又中又英｜To be in a political morass

Over six months have passed since last November's US elections when voters took the Democratic Party down a peg by overwhelmingly supporting the Republican Party. To take a person or a political party down a peg means to show they are not as important as they thought. Republican Donald Trump won the Electoral College vote, which is required under the US system to be elected president. He also won the popular vote although only the Electoral College vote decides the winner. Trump's Republican Party also won both Houses of Congress. The Democratic Party’s defeat put it in a political morass for months.

The word "morass" means something that is complicated and difficult to deal with. To be in a political morass means to be in a difficult political situation. The Democratic Party doesn't have enough votes in Congress to overturn Trump or Republican Party policies it opposes. But the Party is now licking its chops because it believes it has found a way out of the political morass. To lick your chops means to think about something with great pleasure, such as a delicious meal or beating a rival. Trump has agreed to accept Qatar’s gift of a US$400 million Boeing plane to use as a new Air Force One.

The plane will belong to his planned library for private use when his presidency ends. The US Constitution strictly forbids such gifts. Taxpayers will have to pay many millions to turn the plane into a secure Air Force One. The Democratic Party is licking its chops thinking about using the gift as a campaign issue to regain control of Congress in next year’s mid-term congressional elections. It hopes to convince voters Trump is a corrupt president who is cutting benefits for low-income families but accepting a US$400 million gift.

自上年11月美国大选，选民压倒性地支持共和党，大挫民主党锐气（down a peg）以来，已经过了超过6个月。To take a person or a political party down a peg是指去杀某人或某政党的威风，令他们不要以自己真的那么重要。共和党人当劳．特朗普赢得选举人票，就是美国制度下当选成为总统的必要条件。他也赢得普选票，虽然谁人当选单单取决于选举人票。特朗普的共和党也同时赢取了国会参众两院。民主党的落败，令它多个月来陷入政治泥沼（political morass）之中。

Morass是指复杂和难以处理的状况；to be in a political morass则是在一个艰难的政治处境之中。民主党在国会没有足够的票数去推翻特朗普或共和党所提出的政策。然而，民主党现正暗自窃喜（licking its chops），因为它相信自己已找到出路，脱离这个政治泥沼（political morass）。To lick your chops是指想到某样事情而喜在心头，例如想到美味的一餐或是打倒一个对手。特朗普同意接受卡搭尔餽赠一架价值4亿美元的波音客机，作为新的空军一号。

当特朗普的总统任期完结，客机就会归入他计划中的图书馆，作私人用途。美国宪法严格禁止这样的餽赠。纳税人也要付数以百万元去将这架飞机改建成有保安设施的空军一号。民主党人正暗爽不已（licking its chops），想着在下年的国会中期选举中，用这收礼事件作为竞选议题，重夺国会的控制权。它希望能说服选民，特朗普是个贪腐的总统，他削减低收入家庭的福利，却接纳一份4亿美元的礼物。

mickchug@gmail.com
Michael Chugani褚简宁
中译：七刻