今天要带大家阅读的是 The New York Times 报导的这篇文章：Voters in Taiwan Oust a Pro-China Mayor
文章开头先提及亲中的高雄市长韩国瑜于数月前的总统大选后被提罢免案。
Voters in the southern port city of Kaohsiung voted overwhelmingly on Saturday to remove their China-friendly mayor from office, just months after he lost his bid to unseat President Tsai Ing-wen in national elections.
(数月前，韩国瑜于全国大选中落败给蔡英文，其后高雄市的选民于周六以压倒性的票数通过罢免他们亲中市长的职务。)
The vote caps a roller-coaster two years for the mayor, Han Kuo-yu, who emerged from political obscurity to win the 2018 race in Kaohsiung, a traditional stronghold of Ms. Tsai’s Democratic Progressive Party. That victory served as a launching pad for Mr. Han’s presidential bid.
(这次的投票结束了韩国瑜犹如过山车般的两年市长生涯，他原本是一个于政界默默无闻的人物，直至 2018 年的选举于蔡英文的民进党的传统据点高雄中胜出。而这次的胜利成为了韩国瑜竞选总统的起点。)
unseat
unseat 是动词，表示「(透过选举) 罢免，使下台；使从马上摔下」。
The shareholders plotted to unseat the chairman of the board.
股东密谋打算罢免董事会主席。
obscurity
obscurity 是名词，意思是「鲜为人知，默默无闻；费解，朦胧」。
Kelly spent years in obscurity as a singer before gaining worldwide recognition through a singing show.
Kelly 已当了默默无名的歌手多年，不过一次歌唱演出后一跃成为全球知名歌手。
After he lost the big fight, the boxer spent the rest of his life living in obscurity.
自从他输了一场大赛后，那位拳手从此变得默默无闻。
这次的罢免案成为台湾历史上第一位成功被投票罢免的县市级首长。
Saturday’s vote, known as a recall, appeared to reflect Taiwan’s hardening attitude toward China, which has been intensifying efforts to bring the island democracy under its control. The vote is the first time that Taiwanese voters have removed a mayor, whose status is similar to a governor in the United States.
(周六 (6/6) 的投票日，也就是「罢免案」的投票，反映了台湾民众对于中国的态度变得强硬，可见政府一直致力加强台湾的民主意识。这次是台湾史上首次通过投票罢免的市长，这位市长的地位与美国州长的地位相似。)
recall
recall 为动名词同形，作为动词时表示「联想起，记得；罢免；收回，撤销」；而作名词时则表示「记忆力；回忆；罢免」。
He has lost his ability to recall things after the car accident.
他车祸后丧失了记忆力。
Due to the contamination of the production line, all the products have been recalled.
由于生产线受到污染，必须回收所有产品。
The mayor is facing a recall vote only two years into his term.
那位市长仅在任期两年后就要面临罢免投票案。
文中指出韩国瑜及蔡英文对于台湾主权的观点，以致影响民众对两人的想法。
Mr. Han, of the opposition party, Kuomintang, had campaigned for president on a platform of forging closer ties with China’s Communist government, which claims Taiwan as its territory but has never ruled it. Running on the slogan, “Safety for Taiwan, money for the people,” Mr. Han said having better ties with China would lessen the risk of conflict and improve the economy.
(韩国瑜为国民党党员，在与中国共产党政府紧密的关系下参选总统，而中共政府宣称台湾为其领土，但却从未管辖过。以「台湾安全、人民有钱」作为口号，韩国瑜表示与中国有更紧密的联系可有助减缓两岸冲突的危机以及改善台湾经济。)
But Ms. Tsai, who has vowed to preserve the island’s sovereignty, scored a convincing victory in the January presidential election. Beijing later denounced her inauguration.
(而蔡英文总统则曾誓言会维护台湾主权，令她成功于一月总统大选中获得大比数胜出。其后，北京政府更对蔡英文的上任予以公开谴责。)
forgo
forgo 为动词，意思是「放弃，摒绝 (令人愉悦之物)」。
He had to forgo his place at the swim meet due to injury.
