每逢大选前一年的夏天，美国爱荷华州的博览会都会成为总统候选人争夺选民的重要舞台。爱荷华州是美国重要的农业重镇，淳朴、直爽的美国农民希望候选人是亲民的，而非高人一等的精英分子。油腻的垃圾食品代表了精英主义的对立面，于是吃下博览会上油腻的食物成了考验候选人的关键。

　　American media flocked to the small town of Fairfield, Iowa, lastweek for one of the strangest scenes in the US presidential race: the Iowa State Fair.

　　上周美国媒体蜂拥进入爱荷华州小镇费尔菲尔德，因为这里正在上演美国大选最新奇的一幕之一——爱荷华州博览会。

　　The 10-day festivity, which ended on Aug 23, is a popular campaign stop for presidential hopefuls.But it’s not the candidates’ politics that fall under scrutiny at the fair. It’s the politics of food.

　　这场为期10天的盛会于8月23日落幕，它是美国总统候选人十分青睐的选战之地。不过在这儿被大众审视的不是候选人的政治主张，而是食物的政治。

　　Choking down the fair’s fatty food has become a kind of test, measuring each candidate’s ability tolevel with the common folk. And with hawk-like precision, the media catalogues each and everymorsel that enters their mouths, down to the calorie.

　　能否吞下博览会上肥腻的食物已经成了考验候选人是否能对选民以诚相待的方式。媒体则像敏锐的雄鹰一样打量着每个候选人吃下去的每一口食物，包括食物的热量。

　　Headlines last week roared that Republican candidate Jeb Bush broke his diet by eating a 445-calorie, deep-fried Snickers candy bar. And everyone from Hillary Clinton to Donald Trump bit onthe fair’s most famous offering, the pork chop on a stick, as cameras flashed around them.

　　上周新闻头条大肆渲染了共和党候选人杰布•布什一反自己的日常饮食习惯，吃了一块445大卡的油炸士力架。从希拉里•克林顿到唐纳德•特普朗，当摄像机在他们面前闪烁的时候，每个人在吃着博览会上最著名的猪排。

　　All the while, the candidates find themselves surrounded by cattle competitions, cooking contestsand life-sized carvings made of butter. It is a celebration of the US’ food traditions–but what dothose traditions say about the country and its candidates?

　　候选人时刻都置身于赛牛、厨艺比赛、真人大小的黄油雕刻之中。这是一场美国饮食传统的盛典，不过这些传统传达出美国和她的总统候选人什么样的信息呢?

　　Iowa is an agricultural hub, producing more corn and eggs than any other state. Yet, for a staterenowned for growing fresh food, its fair is best known for its fried foods. Anything that can befried will be: pie, pickles, butter, cookies–and the list goes on.

　　爱荷华州是美国的农业中心，这里是美国玉米和鸡蛋的最大的产地。然而这个以生产新鲜食物闻名的州，却有一个以油炸食物著称的博览会。在这儿，任何食物都能油炸：派、咸菜、黄油、饼干……被油炸的食物还会越来越多。

　　Eat poorly and be humble

　　吃垃圾食品和保持谦逊

　　But beware the backlash should a politician give up the fatty treats. In 2012, former Texasgovernor Rick Perry was ridiculed for daring to choose a vegetarian corn dog. And reporterskeenly noted how Jeb Bush threw out half of his deep-fried Snickers this year.

　　不过要是一个政客敢不买油乎乎食品的账，后果可能很严重。2012年，前德克萨斯州州长里克•佩里(Rick Perry)就因为选了一个素食玉米热狗而受到无情的嘲讽。这一次，敏锐的媒体也注意到杰布•布什扔掉了半个油炸士力架。

　　Candidates craft their public images to appear humble and folksy. And a candidate’s willingness toswallow the fair’s unhealthy food serves as an indicator, to see if their actions match their carefullyconstructed public image.

　　候选人精心打造自己谦逊、亲和的公众形象。而他们是否愿意吞下博览会上的垃圾食品则被视为评价指标，衡量他们的行为是否与其精心营造的公众形象相符。

　　In the US, eating healthy can be seen as a mark of elitism. Michael Pollan, author of TheOmnivore’s Dilemma, put it simply: “It is a fact that to eat healthily in this country ... costs morethan it does to eat poorly.” Processed foods are often cheaper than fresh fruits and vegetables,and more widely available.

　　在美国，健康饮食被视为精英主义的标志之一。《杂食者的困境》一书的作者迈克尔•波伦(Michael Pollan)一针见血地指出：“事实上，在美国吃健康食品比吃垃圾食品贵得多。”加工食品通常比新鲜果蔬便宜，且更容易买到。

　　The fair’s food also gives contenders the opportunity to stand apart from the Barack Obamaadministration, which championed healthy lifestyles. By sinking their teeth into the fatty food, the2016 candidates are taking a decisive bite against their predecessor’s ideals.

　　博览会上的食物也给了这些总统宝座的角逐者同奥巴马政权划清界限的机会，因为后者倡导健康的生活方式。当本届总统候选人大快朵颐那些肥腻食物的时候，他们已经果断地偏离了奥巴马的理念。

　　The purpose of agricultural fairs was originally to “display abundance”, historian Megan Elias toldthe BBC. Blue ribbons were given to the fattest cow, the largest pumpkin.

　　农业博览会设立的初衷是为了“展示该地的富饶”，历史学家梅根•伊莱亚斯告诉英国广播公司(BBC)。最肥硕的奶牛和最大的南瓜会被授予蓝丝带。

　　The United States was built on down-home values and capitalist consumption. And the Iowa StateFair allows presidential candidates to unleash that all-American zeal–at least until the fair’s end.Then it’s back to the diet, Mr Bush.

　　美国是建立在乡土价值观和资本主义消费观之上的国家。爱荷华州博览会向总统候选人提供了释放这一美式热诚的舞台，至少到博览会结束。然后布什先生可以继续有节制地饮食了。

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（编辑：何莹莹）