[(Title)] Abstentions in Brazil election could hurt governability.

SAO PAULO –  Attorney Carlos Gomes is a political junkie who plunged into campaigning for national and local candidates as a teenager. Two years ago, he even moved to Sao Paulo to work for a law firm that represents several candidates for office.

卡洛斯·戈梅斯检察官是一名政治新秀，十几岁时就参加全国和地方候选人竞选，两年前，他甚至搬到圣保罗，为一家律师事务所工作，该律师事务所代表了几位候选人。

However he says he won't be able to bring himself to vote in October's general election.

然而，他表示，他将无法在10月的大选中投票。

"This time, I can't choose," said Gomes, 30. "These candidates are either uninspiring or plain bad."

“这一次，我不能选择，”30岁的戈梅斯说，“这些候选人不是没有精神，就是很糟。”

Record numbers of Brazilians are expected to do the same, according to polls and studies, raising the specter that whoever wins will struggle to govern Latin America's most populous nation.

根据民意调查和研究结果，巴西人预计也将达到创纪录的数字，这加剧了谁赢得谁将努力统治拉丁美洲人口最多的国家的幽灵。

It also means that the political fights of the last years, which culminated in the 2016 impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff and the ascension of Vice President Michel Temer, who has since become Brazil's least popular leader in history,

这还意味着，过去几年的政治斗争最终导致2016年帝力·罗塞夫总统被弹劾，以及副总统米歇尔·特梅尔的提升，后者自那时以来已经成为巴西历史上最不受欢迎的领导人，

are far from over.

还远未结束。

"Imagine a scenario with a president elected by one third of the electorate, beating another candidate who gets almost as much," said Carlos Melo, a political science professor at Insper university in Sao Paulo.

圣保罗Insper大学政治学教授卡洛斯·梅洛(CarlosMelo)说：“想象一下，三分之一的选民选举产生的总统击败的候选人也有同样多的选民支持。

"Congress will know that one third doesn't support him and another is against him."

“国会会知道，三分之一的人不支持他，另一位反对他。”

Such a turnout might be celebrated in the United States, where winners typically get about half the vote of the 50 to 60 percent of eligible voters who turn out, but in Brazil it could turn into political battles that threaten governability.

这种投票率可能在美国得到庆祝，获胜者通常获得50%至60%合格选民投票的一半，而在巴西，获胜者可能演变成威胁治理的政治争斗。

That's partly due to the fact many Brazilians remain bitter over the ouster of Rousseff, which they see more as a political overthrow than as punishment for any crime.

这部分是由于许多巴西人对驱逐罗塞夫的态度仍然苦涩，他们认为，这更多地是政治上的推翻，而不是对任何犯罪行为的惩罚。

And the country's fragmented political system — there are more than 30 parties represented in Congress — means presidents must spend much political capital forming coalitions. At the very least, a weak mandate would make that more difficult.

而国家支离破碎的政治体系，国会有30多个党派，意味着总统必须花费大量的政治资本形成联盟，至少如果授权不力，那么困难就更大。

Brazilians have long been souring on their elected leaders, in part because of a corruption scandal that is arguably the largest in Latin American history.

长期以来，巴西人对民选领导人一直感到愤怒，部分原因是腐败丑闻可能是拉丁美洲历史上规模最大的。

Launched in 2014, the so-called Carwash probe into kickbacks by construction companies has brought down many of the country's top businessmen and politicians.

所谓的Carhishe探测器于2014年发射，用于调查建筑公司的回扣，导致该国许多顶级商人和政治家失望。

That includes former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who leads preference polls for October's election despite serving a 12-year-sentence for corruption.

这包括前总统路易斯·伊纳西奥·卢拉·达席尔瓦，他领导了10月份大选的投票，尽管因腐败被判处12年徒刑。

Da Silva will most likely be barred from running, which is one of the factors expected to keep many supporters of his Workers' Party from voting.

达席尔瓦很可能被禁止竞选，而这正是他的工人党的许多支持者无法参加投票的一个因素。

Many other former backers have long lost faith in the party, which was in power when much of the corruption was happening.

许多其他前支持者早已对国家政党失去了信心，因为当多数腐败发生时，该党就在掌权。

"I voted for Dilma Rousseff four years ago, but after her impeachment, and with Lula (likely) being banned, I don't feel like voting at all," said Thais Ramos, a telecommunications specialist.