他因为受伤所以必须要放弃参加游泳比赛的机会。
denounce
denounce 是动词，表示「(公开) 谴责，痛斥；告发」。
The government denounced the actions of the protesters, saying they had violated the law.
政府当局公开谴责指示威者的行为已违反法律。
Jack denounced Peter for cheating during the exam.
Jack 告发 Peter 于考试中作弊。
有投票的民众指出，之所以支持罢免的原因是当初韩国瑜在任职高雄市市长期间参加总统竞选，并且他所提出的政策亦明显倾向亲中。
Mr. Han’s pro-China stance, as well as his taking leave from the mayoralty to run for president, upset Kaohsiung voters. When running for mayor, he had told voters that he would not seek Taiwan’s highest office.
(至于韩国瑜的亲中立场，以及在任职市长期间参选总统，令高雄的选民为之失望。因为他于竞选市长时曾向选民承诺绝不会参选总统。)
mayoralty
mayoralty 为名词，表示「市长职位；市长任期」的意思，此字由名词 mayor (市长) 衍生而来。
He is now facing the biggest challenge of his mayoralty.
市长正面临在任期间前所未有的难题。
最终因投票支持罢免案的人数达至要求，成功通过罢免案。
But for the recall to succeed, it also needed the support of at least 25 percent of the city’s 2 million eligible voters. That threshold was easily surpassed on Saturday, when more than 939,000 votes were cast, according to the Kaohsiung Municipal Election Commission.
(然而高雄市合资格的选民有 200 万名，要成功通过罢免案，起码需有 25% 的支持通过。周六的投票轻松地于短时间内达至门槛，根据高雄市选举委员会的数据显示，有超过 939,000 票同意。)
eligible
eligible 是形容词，意思是「具备条件的，合乎资格的；理想的结婚对象」。
only students with GPA 3.5 or more are eligible for a full scholarship.
只有 GPA 达 3.5 或以上的学生才有资格申请全额奖学金。
According to the data, under 50 percent of eligible voters actually voted.
根据显示的数据，实际参与投票的合资格选民不超过 50%。
去年韩国瑜竞逐参选总统前曾到中国与官员讨论台湾政策，及曾到访香港。不过因香港的「一国两制」于早前受到北京政府的打压，令不少台湾民众对于这项政策表示感到不安。
President Xi Jinping of China has attempted to woo Taiwan with a “one country, two systems” arrangement similar to that of Hong Kong. But Beijing has tightened its grip on Hong Kong this spring, pursuing a series of laws intended to suppress seemingly any act it perceives as a threat to China’s national security.
(中国国家主席习近平有意说服台湾接受与香港近似的「一国两制」。不过于早前，北京当局收紧有关政策，推行一连串旨在打击对中国国家安全构成威胁行为的法律条文。)
“The crisis in Hong Kong has given us a sense of crisis,” said Kao Rui-hong, a 40-year-old supermarket worker who voted to recall Mr. Han. “People in Kaohsiung are worried that he will make Taiwan follow in the footsteps of Hong Kong.”
(一名支持罢免韩国瑜职务、在超市工作的四十岁高姓民众表示「香港近日的事件已带给我们一些警惕，高雄人皆担心他会令高雄步上香港的后尘。」)
woo
woo 是动词，表示「争取，努力说服；(男子) 向…求婚」。
Evelyn had been trying to woo the investors but she failed.
Evelyn 一直努力说服一众投资者，但却失败了。
John wooed Jasmine with a bunch of flowers.
John 凭着一束花以及一颗诚恳的心向 Jasmine 求婚。
不知道大家对于这次的罢免案有什么看法？不管是支持还是反对，罢免案已经正式通过，相信各方定能尊重这次的结果，这才是体现台湾民主的方法！
