The political pendulum in American politics swung away from the right, putting an end to the 12-year Republican Revolution on Capitol Hill and delivering a sharp rebuke of President Bush and the Iraq war.
美國政壇的政治鐘擺從右派轉向，一舉結束共和黨在國會山莊的十二年革命，並對布希總統和伊拉克戰爭發出強烈的怒吼。
The GOP reign in the House that began with Newt Gingrich in a burst of vision and confrontation in 1994 came crashing down amid voter disaffection with congressional corruption. The collapse of one-party rule in Washington will transform Bush's final two years in office and challenge Democrats to make the leap from angry opposition to partners in power.
共和黨掌控眾院濫觴於金瑞契1994年洞見和衝突的爆發，而在這次選民對國會貪汙腐敗不滿聲中摧毀。華府一黨統治垮台，將改變布希最後兩年任期，並挑戰民主黨從憤怒的反對黨，一躍而成權力夥伴。
How far the balance shifts to the left remains to be seen. The passion of the antiwar movement helped propel party activists in this election year, and the House leadership under the likely new speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). But the Democrats' victory was built on the back of more centrist candidates seizing Republican-leaning districts, and Pelosi emphasized that she will try to lead without becoming the ideological mirror of Gingrich.
權力均勢到底往左傾斜多少仍有待觀察。反戰運動情緒，在今年選舉年，協助拉抬民主黨候選人選情及可能出任新議長的南西．波洛西（民主黨／加州）領導眾院。但民主黨勝選，主要建立在比較走中間路線的候選人搶走較親共和黨選區的票源上。但波洛西已經強調，她領導下的民主黨，將不會成為金瑞契意識形態的鏡子。
The Democrats' return to power in at least one house and gains in the other mean Bush will almost certainly face powerful pressure to reassess his Iraq policy -- not just from Democrats but from within his own party. Even many Republicans hanging on emerged from a bruising election restive and looking for a fresh direction.
民主黨至少重新掌控眾院，在參院的席位也有實質斬獲，意味布希幾乎一定會面對強烈的壓力，不只從民主黨內部，也從他所屬的共和黨內，重新評估他的伊拉克政策。連多位從這次傷痕累累的選戰中僥倖仍抓權未倒的共和黨人也焦躁不安，正在尋找新方向。
By the end of the campaign, Republicans were airing ads distancing themselves from Bush's wartime leadership, and the president himself abandoned the phrase "stay the course." The White House is placing hope on a study group headed by former secretary of state James A. Baker III to offer a new approach to the war. Yet Vice President Cheney laid down a marker last week, saying "it doesn't matter" if the war is unpopular and vowing to continue "full speed ahead."
到了選戰末期，共和黨人開始打文宣，和布希伊戰時的領導政策保持距離，總統本人也放棄「維持原來路線不變」的口號。白宮寄望由前國務卿貝克領導的研究團體對伊戰重新定調，但副總統錢尼上周又發表指標性談話說：戰爭不受歡迎「無所謂」，並誓言繼續「全速前進」。
During a victory speech, Pelosi made clear that would not suffice: "We cannot continue down this catastrophic path. And so we say to the president, 'Mr. President, we need a new direction in Iraq. Let us work together to find a solution to the war in Iraq.' "
在勝選談話中，波洛西表明，這是不夠的：「我們不能再往這條災難的路上走，因此，我們向總統說：『總統先生，伊拉克政策我們需要新方向，讓我們共同努力在伊戰上找個解決方案。』」
The results represented the first defeat at the polls for Bush politics since he came to power after the 2000 presidential election ended with a recount battle. In back-to-back elections after that, he defied conventional wisdom to pull out victories, tapping into a strain of anxiety that has flavored the national electorate since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
這次選舉結果代表布希的政策自從2000年他上台以來第一次挫敗，2000年美國總統大選在重新計票後才分出勝負。在此後的連串選舉中，他獨排眾議，不願趁勝撤軍，反而充分利用2001年九一一恐怖攻擊後籠罩全美選民的焦慮情緒。
Bush and senior adviser Karl Rove tried to replicate that strategy this fall, hoping to keep the election from becoming a referendum on the president's leadership and instead make it a choice between two parties with different governing philosophies. "One thing that's true is this will have been a referendum election," said Gary Jacobson, a political science professor at the University of California at San Diego.
布希和資深顧問羅夫今秋又想重施故技，希望這次選舉不致淪為對總統領導能力的公民投票，而想使它成為對兩黨不同施政理念的選擇。但聖地牙哥加大政治系教授賈可布森說：「可以確定的是：這次選舉將形同公民投票。」
Overall, 59 percent of voters surveyed in exit polls expressed dissatisfaction or anger with the Bush administration; 36 percent said they cast their vote to express opposition to Bush, compared with 22 percent who were voting to support him. Fifty-six percent of voters support withdrawing some or all U.S. troops from Iraq, which will embolden Democrats pushing for a pullout.
整體而言，出口民調調查結果顯示，59%選民對布希政府表示不滿和憤怒，36%選民說，他們投票主要是要表示反對布希；相形之下，只有22%投票支持布希。另外，有56%選民支持美國從伊拉克撤軍，這將使民主黨可以理直氣壯的推動撤軍。
Corruption proved to be a potent issue. After 12 years in control, the Republicans who took power with Gingrich promising to sweep out a calcified and ethically bankrupt Democratic leadership found themselves perceived as becoming what they had tried to expunge. Exit polls found 41 percent of voters rated corruption "extremely important" to their decision.
貪汙也證明是個重大議題。在掌權12年後，當初因金瑞契承諾掃除僵化和道德破產的民主黨領袖而風光掌控兩院的共和黨發現，他們本身竟也變成他們當初力拒的德性。出口民調發現，41%選民說，貪汙腐敗在左右他們的決定時「攸關重要」。
The loss provoked the start of what could be a painful period of self-examination among Republicans eager to find answers, or place blame. With moderates in the Northeast falling, the Republican conference will grow more conservative.
這次敗選將觸發共和黨展開痛苦的自我檢視，他們將急欲找尋答案或推責諉過。由於美國東北各州的溫和派敗選，共和黨會議將愈趨保守。
詞解--
political pendulum 政治鐘擺
Capitol Hill 國會山莊
sharp rebuke 強烈的怒吼
centrist candidates 走中間路線的候選人
defied conventional wisdom 獨排眾議
replicate that strategy 重施故技
referendum 公民投票
exit polls 出口民調
媒體怎麼說--
●Power Shift／權力移轉／MSNBC
●The Republican Massacre／共和黨大屠殺／倫敦泰晤士報
●The Revolution of 2006／2006年革命／ABC
●A Loud Message for Bush／對布希的怒吼／紐約時報
●How president's 'political capital' has slipped away／總統的「政治資產」如何流失／英國每日電訊報
●THE IRAQ FACTOR:Opposition to War Buoys Democrats／伊拉克因素：反戰拉抬民主黨聲勢／紐約時報
●The Impetus for Changes: Voters Display Frustrations and Dissatisfactions／變革推力：選民展示挫折不滿／華盛頓郵報