美国选民决定的不只是总统

    On Election Day, American voters decided more than who would go to the White House next year.
    美国选民在选举日决定的可不止是谁将在明年入主白宫。

    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个州的选民还被要求决定超过150项政策问题,例如合法使用大麻以及限制枪支所有权。

    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、佛罗里达州、蒙大拿州和北达科他州的选民通过了议案,批准了大麻用于医疗目的。大多数州现在都允许患者将大麻用于某些医疗状况。

    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、缅因州和马萨诸塞州,21岁以上成人甚至可以在不存在医疗需求的情况下使用大麻。但是亚利桑那州选民拒绝了消遣类大麻的合法化。

    Gun control
    枪支控制

    California voters approved a measure to severely limit people's ability to buy ammunition for large guns.
    加州选民通过了一项议案,严格限制人们购买大型枪支弹药的能力。

    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.
    在华盛顿州,选民通过了一项计划,暂时禁止存在精神问题或暴力迹象的人们持有枪支。

    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.
    在内华达州,选民们通过了一项措施,对所有涉及枪支销售和交易的个人扩大调查。但是类似措施在缅因州未能获得通过。

    Minimum wage
    最低工资

    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.
    联邦政府目前要求所有美国企业向雇员支付最低7.25美元的时薪。有三个州同意在2020年前将最低时薪提高到12美元。在华盛顿州,选民们通过了一项议案,在2020年前将最低时薪工资提高到13.5美元。

    But in South Dakota, voters lowered the minimum wage for people under age 18 by about one dollar.
    但是在南达科他州,选民将18岁以下者的最低工资降低到了1美元左右。

    Death penalty
    死刑判决

    Californians rejected a measure to end the state's right to use execution as a way to punish criminals.
    加州否决了一项终止该州使用死刑作为惩罚罪犯方式的权力的议案。

    In Nebraska, voters agreed to re-establish a court's right to sentence some prisoners to death.
    在内布拉斯加州,选民们同意重新确立法院判决某些犯人死刑的权力。

    And in Oklahoma, residents approved a measure to make it harder to cancel the death penalty.
    而在俄克拉荷马州,居民们通过了一项议案,让取消死刑更加困难。

    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.
    加州选民使学校以英语以外语言教学更为容易。在佐治亚州,选民称该州不能控制年年不达标的公立学校。

    Other measures
    其它议案

    In California, voters rejected a measure that would require people in adult films to wear condoms during sex scenes.
    在加州,选民们否决了一项要求成人影片演员在性爱场面中戴安全套的议案。

    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.
    科罗拉多人对一项跟患有可能致命的健康障碍的成年人相关的议案进行了投票。选民同意允许这类个人使用医生批准的药物终止自己的生命。

    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.
    该措施需要三名健康专家确认自然死亡已经接近,并确认患者是为自己做决定。

    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.
    哥伦比亚特区选民通过了一项议案,使这个美国首都所在地成为美国第51个州。该决定并非立即生效。相反,选民们表示希望他们的意见可以对下一届政府施压,以结束哥伦比亚特区在国会没有代表的现状。

    I'm Jonathan Evans.
    我是乔纳斯·埃文斯。(51VOA.COM对本文翻译保留全部权利,未经授权请勿转载,违者必究!)