本周末，美国的总统候选人将会参加竞选传统活动爱荷华州博览会。这一年度展会上有游戏、比赛、酒精饮料以及特色传统食物。
During election season, candidates meet possible voters who are attending the fair. These voters are especially important because they will have the first chance to identify their favorite candidates.
在选举季期间，候选人被引荐给参加博览会的潜在选民。这些选民特别重要，因为他们将有机会首次确定自己喜欢的候选人。
Since 1980, more than half the candidates who won an early voting event in Iowa went on to win their party's nomination. So the Iowa state fair is important for the candidates.
自1980年以来，一半以上赢得爱荷华州初选的候选人后来都赢得了党内提名。所以爱荷华州博览会对候选人来说非常重要。
But often, candidates do not leave voters with a good opinion.
但是通常候选人都没有给选民留下好印象。
Part of the difficulty is that candidates are expected to take part in many of the activities at the fair. For example, some food sellers offer deep-fried Oreos – cookies cooked in very hot oil. Others sell meat covered in bread covered in more meat.
部分困难在于人们希望候选人参加博览会上的许多活动。例如，一些小吃商贩卖油炸奥利奥这种用热油烹制的饼干。还有人卖用面包和更多肉包裹的肉类。
But these foods may not appeal to candidates. For example, a candidate in 2003 took one bite of the Oreo cookie and threw the rest away. One of this year's candidates, Tulsi Gabbard, does not eat meat. Another, Cory Booker, does not eat any kind of food from an animal.
但是这些小吃可能吸引不到候选人。例如，2003年的一位候选人吃了一口奥利奥饼干，然后把剩下的扔了。今年的一位候选人图尔西·加伯德不吃肉。另一位候选人科里·布克不吃任何产自动物的食品。
Drinking beer is also a popular activity at the fair. But a candidate in 2003 asked for a strawberry yogurt drink instead. The move made him appear different than the voters he was trying to connect with.
喝啤酒也是展会上的热门活动。但是2003年的一位候选人要求提供草莓酸奶饮料。这一举动让他与自己试图讨好的选民看上去格格不入。
The state fair is also a time to be easy and friendly. Most people wear clothes like jeans and t-shirts. But in 2007, one candidate came wearing shoes that cost $500. And he did not walk in the crowd. Instead, he rode in a small, open vehicle. A few months later, that candidate tied for third place with Iowa voters, and soon after withdrew from the campaign.
这次州博览会也是一个轻松友好的时刻。大多数人都穿着牛仔裤和T恤等服装。但是在2007年，有位候选人脚踏价值500美元的鞋子来了。他也没有走进人群，而是乘坐了一辆小型敞篷车。几个月之后，这位候选人在爱荷华州选民这落了个并列第三名，不久后就退出了竞选活动。
But some candidates perform well at the fair. In 2007, then-candidate Barack Obama played on the rides with his children. In pictures of the event, he and his family are smiling. He went on to win Iowa's early voting. Later, he won the national election, too.
但是有些候选人在博览会上表现很好。2007年，时任总统候选人巴拉克·奥巴马与他的孩子们一起玩游乐设施。在这次活动的照片中，他和家人们正在微笑。他接下来赢得了爱荷华州的初选。后来他也赢得了全国大选。
When he was a presidential candidate in 2015, Donald Trump, also won the approval of many at the Iowa State Fair – but he did so in an unusual way. Most candidates try to create an image of being simple people who understand the voters' economic concerns. But Trump arrived at the fair in his own helicopter. However, the crowd liked the fact that he let children ride in it. A few months later, Trump finished second in Iowa's early voting.
当唐纳德·川普在2015年作为总统候选人之时，他也在爱荷华州博览会上赢得了许多人的认可，但是他靠的是不走寻常路。大多数试图把自己塑造成普通人，理解选民对经济的顾虑。但是川普坐着自己的私人直升机抵达现场。然而，人们喜欢他让孩子们坐上直升机的举动。几个月之后，川普在爱荷华州的初选中获得了第二名。
This year, at least two candidates are in a good position to appear at ease at the fair. One is John Hickenlooper. Before he was the top official of the state of Colorado, he opened a successful beer-making business. He is planning to pour beer for people attending the fair this weekend.
今年，至少有两位候选人有能力在这次博览会上大展身手。其中一位是约翰·希肯卢珀。他在担任科罗拉多州的高官之前开过一家成功的啤酒制造企业。他计划本周未为参加展会的人们倒上啤酒。
And candidate Amy Klobuchar says she goes to her state fair every year. She comes from Minnesota, a state next to Iowa. Both states have a strong milk products industry. And both states show artwork, at their fairs, made out of butter.
而候选人埃米·克洛布彻自称每年都参加自己所在州的博览会。她来自紧邻爱荷华州的明尼苏达州。这两个州都有强大的乳制品行业。两个州都在博览会上展示用黄油制作的艺术品。
Klobuchar says she plans on comparing the two states' famous butter sculptures. Each year in Minnesota, an artist sculpts a representation of a young woman known as Princess Kay of the Milky Way. And in Iowa, an artist sculpts a representation of a large farm animal.
克洛布彻表示，她计划对两个州著名的黄油雕塑作一番比较。每年在明尼苏达州，艺术家都会雕刻出一位被称为奶牛公主的年轻女子形象。而在爱荷华州，艺术家会雕刻出一种大型农场动物的形象。
Klobuchar said, "I am looking very forward to seeing your butter cow at the Iowa State Fair."
克洛布彻表示：“我非常期待在爱荷华州博览会上看到你们的黄油牛。”
I'm Caty Weaver.
我是凯蒂·韦弗。
And I'm Ashley Thompson.
我是阿什利·汤普森。(51VOA.COM原创翻译，禁止转载，违者必究！)