaders.
参考译文：它们由种族，某某，年龄，经济和社会背景不同，对公共问题和领导人有某些看法的公民组成。

Parties are the engines that drive the machinery of elections, especially the presidential election.
参考译文：政党是驱动选举的机器，特别是总统选举的发动机。

They recruit candidates for office, organize primary elections so that party members can select their candidates for the general election, and support their candidates who reach the general election.
Words：recruit征招新兵, 吸收新成员；office办公室, 办事处,公职；primary election预选, 初选
参考译文：它们提出公职候选人，组织初选，使党员能够选择他们的候选人参加大选，支持他们进入大选的候选人。

The American presidential election takes place every four years on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November.
参考译文：美国总统选举每4年在11月第一个星期一后的星期二举行。

T here are three major steps in a presidential candidate’s journey toward the presidency: primary elections, the party convention, and the campaign for the general election between party nominees.
Words：campaign战役, (政治或商业性)活动, 竞选运动
参考译文：总统候选人走向总统职位的历程有3个步骤：初选，政党大会和政党总统提名人之间的大选竞选活动。

After winning election, the president takes an oath of office on Inauguration Day.
Words：Inauguration就职典礼；开幕式
参考译文：大选获胜后，总统在美国总统就职日宣誓就任。

As the first step, the primary election serves to select a party’s candidates for the presidency.
参考译文：预选作为第一步在政党内选派总统候选人。

Presidential primaries are a type of indirect primary because each party’s nominee is chosen by delegates at the party’s national convention, not by popular vote.
Words：primary候选人提拔会，初选；popular vote直接投票, 普选
参考译文：总统候选人选拔会是一种间接预选，因为每个政党的提名人由该政党全国代表大会的代表选派，不是由普选产生。

They are held in individual states, where the major political parties –the Democrats and Republicans –select delegates to attend their party conventions.
参考译文：预选在各州举行，预选时主要的政党――某某党和某某党――选派他们的代表参加他们的政党大会。

State political parties that do not use primary elections may instead select candidates through the caucus system. Words：caucus(政党选举候选人或决定政策的)预备会议
参考译文：不使用预选的州政党可以通过政党预备会议制度推选候选人。

The caucus is a meeting of party members at which the party chooses delegates to the national convention, and this system usually begins with small meetings of party members in a precinct, the smallest electoral district within a county. Words：precinct城市或城镇的选区
参考译文：政党选举候选人的预备会议是政党党员的会议，会上政党推选参加全国大会的代表，这一制度通常以选区，国家最小的选区的党员的小型会议开始。

Some states, however, have open primaries, which allow voters to wait until Election Day to choose the party primary that they want to vote in.
Words：vote in选举(选出来)
参考译文：然而，一些州举行公开预选，让选举人等到选举日再选择他们想参加选投票的政党候选人提拔会。

In most state presidential primaries, voters vote for the person they wish the party to nominate for president, and the election results tell the state’s delegates which candidate they are to vote for at the national convention.
Words：presidential primary预备选举
参考译文：在多数州的预备选举中，选举人投票赞成他们希望他们的党提名的总统候选人，选举结果告诉州的代表他们在全国大会上要投票赞成哪些候选人。

The presidential primary elections typically take place over a period of four to six months.
参考译文：典型的预备选举要进展4至6个月。

Each state determines the date of its own primary.
参考译文：各州确定各自的初选日前。

They usually begin as early as January of the election year and take place through the spring, culminating in the mid-summer national convention of each political party.
Words：culminate到达终点；告终
参考译文：他们通常早在选举年的一月开始初选，在整个春季进展，于各政党的中夏全国大会中完毕。

And campaigning for the primaries often begins six to twelve months before the first primary, almost two years before the general election.
参考译文：初选竞选活动常常在第一次预选前6至12个月开始，几乎比大选早两年。

The best-known of the primaries is the one in New Hampshire, because it is the first in each 4-year cycle, usually held in mid-February; and Iowa’s party caucuses are held in February as well.
Words：best-known流传久远的
参考译文：预选中流传久远的是新罕布什尔州的预选，因为它是在每4年一次的选举中第一个进展的，通常在2月中旬进展，而艾奥瓦州的政党选举候选人的预备会议也在2月进展。

These states are widely regarded as indicators of a candidate’s changes in the overall primary process and in the general election.
参考译文：这些州被广泛地看成在整个预选过程和大选中候选人变化的显示器。

In 1988, sixteen states, mostly from the South, created so-called regional primaries by holding their primaries on Tuesday (March 8), nicknamed “Supe r Tuesday〞.
参考译文：1988年，多数来自南部的16个州在星期二〔3月8日〕举行了绰号为“超级周2〞的初选，创立了所谓的区域预选。

