美国国会百万富翁何其多-英语点津

In theory, Congress is supposed to represent a microcosm of America.

从理论上讲，国会应该是美国的一个缩影。

If so, America must have about 140 million millionaires.

如果是这样的话，美国应该有大约1.4亿名百万富翁。

Of course, America doesn't have near that number. But, a report by the Center for Responsive Politics shows that 237 members of Congress-or 45% of the total-are self-reported millionaires.

当然，美国并没有这么多富豪。但是，响应性政治中心(Center for Responsive Politics)的一份报告显示，237位国会议员自称是百万富翁，占议员总数的45%。

California's Congressional delegation contains the richest. Car-alarm-king Darrell Issa (R., Cal.) is the top-ranking member by wealth, according to the Center, with a net worth in the range of $164 million to $337 million. California Democratic Rep. Jane Harman is second, in the range of $112 million to $377 million. Wisconsin Democrat Herb Kohl is No. 3, at a range of $163 million to $265 million.

最富的议员出自加利福尼亚州国会代表团。该中心称，汽车报警器大王、加州共和党议员达雷尔·伊萨(Darrell Issa)是最富有的议员，资产净值在1.64亿至3.37亿美元之间。加州民主党众议员简·哈曼(Jane Harman)屈居第二，资产净值在1.12亿至3.77亿美元之间。威斯康星州民主党议员赫伯·科尔(Herb Kohl)排名第三，资产净值在1.63亿至2.65亿美元之间。

Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D., W.Va.) has long been viewed as the richest person in Congress. But just as with the rest of the economy, his old money fortune, now put at between $60 million and $128 million, has been dwarfed by the nouveau.

西弗吉尼亚州民主党参议员洛克菲勒(Jay Rockefeller)一直被视为是国会首富。但是，正如其它经济领域一样，他的财富现在是6,000万至1.28亿美元之间，在暴发户面前已是相形见绌。

What does it mean for America to have so many rich men and women in Congress?

国会中有如此多的富翁富婆对美国来说意味着什么？

The right says it shows hypocrisy, since Congress seems to be succumbing to its worst wealth-spreader instincts to over-tax, over-regulate and over-criticize the wealthy. The latest evidence of this is the House health-care bill, which would impose a 5% tax on the gross income (yes gross income) of those earning $500,000 or more.

右翼人士说，它暴露出了虚伪，因为美国国会似乎是在重新分配财富，对富人的征税过高、监管过严、批评过甚。有关于此的最新证据是众议院的医疗卫生法案，将对每年总收入（是的，是总收入）超过50万美元者征收5%的税。

The left says the numbers show that Congress is a collection of wealthy elites who do their best to protect the rich and powerful, and that this is why they haven't gone far enough on taxing the rich or regulating Wall Street.

左翼人士说，这些数字表明美国国会是富有精英的集合体，他们会竭尽所能保持自己的财富和权力，这就是他们在向富人征税或监管华尔街方面做得远远不够的原因。

My guess is that the numbers tell a simpler story. Getting elected takes boatloads of money these days, and it is getting tougher to raise money the old fashioned way. There are more millionaires in Congress because, increasingly, it takes a personal fortune to get elected.

我的猜测是这些数字说明了一个很简单的道理。当选议员现在要花一大笔钱，而且越来越难以通过传统的方式筹集资金。国会中有更多的百万富翁是因为越来越需要凭借个人的财富才能当选了。