拜登：前进的最佳方式，是将火炬传递给新一代丨双语新闻丨听力丨地道表达

公众号新闻

2024-07-26 02:07

听一段美国全国广播公司（NBC）关于“拜登宣布退选后首次公开讲话”的新闻报道，再学几个地道表达。

先听新闻：

The president, by all accounts, resisted coming off the ticket for days as people lined up to show him polling data.

据所有报道，总统拜登坚决不肯退出竞选阵营，即使人们纷纷向他展示民调数据。

by all accounts 意思是“据所有人所说”或“据各方面的说法”，其中，account 表示报告、描述、说法。

ticket 在这里是个政治术语，指“候选人名单”，文中 coming off the ticket 是说，退出候选人名单、不再参选。

ticket 这个含义在美国大选的话题中经常能遇到，例如：

Joe Biden's decision to put a black woman on the ticket.

乔·拜登决定让一位黑人女性参选。

There is a massive question about whether Joe Biden is going to remain a top the ticket for the Democratic party.

关于乔·拜登是否会继续作为民主党候选人的问题存在很大的争议。

line up to do 是动词词组，意思是“排着队做某事”，这里比喻人们“迫切希望”或“争先恐后做某事”，例如：

Investors are lining up to get a piece of the new tech startup.

投资者们争先恐后地想要投资这家新的科技初创公司。

Customers lined up to buy the latest smartphone as soon as it was released.

顾客们迫不及待地想购买最新发布的智能手机。

另外，形容人们迫切做某事，也可以说：

1）flock to do

Fans flocked to buy tickets for the concert.

粉丝们蜂拥而至购买演唱会的门票。

2）rush to do

Investors rushed to invest in the promising startup.

投资者们争相投资这个有前途的初创公司。

3）jostle to do

Media crews jostled to interview the celebrity after her scandalous revelation.

丑闻曝光后，媒体团队争先恐后地采访那位名人。

4）scramble to do

Students scrambled to sign up for the popular elective course.

学生们争先恐后地报名参加这门受欢迎的选修课程。

And just taking a step back, this was a speech for the history books, just as when LBJ announced he wasn't going to run for re-election in 1968.

退一步讲，这是一场载入史册的演讲，就像当年林登·约翰逊(Lyndon Johnson)在1968年宣布不会竞选连任时那样。

for the history books 意思是“载入史册的、值得铭记的”，也可以用 go down to history 替换，比如加州州长加文·纽森（Gavin Newsom）在社交媒体平台X上是这么评价拜登的：

译文：拜登总统是一位非凡的、创造历史的总统——一位为广大劳动人民奋斗并为全体美国人民取得了惊人成就的领导者。他将被载入史册，成为影响深远、无私奉献的总统之一。

It is clear that President Biden wanted to convey that he had come to terms with the reality of the situation.

很明显，拜登总统想要表达他已经接受现实。

come to terms with 意思是“接受、与…妥协”，尤指接受不愉快或困难的事情，此外也可以说：

1）accept

She finally accepted the loss of her job.

她最终接受了失去工作的事实。

2）reconcile oneself to

Henry had more or less reconciled himself to Don's death.

亨利差不多已经接受了唐的死亡。

3）face up to

You need to face up to the reality that things have changed.

你需要面对现实，接受情况已经发生变化。

I believe my record as president, my leadership in the world, my vision for America's future all merit a second term, but nothing, nothing can come in the way of saving the world, our democracy. That includes personal ambition. So I've decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation.

我相信，我作为总统的政绩，我在世界的领导地位，以及我对美国未来的远见，理应获得连任。但拯救世界和我们的民主，是任何事都无法阻挡的，这其中也包括个人抱负。因此，我决定，前进的最佳方式，是将火炬传递给新一代。

record 此处指某人在某个职位上的“成就、业绩、履历”，如 academic record 学术成绩，employment record 工作履历，track record (个人或组织的)业绩记录。看个例句：

The company's track record in customer service is outstanding.

这家公司在客户服务方面的过往业绩非常出色。

merit 在这里是动词，表示“值得，配得上”，相当于 deserve，看两个例句：

The results have been encouraging enough to merit further investigation.

结果令人振奋，值得进一步调查研究。

It's a fascinating book which merits attention.

这是本引人入胜的书，值得关注。

此外，warrant 也可以作动词表示“值得”，但这个用法不算常见，看个例句了解即可：

Another area that warrants attention is that of funding for universities.

另一个值得注意的是为大学提供资金的问题。

come in the way of 意思很好理解，指“阻碍，妨碍”，就像某物挡在路上一样。可以同 hinder, obstruct 等词替换。

the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation，这句话意思是：前进的最佳方式，是将火炬传递给年轻的一代。“pass the torch”比喻为将责任、领导权或权力交给下一代，也可以说 pass on the mantle to a new generation 或 pass / hand over the baton，mantle 指“责任，职责，衣钵”，baton 是“接力棒、指挥棒”的意思。看个例句：

The President handed over the baton (= passed responsibility) to his successor.

总统把权杖传给了他的继任者。

Stunning to hear him talk about personal ambition and to acknowledge that he clearly wrestled with this decision.

听到他谈论个人抱负，承认这是他挣扎许久的决定，这很让人震惊。

stunning 指“震惊的、惊讶的”，可以用 astonishing、shocking 替换。

wrestle with 字面意思是“与…摔跤”，引申为“与某事物作斗争”或“努力解决一个难题”，非常形象生动。此处 wrestled with this decision 突出了拜登在做出决定时内心的矛盾和斗争。

同义替换有：

1）struggle with

He struggled with the decision to change careers.

他在是否转行的决定上苦苦挣扎。

2）grapple with

She is grappling with the ethical implications of her research findings.