Since that time, there has been a trend towards “front-loading〞state primaries – moving their dates forward as much as possible.
参考译文：从那时起，有了一种“提前进展〞州预选的趋势――尽可能把他们的时间朝前推。

The party convention, or the presidential nominating convention, is held every four years by American political parties to nominate the presidential candidates for the uping general election.
参考译文：政党会议，或总统候选人提名会议每4年由美国各政党举行，为即将到来的大选选派总统候选人人选。

The two major conventions are the Democratic National Convention and the Republican National Convention.
参考译文：两个主要的大会是某某党全国大会和某某党全国大会。

Those who attend the convention are primary and caucus delegates.
参考译文：出席大会的是预选会议和政党选举总统候选人预备会议选出的代表。

As the oute is often known in advance (after the spring primary elections), the nominating conventions are usually
symbolic affairs, elections serving to publicize the party’s candidates and rally voter support in the months before the election.
参考译文：由于结果常常预先知道〔春季初选之后〕，提名大会通常是象征性事务，选举用来宣扬政党推出的候选人，把选举前数月的投票支持聚集起来。

Therefore the entire convention is usually organized around TV coverage.
参考译文：所以整个大会通常都是围绕电视报道组织的。

The national party convention is typically held in a major city in the summer of the election year.
参考译文：典型的全国政党大会于选举年的夏季在一个大城市举行。

In the 2004 election, the Democratic convention was held in Boston, Massachusetts in July, while the Republican convention was held in New York City in August.
参考译文：在2004年的选举中，某某党大会7月在马萨诸塞州波士顿举行，某某党大会8月在纽约市举行。

During the day, party activists hold meetings and rallies, and work on the platform that outlines their political program for the country.
参考译文：白天，政党积极分子举行会议和集会，在讲台上讲述他们对国家的政治计划。

Evenings are reserved for major speeches by famous public figures.
Words：public figure 社会名人
参考译文：晚上留给著名的社会名人发表演讲。

The convention typically features speeches from the nominees for President and Vice president when they win the convention’s nomination.
参考译文：大会的主要特点是被提名的总统和副总统候选人在提名经大会通过时发表的演讲。

The presidential nominee generally speaks on the last day of the convention, and the speech, known as the acceptance speech, is always covered by American media networks.
Words：acceptance speech总统候选人所做的提名演讲
参考译文：被提名的总统候选人一般在大会的最后一天发表演讲，演讲被称为总统候选人提名演讲，总是由美国媒体网络报道。

The campaign for the general election is usually run between the two presidential candidates nominated by the
major conventions, and it traditionally begins in early September and ends on Election Day – the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.
参考译文：大选的竞选活动一般通常在大会提名的两个总统候选人之间进展，按惯例在9月中旬开始，在选举日――11月的第一个星期一后的第一个星期二完毕。

Occasionally, a third-party (any political party other than the two leading parties, for example, Reform Party and Green Party) candidate would join in the presidential race.
参考译文：偶尔一个第三党〔除两个大党外的任何政党，例如改良党和绿色党〕候选人会参加总统竞选。

But the American election tends to favor a two-party system:
参考译文：但是美国的选举制度倾向于赞成两党制度：
Even when a third-party candidate receives a significant number of popular votes, he may not receive a majority in any state.
参考译文：即使第三党的候选人收到相当数量的普选选票，他在任何州都得不到多数。

The last third party candidate to win a significant portion of the popular vote was the Reform Party’s Ross Perot (a multimillionaire), who won 18.87% of the vote in the 1992 presidential election
参考译文：上次获得相当多普选选票的第三党候选人是改良党的罗斯.皮罗特〔一个千万富翁〕，他在1992年的总统选举中获得18.87%的选票。

Most campaigns rely on national radio and television appearances and on press coverage to spread their candidate’s message to the nation.
参考译文：多数竞选活动用全国广播，电视和报刊把他们候选人的信息传播到全国。

Since the 1960 election, nationally televised debates between presidential candidates have affected the oute of most elections.
参考译文：自1960年以来，总统候选人之间的全国电视辩论已经影响了屡次选举的结果。

In a debate, the candidates meet in a large hall, often a university, before an audience of citizens.
参考译文：在辩论中，总统候选人在大厅里，常常是大学的大厅里见面，面对公民。

The formats of the debates have varied, with questions sometimes posed from one or more journalists and in other cases members of the audience.
参考译文：辩论形式多种多样，有时由一个或多个记者提出问题，有时由听众提问。