2008美国大选结果已经揭晓，下面就一起来学词汇，关注我们期待已久的“2008大选”。
The results of the 2008 U.S. election have been announced. Let's learn the vocabulary and pay attention to the long-awaited "2008 election".
Air war：空中大战
Air War: Air War
美国总统候选人为尽可能争夺电视与广播中的广告而发起的竞争活动。
A campaign by a US presidential candidate to compete as much as possible for advertisements on television and radio.
Balancing the ticket：优势互补候选人名单
Balancing the ticket: list of complementary candidates
当候选人赢得党内总统提名之后，他/她一定要挑选一名副手。而这名副手一定要弥补总统候选人的不足，从而优势互补增加获胜的砝码。比如在2000年的大选中，人们认为小布什相对年轻且缺乏从政经验，所以他挑选了越战老兵切尼为副手。
When a candidate wins the party's presidential nomination, he or she must choose an deputy. The Deputy must make up for the lack of presidential candidates, so as to increase the weight of winning. For example, in the 2000 election, Bush was considered relatively young and inexperienced in politics, so he chose Cheney, a Vietnam veteran, as his deputy.
Ballot initiative：公民投票
Ballot initiative: referendum
美国举行联邦及地方选举时，各州通常会同时举行一些关系公共政策及社会民生提案的公民投票。
When federal and local elections are held in the United States, states usually hold simultaneous referendums on public policy and social livelihood proposals.
Battleground states：战场州
Battleground states: battleground states
从民意调查结果中看不出哪位候选人占据明显优势的州。与之类似的词是swing states（摇摆州）。有专家认为大选的最终结果将取决于这些州把选票投给了谁，因此候选人常在这些州展开激烈角逐。
The results of the poll do not show which state has a clear advantage. A similar word is swing states. Some experts believe that the final result of the election will depend on who these states vote for, so candidates often compete fiercely in these states.
Bellshepherd state：领头州
Bellshepherd state: leading state
从历史上来看，这个州的选举结果也就预测了将来的总统大选获胜者。因为，从人口上讲，这个州的选举情况也就是整个国家选举的缩影。最经典的一个领头州就是密苏里州，除了1956年，此州在历届选举中都没有错过。Bellshepherd一词原意是牧羊犬。
Historically, the state's election results have predicted future presidential winners. Because, in terms of population, the state's election situation is the epitome of the national election. One of the most classic leading states is Missouri, which was not missed in every election except 1956. The original meaning of bellshepherd is sheepdog.
Beltway：环形公路
Beltway: Ring Road
从政治上来讲，这个词主要指的是在华盛顿特区绕城高速公路(495号州际公路)内执行的国会事务，比如：“环形公路事物”特指某项政治事务或争议非常重要，它只限于政界，对于公众来说没有什么意义。
Politically, the term mainly refers to congressional affairs carried out on the Washington, D.C. Ring Road (Interstate 495). For example, "Ring Road affairs" refers to a political matter or controversy which is very important. It is limited to politics and has little significance for the public.
Bill of rights：权利法案
Bill of rights
即宪法修正案的前十条。1791年，《权力法案》在美国11个州获得通过，从而成为美国宪法的一部分。法案中大部分条款是对政府施加限制--规定联邦政府所不能做的事。
The first ten articles of the constitution amendment. In 1791, the bill of rights was passed in 11 states of the United States and became part of the constitution of the United States. Most of the bill's provisions impose restrictions on the government - things the federal government cannot do.
Blue state：蓝色州
Blue state: blue state
特指此州选民倾向支持民主党。
Specifically, voters in this state tend to support the Democratic Party.
Brokered convention: 讨价还价会议
Brokered Convention: Bargaining meeting
在初选或者党代表大会的第一轮投票中，旨在获得该党提名的候选人未获得大多数选票时，这次会议就被称之为“讨价还价会议”。提名事宜将会在接下来的投票中继续进行，有时会出现一些幕后交易，从而使候选人能够得到足够支持。
In the primary election or the first round of the Party Congress, when the candidates nominated by the party do not get the majority of votes, this meeting is called "bargaining meeting". Nominations will continue in the next vote, sometimes behind the scenes, so that candidates can get enough support.
