Yes, Mr ’Lame Duck’
US president George W. Bush is presently in an awkward situation. He is still in office, but most lawmakers and diplomats have turned their attention to the next US president, Barack Obama. They are not likely to cooperate with Bush anymore, even though he is still in power.
English has a word to describe an official in Bush’s situation – he’s a “lame duck”. The term refers to a government official who is approaching the end of his tenure (任期), especially an official whose successor has already been elected (任期将满而未能连任的官员). For example:
With a situation as bad as the current economic crisis, scholars say, it might be difficult for any president to make the public feel better – let alone a lame duck president whose approval ratings were already as dismal as Bush’s.
In American politics, there are also “lame duck sessions”. This refers to a Congressional session that falls after a presidential election. Because some of its members have been voted out of office, it often accomplishes little. So the body will often delay voting on bills until newly-elected members begin their terms. For example:
Passing any legislation would require 60 votes in the Senate. Democrats now control 51 votes. This means they need the support of at least nine Republicans to vote for the bill in the lame duck session.
Another definition of “lame duck” is a person or an organization that can’t fulfill their functions effectively (无能的、不中用的人或机构). For example:
He is a lame duck manager who cannot even set clear goals for his team.
他是一个无能的经理,居然无法为他的团队设立明确的奋斗目标。
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