课文原文（双语对话）

Ellen: I don’t believe it! / 我简直难以相信！

Philip: What’s wrong? / 怎么了？

Ellen: Carter Boswell! / Carter Boswell！

Philip: Who’s Carter Boswell? / 谁是Carter Boswell？

Ellen: He’s running for the school board. The election’s next month. / 他正在竞选联合校董会董事。选举就在下个月。

Philip: What’s wrong with wanting to be on the school board? / 想进入联合校董会有什么错？

Ellen: Nothing. But he wants to cut the school budget! / 没有什么。但他想削减学校的预算！

Philip: Maybe it needs cutting. / 也许真需要削减呢。

Ellen: Cutting the budget is fine, but he wants to do it by cutting all the cultural programs. No music, no dance, no concert, no stage presentations. / 削减预算是好的，但他要削减，是透过取消所有的文化活动。没有音乐、没有舞蹈、没有音乐会、没有舞台表演。

Philip: Why does he want to do that? / 为什么他要那么做呢？

Ellen: He says it’s to save the taxpayers’ money, and I think he believes that the taxpayers will vote for him if he spends less on the cultural programs. / 他说这是为了要节省纳税人的钱，而我认为他相信纳税人会投他一票，假如他在这文化活动上减少开支的话。

Philip: He’s probably right. Lots of people want their taxes used for new books and a new paint job in the schoolrooms. / 他也许是对的。许多人希望他们缴的税金被用来购买新书和重新油漆教室。

Ellen: Maybe some of us would like to pay a little bit more and keep the cultural programs for our kids. / 也许我们之中有一些人愿意多付一点钱，以便为我们的孩子保存文化活动。

Robbie: Hey, that’s terrific, Mom! Against Carter Boswell? Great! / 嗨，太棒了，妈妈！和Carter Boswell竞选？太好了！

Ellen: Well, if I run for office, the voters will have a clear choice. I stand for everything Boswell doesn’t. / 嗯，假如我出来竞选公职，投票人可以有明确的选择。我代表Boswell所不赞成的那些立场。

Philip: I think a lot of people will vote for you against Boswell, Ellen. / 我想很多人会投票支持你和Boswell对抗，Ellen。

Ellen: Will you help me if I do run? / 假如我真的竞选，你会帮我忙吗？

Philip: Absolutely. / 当然。

（Ellen去见报纸编辑Mr. Maxwell）

Mr. Maxwell: Why will the voters vote for you against Boswell, Mrs. Stewart? / 为什么选民会投票支持你和Boswell对抗呢，Stewart太太？

Ellen: Because I care. / 因为我关心。

Mr. Maxwell: “Vote for Ellen Stewart. She cares.” Not a bad slogan. But what do you care about? / “投Ellen Stewart一票。她关心。” 不错的标语。但你关心什么呢？

Ellen: Well, I care about the children of our town. I don’t want them to grow up without cultural programs in our school. / 噢，我关心我们镇上的孩子们。我不希望在他们成长期间，我们的学校里没有文化活动。

（全家动员助选）

Richard: Here are the fliers, hot off the press! / 传单来了，刚刚印出来的！

Grandpa: Right over here, Grandpa. You fold the fliers. Richard and I will put them into the envelopes. / 请到这里来，爷爷。你来折传单，我和Richard把它们放进信封。

（Boswell在电视上做广告）

Boswell on TV: I care about the school buildings in need of paint. I care about more lockers for the teachers. I care about new fixtures in the hallways—not music or dancing or entertainment. I care about the practical things. / 我关心学校的建筑物需要粉刷。我关心教师要有更多的储物柜。我关心走廊的新灯具——而不是音乐、舞蹈或者娱乐。我关心实用的事物。

Robbie: A lot of people will agree with him. / 许多人会赞同他。

Philip: You have to go on television, too. / 你也应该上电视。

（Ellen的电视广告）

Ellen on TV: My slogan is “I care.” I care about people, not things. Vote for me, Ellen Stewart. I care. / 我的口号是"我关心"。我关心人，而不是东西。请投我——Ellen Stewart一票。我关心。

