＊閱讀全文請點擊此連結
http://edition.cnn.com/2012/11/06/politics/election-voting/index.html
＊新聞標題
Long lines but few snags in U.S. election
＊標題解說
‧十一月六號，週二，世界媒體都以美國大選U.S. election為標題
‧long lines：排隊的隊伍長，大排長龍（名詞）
line 的意思很多，這裡不是線，應該理解為→一排，隊伍
a row of people or things next to each other or behind each other
a long line of trees
The children all stood in a line. 排隊
http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/dictionary/line
‧snag：意外小問題（名詞）
a problem or difficulty, especially one that is small, hidden or unexpected
同義詞：difficulty
There is just one small snag—where is the money coming from?
http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/dictionary/snag
＊內文解析
■ 在美國大多數地區的投票所關閉後有一些關鍵州仍然大排長龍，但在週二的投票過程中，選民和選務人員只報告了少數意外小問題 。
Long lines lingered in some key states after polls closed in most of the United States, but voters and election officials reported few snags in Tuesday's balloting.
‧簡化來看：
X lingered in Y after Z, but A reported few snags in Tuesday’s balloting.
在Z之後，在Y地區X 持續著，但是 A報告了少數意外小問題
X= long lines 長隊伍（大排長龍）
Y= some key states 一些關鍵州
Z= polls closed in most of the United States 在美國大多數地區的投票所關閉
A= voters and election officials 選民和選務人員（複數型）
‧linger：持續超過原來預期的時間（動詞）
to continue to exist for longer than expected
The faint smell of her perfume lingered in the room.
http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/dictionary/linger
‧key states：關鍵州（複數型）
‧poll：投票所（名詞）polls（複數型）
‧ballot：投票（動詞）balloting（動詞＋ing ,動名詞）
‧in Tuesday’s balloting：在週二的投票過程
■ 在佛羅里達州和微吉尼亞州，在投票時間結束時還在排隊的人，被允許投下他們的選票──這過程花了好幾個小時，一直延伸到接近週二的午夜。
In Florida and Virginia, people who were in line at the end of voting hours were allowed to cast their ballots -- a process that took hours and stretched until nearly midnight Tuesday.
‧who子句
（who were in line at the end of voting hours在投票時間結束時還在
排隊的人）說明 people, 可以看成 people were allowed to cast their ballots
‧cast their ballots：投下他們的選票（動詞片語）
■ 其中一個有關功能異常的電子投票機的投訴出現在賓夕法尼亞州中部Perry縣的Millerstown，在一個選民錄製了一段烏龍投票機影片後，選務官員說，他們重新校準該機器。影片中這部機器，把投給歐巴馬的票登錄為他共和黨的挑戰者，羅姆尼（Mitt Romney）。
One of the complaints about misbehaving electronic voting machines occurred in Millerstown, in central Pennsylvania's Perry County, where election officials said they recalibrated the unit after one voter recorded a video of it registering a vote for Obama as one for his Republican challenger, Mitt Romney.
‧簡化來看：
One of the complaints about X occurred in Y, where A said they
recalibrated the unit after Z
有關 X 的投訴發生在 Y地，那裡 A說他們他們重新校準該機器
在 Z事件之後
X= misbehaving electronic voting machines 功能異常的電子投票機
Y= in Millerstown, in central Pennsylvania's Perry County
A= election officials 選務人員
Z= one voter recorded a video of it registering a vote for Obama as one
for his Republican challenger, Mitt Romney.
一個選民錄製了一段投票機的影片
registering 是分詞片語說明 it（指烏龍投票機的運作方式，registering，
登錄）a vote for Obama（給 Obama 的票）為 a vote for Romney
（給 Romney 的票）
registering a vote for Obama as a vote for Romney
registering a vote for Obama as one for Romney
registering a vote for Obama as one for (his Republican challenger,)
Mitt Romney
‧register A for B：把 A 登錄為 B（動詞片語）
■ 該影片在YouTube上吸引了數以千計的評論（註一），並由NBC新聞首先確認。
The video drew thousands of comments on YouTube and was first confirmed by NBC News.
‧confirm：確認（動詞）
‧The video was confirmed by NBC news：該影片（視屏）由NBC新聞確認。
■ 但賓夕法尼亞州辦公室秘書發言人Ron Ruman告訴CNN，在男子抱怨之後， 該機器就被設定為離線，然後選務工作人員重新校準，之後就不再有投訴。
But Ron Ruman, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania secretary of state's office, told CNN the machine was taken offline after the man complained about it, election workers recalibrated it and there have been no more complaints.
‧the machine was taken offline：機器被設定為離線狀態
‧election workers：選務工作人員
‧recalibrate：重新校準（動詞）re-calibrate，查字典若找不到，
把re 拿掉
‧calibrate：校準（動詞）
to mark units of measurement on an instrument such as a thermometer
so that it can be used for measuring something accurately
http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/dictionary/calibrate
‧there have been no more complaints：不再有投訴
■ 為了教育選民，雅虎新聞刊載了voting machine 的照片，並解釋它如何運作
Everything you wanted to know about voting machines
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/rough-guide-voting-machines-175213233.html
【註一】：
這 Youtube 影片，
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdpGd74DrBM&feature=youtu.be
現已經有超過四百萬次點閱紀錄，從影片可以看到烏龍投票機，好幾度按鍵選 Obama, 但是螢幕上打勾的卻是 Romney
＊字彙整理
美國大選，發生意外投票機烏龍事件，但沒有大礙，我們藉此學習談論投票意外的用語：
‧大排長龍：long lines 排隊的隊伍長（名詞）
‧意外小問題：snag（名詞）snags（複數型）
‧選民和選務人員：voters and election officials（名詞，複數型）
‧投票機：voting machine
‧功能異常的電子投票機：misbehaving electronic voting machines
‧重新校準：recalibrate（動詞）
‧機器被設定為離線狀態：the machine was taken offline
‧給 Obama 的票：a vote for Obama（名詞）
‧登錄：register（動詞）register A for B, 把 A 登錄為 B
‧投票所：poll（名詞）polls（複數型）
‧投票：ballot（動詞）
‧投下他們的選票：cast their ballots（動詞片語）
（在此 ballots 為選票，複數型）
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