100-days: eighteen

Title: Why India's election is among the world's most expensive

　　election　n.选举，当选，选举权

　　expensive　adj.昂贵的；花钱多的；豪华的

 

India will soon hold what's likely to be(指后面提及的东西很有可能发生) one of the world's costliest elections. The polling(指投票的这个动作) exercise(为了达到某个目的而进行的一项活动) will cost an unprecedented 500 billion rupees ($7 billion), according to the New Delhi(新德里)-based Centre for Media Studies.

　　costliest　adj.昂贵的，代价高的　　近义词　=>　expensive

　　poll　投票　　

　　the polling exercise　指印度的这次选举

　　rupee　n.卢比（印度和巴基斯坦等国的货币单位）

　　unprecedented　adj.史无前例的，空前的　　　un-　否定　　precedent　先例，前例

　　　　be hailed as an unprecedented success　空前的成功

　　the New Delhi-based　位于新德里的

　　

Specific data can be hard to pin down, but costs are rising in general as constituency sizes increase and more candidates(候选人) join the fray, said Simon Chauchard, a Columbia University(哥伦比亚大学) lecturer(讲师) who has followed(密切关注) elections in India.

　　specific　adj.具体的；明确的；详细的；特种的; [免疫学] 特效的　n.特效药; 特性; 细节; 显著的性质，特性;

　　pin down　确定，准确的描述　　pin　n.大头针；v.固定

　　in general　adv.通常；大体上；一般而言；总的来说

　　constituency　n.选区(能够参与投票的区域)　　　　constituent　n.选民

　　fray　n.热闹的活动，混乱的场面　　enter/take part in the fray　加入战斗

　　lecture　n.演讲者，讲课者，授课者

　　

“It's a bunch of panicky candidates throwing money around(大把大把的花钱) to voters but also(前面没有not only，这是口语表达，不是很严谨) to vendors selling all kinds of stuff useful in a political campaign(活动，运动)(政治运动), ” Chauchard said.

　　it's sb doing sth　起强调作用

　　a bunch of　一大群

　　panicky　adj.惊慌失措的，惶恐的　　panic　n.恐慌，惊慌　　a panicky voice　惊慌失措的声音

　　venter　n.选民，选举人，投票人

　　vendor　n.小贩，摊主　　a street vendor　　街边摊的摊主

　　stuff　n.材料，原料，资料；　vt.塞满; 填塞; 让吃饱;

　　

Here's a look at where some of the money goes:

　　here's a loot at　接下来（提醒读者要注意接下来的信息）

 

Can goats help win votes?（山羊能帮忙赢得选票吗？）

　　goat　n.山羊，色鬼，替罪羊

 

Most federal-level(联邦级别的) Indian politicians said their peers(指社会地位相同的人，同僚) feel pressured to hand out gifts like cash(现金) and alcohol(酒). Blenders, television sets and occasionally even goats are handed out as gifts in some areas.

　　federal　adj.联邦(制)的；同盟的　　n.联邦主义者；同盟盟友

　　pilitician　n.政治家；政客；玩弄权术者

　　pressured　adj.感到有压力的，被迫的　　pressure　v.施压，强迫　　feel pressured to do sth　感觉自己被强迫做某事

　　blender　n.食物搅拌器　　blend　v.搅拌，混合

　　hand out　拿出，<非正>分发；搀扶…出来；维持

 

Rallying the troops(部队，军队，经常以复数形式出现) with chicken curry(咖喱食品)(咖喱鸡)

　　rally　v.集合，召集，（使）团结　　rally　n.集会

 

Indian politicians love a good rally: They crisscross the country, corralling locals(当地人) into large tents(复数，帐篷) where they're bombarded with campaign rhetoric(候选人的煽动性言论). To attract a crowd(人群，群众), some politicians may need to offer a box of food filled with chicken curry that can be too expensive for average citizens(普通民众).

　　crisscross　v.(在…范围内)纵横交错，交叉

　　corral　v.把马或牛赶进畜栏；把一群人集中起来(尤指控制起来)　　corral　n.尤指北美圈牛马的畜栏，围栏

　　be bombardde with…　被…连续轰炸的；被…围攻　　　bombard sb. with…

　　rhetoric　n.雄辩言辞，煽动性语言

　　attract　vt.吸引，诱惑；引起…的好感（或兴趣）　vi.具有吸引力；引人注意

　　average　adj.平均的，平常的，典型的；平均数的

 

Dummy candidates(虚假候选人)

　　dummy　adj.假的，仿制的　　dummy hamburgers  展示性的塑料汉堡包　　　　dummy　n.人体模型；仿制品

 

India's Election Commission(选举委员会) has long(副词，长期以来) warned about dummy candidates: nominating(提名，通常指选举或竞赛中的推荐行为) someone with the same name to confuse(迷惑) voters and split(分散) the vote(这里指选票的总数). But even fielding dummy candidates can cost as much as 120 million rupees.

　　commission　委员会(政府为了管控某一件事的委员会)

　　warn sb about sth　提醒某人注意某件事

　　confuse　vt.使困惑；使混乱；使困惑；使更难于理解；　vi.使糊涂

　　split　vt.分裂；分开

　　field　v.使参加活动(或比赛)，组织参加　　field　n.田野

　　　　England fielded a young team in the World Cup.　英格兰派出了一支年轻的队伍参加世界杯

　　as much as + 数字　（强调这个数字大的惊人）高达…

 

Brand building(品牌塑造): Make India Great Again swag(周边商品)

　　swag　n.营销活动等赠送的免费物品；（外貌或举止）时髦自信　　

　　　　口语表达　=>　That girl's got swag　这个女孩看起来很时髦

 

As much as 26 billion rupees will be spent on advertising(广告) in the upcoming(即将来临) elections. In February alone, more than 40 million rupees was spent on political advertising(政治宣传) on just one site—Facebook. Then(此外，另外) there are T-shirts with the slogan “Namo Again(莫迪连任)” (Narendra Modi Again) peddled by his camp(阵营).

　　peddle　v.兜售，（尤指）挨户销售