Two-tailed dog livens up Hungary’s election 雙尾狗讓匈牙利選舉更熱鬧

 ◎俞智敏
Two-tailed dog livens up Hungary’s election
雙尾狗讓匈牙利選舉更熱鬧
A two-tailed cartoon dog offering free beer and eternal life has galvanised Hungary’s latest election campaign.
一隻號稱可提供選民免費啤酒與永生的雙尾卡通狗，炒熱了匈牙利最近的競選活動。
The dog is the symbol of a party that has grown out of Hungary’s rock-bottom regard for its politicians as the country lurches from one crisis to another.
這隻狗是匈牙利某政黨的象徵，該黨的起源則是由於匈牙利政局危機不斷，選民對政客的尊敬已降到谷底所致。
"We just elect these people to represent the gangsters and the rich," said Gergely Kovacs, chairman of the Two-Tailed Dog Party （TTDP）. "This kind of democracy is ridiculous."
「我們選出這些人，好讓他們來代表黑道跟有錢人，」雙尾狗黨（TTDP）主席柯瓦奇表示。「這種民主簡直荒謬透頂。」

Founded as a street-art spoof in 2004, the TTDP has mocked campaigns before. Now it has entered the political arena for real as the public mood has sinks even further.
雙尾狗黨誕生於2004年的街頭藝術諷刺行動劇，過去也曾對大選冷嘲熱諷。隨著民眾對政局的觀感愈來愈低落，該黨決定正式踏入政壇。
A government scandal ignited bloody street violence in 2006. In 2008, the country faced financial meltdown and the global crisis caused a deep recession last year, toppling the government.
匈國政府於2006年爆發醜聞，曾引爆街頭血腥衝突。2008年，匈國面臨金融危機，而全球金融危機更在去年導致匈國經濟嚴重衰退，迫使政府下台。
Disgusted, the Two-Tailed Dog Party decided to run for office in Budapest and the southern Hungarian town of Szeged with the slogan： "Eternal life! Free beer! Tax cuts!" "Money without work!" is another popular cry.
出於對政局強烈不滿的心態，雙尾狗黨決定在首都布達佩斯及南部大城塞格德參選市長，該黨的競選口號為，「永生！免費啤酒！減稅！」「只拿錢不用工作！」則是另一句熱門口號。

新聞辭典
galvanise/galvanize： 動詞，原指在…上鍍鋅或用電流刺激，文中引申為指刺激、引起某人採取意外行動，如Western charities were galvanized by TV pictures of starving people.（受到電視播出的飢民畫面所刺激，西方國家的慈善組織開始採取行動。）
rock- bottom：文中作形容詞，名詞則為rock bottom，指最低點、最低潮、谷底，如Confidence in the government is at rock bottom.民眾對政府的信心已經降到最低點。或Alcoholics often have to reach/hit rock bottom before they can recognise that they have a problem.（酗酒者在認清自己有酗酒問題前，通常得先跌至谷底。）
lurch：動詞，指步態蹣跚、東倒西歪地持續向前，如He just lurches from one bad relationship to another.（他老是不斷掉進糟糕的感情關係裡。）