美國首都華盛頓希望成爲美國第51個州
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser has announced a plan to allow local residents to vote in November on whether the nation's capital should try to become the country's 51st state.
美國首都華盛頓哥倫比亞特區市長穆麗爾·鮑澤星期五宣佈一項計劃，允許當地居民今年11月就美國首都是否應當努力成爲美國第51個州進行投票表決。
Speaking at a breakfast Friday to commemorate the end of slavery in the District of Columbia in 1862, Bowser said the ballot initiative would "send a bold message to the Congress and the rest of the country that we demand not only a vote in the House of Representatives. We demand two senators—the full rights of citizenship in this great nation."
鮑澤市長星期五在一次紀念華盛頓市結束奴隸制的早餐會上說，該選票倡議項目將“向國會以及全美各地傳遞出一個果敢的信息，那就是我們不僅要求在衆議院有一票，而且我們要求擁有兩名參議員，要求得到在這個偉大國家的完全公民權利。”
The district is now represented in Congress only by a single, nonvoting delegate in the House of Representatives; the current officeholder is Eleanor Holmes Norton. Territories like Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands have similar representation in Congress, but their residents do not pay federal income taxes, as D.C. residents do.
目前，華盛頓哥倫比亞特區只有在衆議院擁有一名無投票權的代表。這類似於來自波多黎各和美屬維爾京羣島等美國領地的代表。雖然華盛頓哥倫比亞特區的國會衆議院代表諾頓不能在衆議院投票，但是和那些美屬領地不同，首都華盛頓的居民卻要繳付聯邦收入所得稅。
The situation has given rise to use of the "Taxation without representation" slogan that is embossed on city vehicle license plates—including the limousine of President Barack Obama.
這種境況導致出現了“納稅卻無代表”這句口號的出現，這句口號被印製在首都華盛頓的汽車號牌上，奧巴馬總統的豪華座駕的車牌上也不例外。
District residents would most likely approve the ballot initiative Bowser is seeking. A Washington Post poll from November showed that about 70 percent of district residents support statehood, and the idea has also has received some high-profile support from both sides of the political aisle.
一旦鮑澤市長完成在選票上列入這個選項的工作，很可能首都華盛頓哥倫比亞特區的居民會投票支持使之成爲華盛頓市的法律。華盛頓郵報去年11月的一項民意測驗顯示，首都華盛頓壓倒性多數，也就是大約百分之70的居民支持華盛頓哥倫比亞特區成爲美國一個州。首都華盛頓努力成爲美國一個州也得到美國兩黨一些高層人士的支持。
Obama has publicly expressed support for statehood, and front-running Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said in August that he favored "whatever's best" for D.C. residents, including statehood.
奧巴馬總統公開表達支持華盛頓市成爲美國一個州，共和黨總統競選領跑者川普去年8月表示，他支持任何對首都市民最有利的事情，其中包括首都華盛頓哥倫比亞特區成爲美國一個州。
