VOA慢速英語：美國選民決定的不只是總統(tǒng)

American Voters Decided More Than Just the Presidency

美國選民決定的不只是總統(tǒng)

On Election Day, American voters decided more than who would go to the White House next year.

美國選民在選舉日決定的可不止是誰將在明年入主白宮。

Voters in 35 states were asked to decide more than 150 policy questions, such as legalizing use of the drug marijuana and restrictions on gun ownership.

35個(gè)州的選民還被要求決定超過150項(xiàng)政策問題，例如合法使用大麻以及限制槍支所有權(quán)。

Marijuana use

使用大麻

Voters in Arkansas, Florida, Montana and North Dakota approved measures to permit marijuana use for medical purposes. A majority of states now let patients use the drug for some medical conditions.

阿肯色州、佛羅里達(dá)州、蒙大拿州和北達(dá)科他州的選民通過了議案，批準(zhǔn)了大麻用于醫(yī)療目的。大多數(shù)州現(xiàn)在都允許患者將大麻用于某些醫(yī)療狀況。

In California, Maine and Massachusetts, people over 21 may now use marijuana even without a medical need. But voters in Arizona rejected the legalization of recreational marijuana.

在加州、緬因州和馬薩諸塞州，21歲以上成人甚至可以在不存在醫(yī)療需求的情況下使用大麻。但是亞利桑那州選民拒絕了消遣類大麻的合法化。

Gun control

槍支控制

California voters approved a measure to severely limit people's ability to buy ammunition for large guns.

加州選民通過了一項(xiàng)議案，嚴(yán)格限制人們購買大型槍支彈藥的能力。

In the state of Washington, voters approved a plan to temporarily ban people who show signs of mental problems or violence from possessing a gun.

在華盛頓州，選民通過了一項(xiàng)計(jì)劃，暫時(shí)禁止存在精神問題或暴力跡象的人們持有槍支。

In Nevada, voters passed a measure to expand investigations into individuals taking part in nearly all private sales and exchanges of guns. But a similar measure failed in Maine.

在內(nèi)華達(dá)州，選民們通過了一項(xiàng)措施，對所有涉及槍支銷售和交易的個(gè)人擴(kuò)大調(diào)查。但是類似措施在緬因州未能獲得通過。

Minimum wage

最低工資

The federal government currently requires all American businesses to pay workers at least $7.25 an hour. Three states agreed to raise that rate to as much as $12 an hour by 2020. In the state of Washington, voters approved a measure to raise the minimum wage to $13.50 an hour, also by 2020.

聯(lián)邦政府目前要求所有美國企業(yè)向雇員支付最低7.25美元的時(shí)薪。有三個(gè)州同意在2020年前將最低時(shí)薪提高到12美元。在華盛頓州，選民們通過了一項(xiàng)議案，在2020年前將最低時(shí)薪工資提高到13.5美元。

But in South Dakota, voters lowered the minimum wage for people under age 18 by about one dollar.

但是在南達(dá)科他州，選民將18歲以下者的最低工資降低到了1美元左右。

Death penalty

死刑判決

Californians rejected a measure to end the state's right to use execution as a way to punish criminals.

加州否決了一項(xiàng)終止該州使用死刑作為懲罰罪犯方式的權(quán)力的議案。

In Nebraska, voters agreed to re-establish a court's right to sentence some prisoners to death.

在內(nèi)布拉斯加州，選民們同意重新確立法院判決某些犯人死刑的權(quán)力。

And in Oklahoma, residents approved a measure to make it harder to cancel the death penalty.

而在俄克拉荷馬州，居民們通過了一項(xiàng)議案，讓取消死刑更加困難。

Education

教育

California voters made it easier for schools to teach in languages other than English. And in Georgia, voters said the state cannot take control of public schools that fail year after year.

加州選民使學(xué)校以英語以外語言教學(xué)更為容易。在佐治亞州，選民稱該州不能控制年年不達(dá)標(biāo)的公立學(xué)校。

Other measures

其它議案

In California, voters rejected a measure that would require people in adult films to wear condoms during sex scenes.

在加州，選民們否決了一項(xiàng)要求成人影片演員在性愛場面中戴安全套的議案。

Coloradans voted on a measure related to adults with a life-threatening health disorder. Voters agreed to let such individuals end their life with doctor-approved medication.

科羅拉多人對一項(xiàng)跟患有可能致命的健康障礙的成年人相關(guān)的議案進(jìn)行了投票。選民同意允許這類個(gè)人使用醫(yī)生批準(zhǔn)的藥物終止自己的生命。

The measure will require three health experts to confirm that natural death is near and also confirm that the patients are making the decision for themselves.

該措施需要三名健康專家確認(rèn)自然死亡已經(jīng)接近，并確認(rèn)患者是為自己做決定。

Voters in the District of Columbia approved a measure to make the U.S. capital the 51st state. The decision has no immediate effect. Instead, voters say they hope their opinion puts pressure on the next government to end D.C.'s lack of representation in Congress.

哥倫比亞特區(qū)選民通過了一項(xiàng)議案，使這個(gè)美國首都所在地成為美國第51個(gè)州。該決定并非立即生效。相反，選民們表示希望他們的意見可以對下一屆政府施壓，以結(jié)束哥倫比亞特區(qū)在國會沒有代表的現(xiàn)狀。

I'm Jonathan Evans.

喬納斯·埃文斯報(bào)道。