（Richard想出让Ellen的广告在电器行电视上播放的主意）

Richard: Mom is now on television in every appliance store in Riverdale, except Hamlin’s. He’s a Boswell voter. / 妈妈现在出现在电视里，在Riverdale的每一家电器行，Hamlin的店除外。他是Boswell的支持者。

Philip: That’s a brilliant idea, Richard! / 这主意太棒了，Richard！

（选举结果）

TV News: In the hotly contested race for the one seat on the Riverdale School Board, Mrs. Ellen Stewart has taken an early lead. / 在这场激烈竞赛中争夺Riverdale联合校董会一个席次，Ellen Stewart太太初步领先。

（最终结果）

Philip: You came very close, Ellen. You lost by only a hundred and twenty-one votes. / 你差了一点点，Ellen。你仅仅以一百二十一票的些微差距输了。

Ellen: I lost. / 我输了。

Robbie: You tried, Mom. You lost by a very small number of votes. Only one hundred and twenty-one votes! / 你尽力了，妈妈。你输的票数非常少。仅仅一百二十一票！

Philip: Look, you’ve made a very strong impression on our community. You’ll have another chance next election. / 看，你已经留下了非常深刻的印象给我们的社区。下次选举时你还有机会。

（Mr. Maxwell打来电话）

Mr. Maxwell: I just called to tell you that you are very impressive. You lost the election, but you won the attention of the residents of Riverdale, of Boswell, and of me. I hear Boswell wants to appoint you to a special arts committee. I’m sending over a reporter in the morning to interview you. I’m gonna do an article on “Ellen Stewart—she cares.” / 我打电话是想告诉你，你给人们留下了深刻的印象。尽管你输了，但你引起了Riverdale的居民的注目，和Boswell和我的。我听说Boswell将任命你到一个特别艺术委员会。我将派一位记者在明天早晨来采访你。我准备写一篇文章，叫做"Ellen Stewart——她关心"。

Ellen: You were right, Philip. I did make a difference in town. And in this family. / 你说对了，Philip。我确实在镇上发挥了影响力。也在这个家里。

重难点分析

  1. “run for” — 竞选（公职）。“run for the school board” 竞选校董会。注意 “run” 在这里不是"跑步"的意思。

  2. “stand for” — 代表、主张。“I stand for everything Boswell doesn’t.” 我代表Boswell所不赞成的立场。

  3. “make a difference” — 发挥作用、产生影响。“You can make a difference.” 你可以发挥影响力。

  4. “hot off the press” — 刚印好的、最新出炉的。原指报纸刚印好从印刷机出来。

  5. “take an early lead” — 在比赛中/选举中取得初步领先。

  6. “I’m with you.” — 口语中表示"我支持你"、“我同意你”。

核心词汇

词汇 释义 例句
school board 校董会 He’s running for the school board.
election 选举 The election’s next month.
budget 预算 He wants to cut the school budget.
cultural programs 文化活动 Cutting all the cultural programs.
taxpayer 纳税人 It’s to save the taxpayers’ money.
slogan 口号、标语 Not a bad slogan.
campaign 竞选活动 It takes money to run a campaign.
commercial 广告 He’s doing a commercial on TV.
flier 传单 Here are the fliers.
appliance store 电器行 In every appliance store in Riverdale.
interview 采访 I’m sending over a reporter to interview you.

口语中的应用

  1. “I don’t believe it!” — 表达惊讶或难以置信。

  2. “You’ve got my vote.” — “我投你一票”，也表示"我支持你"。

  3. “I’m with you.” — “我支持你/我同意你”。

  4. “Just cool down.” — “冷静一下”，劝人不要过于激动。

  5. “You’re gonna win.” — 口语中 “gonna” = “going to”。

  6. “Trust me!” — “相信我！” 用于说服对方。

核心练习句型

  1. run for + 职位：She’s running for the school board.
  2. stand for + 主张：I stand for everything Boswell doesn’t.
  3. make a difference：You can make a difference.
  4. vote for + 某人：I’ll vote for you.
  5. hot off the press — 刚出炉的。
  6. take an early lead — 取得初步领先。