“It’s exciting; I don’t know whether I’m going to win or not. I think I am. I do know I’m ready for the job. And, if not, that’s just the way it goes.” Just like George W. Bush ( the 43rd US President) had in his mind before his presidential election. Every Presidential candidate has certain hope to achieve his or her top career dream to be the one and only president in the United States.
I am neither a party animal nor a fan of politics. So, when the United States is now fully engaged in its quadrennial (every 4 years) presidential politics frenzy, if you ask me who might win the election, then I will tell you in Mandarin Chinese:
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” I don’t know who will win the 2012 United States Presidential Election.” 我不知道谁将赢得2012年美国总统大选 Wǒ bù zhīdào shéi jiāng yíngdé èr líng yī èr nián Měiguó zǒngtǒng dà xuǎn. Wǒ (我 pronoun, I) bù (不 negate word, don’t) zhīdào (知道 compound verb phrase, know) shéi (将 pronoun, who) jiāng ( 将 modal verb, will) yíngdé ( 赢得 compound verb phrase, win) èr líng yī èr (number, 2012) nián ( 年 noun, year) Měiguó ( 美国 proper noun, the United State, US) zǒngtǒng (总统 noun, president) dà (大 adjective, big) xuǎn (选 noun, election).
For your learning purpose, let’s pretend that we like election a lot, and happily learn about some information about the boring election.
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Every four years the people of the United States have to choose a President. This president is not the president of your school or any student council, but the highest executive ( 行 政 的 [xíngzhèng de] ) officer (官 员 [guānyuán] ) of a modern republic ( 共 和 国 [gònghéguó] ), as now we are talking about the Chief Executive (首 席 执 行 官 [Shŏuxí Zhíxíngguān] ) of the United States.
Not just anyone can be President of USA. You have to be born in the United States and be at least 35 years old. You can only be President for eight years (that’s two four-year terms.) Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the only person to be President for more than two terms. He was elected four times. Before FDR became president, there was no limit to the number of terms ( 任 期 [rènqí] )a person could serve as president of the United States. However, due to the Great Depression (经 济 大 萧 条 ［ jīngjì Dà xiāotiáo] ) and World War II ( 第 二 次 世 界 大 战 [Dì èr cì shìjiè dàzhàn] ), the people of the United States elected Franklin D. Roosevelt as president of the United States four times in a row.
It takes a lot of work and many months to participate in the presidential election. In order to help each party ( 党 [dăng] ) to choose the right candidate (候 选 人 [hòuxuănrén] ), people have to vote during the state primaries (初 选 [chūxuăn] ) and caucuses.
The political parties must choose a candidate at their conventions (代 表 大 会[dàibiăo dàhuì] ). The candidate then picks their Vice Presidential running mate (副 总 统 竞 选 搭 档 [fù zǒngtǒng jìngxuǎn dādàng ]) . The members of the party choose the ideas they think are important and the candidates begin to campaign (竞 选 [jìngxuǎn] or 竞 选 活 动 [jìngxuǎn Huódòng] ).
On the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of 2012, people of the United States will go to a polling station ( 投 票 站 [ tóupiào zhàn]) and cast their vote ( 选 票 [xuănpiào] ). If you are an United States citizen ( 公 民 [gōngmín] ) at least 18 years old, and you also are registered ( 注 册 的 [zhùcè de]) to vote, then you can have your voice to be counted. A person who is in jail or who is on probation (缓 刑 [huănxíng] ) for committing a felony ( 重 罪 [zhòngzuì] ) cannot vote.
Election is a journey not only for the candidates but also for the nation. Who will be elected, will he or she be ready when he or she got elected or what he or she will do to affect the history, all of these are unknown now. “Wars and elections are both too big and too small to matter in the long run. The daily work – that goes on, it adds up.” (Barbara Kingsolver quotes) Just like learning Chinese, doesn’t it? The daily work – that goes on, it adds up 🙂
Thinking of parties …
Hot Chelle Rae- Tonight Tonight lyrics
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“Tonight, Tonight”
Uno, dos, tres
It’s been a really really messed up week
Seven days of torture, seven days of bitter
And my girlfriend went and cheated on me
She’s a California dime but it’s time for me to quit her
La la la, whatever, la la la, it doesn’t matter, la la la, oh well, la la la
We’re going at it tonight tonight
There’s a party on the rooftop top of the world
Tonight tonight and we’re dancing on the edge of the Hollywood sign
I don’t know if I’ll make it but watch how good I’ll fake it
It’s all right, all right, tonight, tonight
I woke up with a strange tattoo
Not sure how I got it, not a dollar in my pocket
And it kinda looks just like you
Mixed with Zach Galifianakis
La la la, whatever, la la la, it doesn’t matter, la la la, oh well, la la la
We’re going at it tonight tonight
There’s a party on the rooftop top of the world
Tonight tonight and we’re dancing on the edge of the Hollywood sign
I don’t know if I’ll make it but watch how good I’ll fake it
It’s all right, all right, tonight, tonight
You got me singing like
Woah, come on, ohh, it doesn’t matter, woah, everybody now, ohh
Just don’t stop let’s keep the beat pumpin’
Keep the beat up, let’s drop the beat down
It’s my party dance if I want to
We can get crazy let it all out
Just don’t stop let’s keep the beat pumpin’
Keep the beat up, let’s drop the beat down
It’s my party dance if I want to
We can get crazy let it all out
It’s you and me and were runnin this town
And it’s me and you and we’re shakin the ground
And ain’t nobody gonna tell us to go cause this is our show
Everybody
Woah, come on, ohh, all you animals
Woah, let me hear you now, ohh
Tonight tonight there’s a party on the rooftop top of the world
Tonight tonight and we’re dancing on the edge of the Hollywood sign
I don’t know if I’ll make it but watch how good I’ll fake it
It’s all right, all right, tonight, tonight
It’s all right, all right, tonight, tonight
Yeah it’s all right, all right, tonight, tonight
Just singing like
Woah, come on, ohh, all you party people
Woah, all you singletons, ohh (even the white kids)
Just don’t stop let’s keep the beat pumpin’
Keep the beat up, let’s drop the beat down
It’s my party dance if I want to
We can get crazy let it all out
Just don’t stop let’s keep the beat pumpin’
Keep the beat up, let’s drop the beat down
It’s my party dance if I want to
We can get crazy let it all out
It’s
Thinking of choice ….
[audio:http://www.chinesetolearn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/抉择蔡琴.mp3|titles=抉择蔡琴]
抉择 Jue ze Choice By 蔡琴 Cai Qin: for the pinyin, lyrics, and translation, see
http://www.chinesetolearn.com/?p=2126