电信专家ThaisRamos说：“四年前，我投票支持DilmaRousseff，但在弹劾后，由于卢拉（可能）被禁止，我觉得根本不想投票。”

"It is not because I reject totally whoever Lula endorses later, but I can't put faith in our democracy now."

“这不是因为我完全拒绝卢拉后来认可的任何人，而是我现在不能相信我们的民主。”

Voting is mandatory in Brazil, though the fine for not doing so — about $1 — has little influence on people who would prefer not to be bothered.

在巴西，投票是强制性的，尽管不投票的罚金大约是1美元，但对那些不愿意受苦的人没有什么影响。

In the 2014 general elections, almost 19 percent of eligible Brazilian voters skipped the polls on Election Day. Nearly another 9 percent showed up but left their ballots blank.

在2014年的大选中，几乎19％的符合条件的巴西选民在选举日跳过了民意调查。 几乎有9％的人出现在投票处，但他们的选票留空了。

The end result: Rousseff was narrowly re-elected with 38 percent of the total potential electorate.

最终结果:罗塞夫以微弱优势再次当选，占潜在选民总数的38%。

Opponents of the Workers' Party immediately began talking about impeachment, based on allegations ranging from voter fraud to campaign finance violations.

工人党的反对者立即开始谈论弹劾，指控内容从选民欺诈到竞选资金违规。

Eventually she was ousted for illegal management of the federal budget, allegations she strongly denies up to this day.

最后，她因非法管理联邦预算而被赶下台，她极力否认至今的指控。

This election cycle, all indications are it will be worse.

这个选举周期,所有的迹象都会更糟。

A Datafolha institute poll from June found that 28 percent of Brazilians had no intention to vote in the in the most likely scenario for the country's presidential election, with da Silva being replaced by former Sao Paulo Mayor Fernando Haddad.

6月份Datafolha研究所的一项民意调查显示，28％的巴西人无意在该国总统大选的最有可能的情况下投票，其中达席尔瓦被前圣保罗市市长费尔南多·哈达德取代。

"A high number of no votes would not kill the legitimacy of the election from a legal perspective," said Claudio Lamachia, president of Brazil's bar association. "But it makes our representation less legitimate."

巴西律师协会会长克劳迪奥·拉马齐娅说：“大量选票无法从法律角度扼杀选举的合法性，但这会使我们的代表权合法性降低。”

For months, politicians and electoral authorities have been urging voters to participate, the kind of get-out-the-vote rhetoric usually not seen until weeks before Election Day.

几个月来，政治家和选举当局一直在敦促选民参与选举，这种脱票言论通常在选举日前几周才会出现。

That worry increased in June, when 50 percent of voters in state of Tocantins skipped a special election for governor.

这种担忧在6月份有所增加，当时托坎廷斯州50%的选民不参加州长的特别选举。

So many people sitting it out could benefit Congressman Jair Bolsonaro, a former Army captain who garners both enthusiastic supporters and detractors.

这么多人置身事外可能会让国会议员博拉纳罗受益，他是前陆军上尉，既有热情的支持者又有批评者。

Bolsonaro's closest competitor is centrist Marina Silva, who lost presidential bids in 2010 and 2014. Both candidates capture between 15 and 20 percent of voter intentions, according to polls.

据民意调查显示，博拉纳罗最大的竞争对手是中间师席尔瓦(Marina Silva)，他在2010和2014年输掉了总统竞选，两人都获得了15%至20%的选民支持。

Also competitive but lagging behind with less than 10 percent are left-leaning Ciro Gomes, who has served in cabinet posts in previous administrations, and right-leaning, Geraldo Alckmin a former governor of Sao Paulo state.

同样具有竞争力但落后于不到10％的人是左翼的Ciro Gomes，他曾在前任政府的内阁职位上任职，而右倾的Geraldo Alckmin是前圣保罗州州长。

Enthusiasm is so low for the field of candidates that analysts say rejection votes could determine the winner. The candidate who sparks the most condemnation is Bolsonaro, who has a long history of making racist, sexist and homophobic comments.

对于候选人领域来说，热情是如此之低，以至于分析师认为拒绝投票可以决定胜负者。 引起最多谴责的候选人是博拉纳罗，他长期以来一直在制造种族主义，性别歧视和同性恋歧视的评论。

An Ibope poll also from June found Bolsonaro had very high disapproval ratings. Thirty-two percent of the electorate said under no condition would they vote for Bolsonaro, only one percentage point above da Silva.

今年6月，伊布托伊民意调查发现，博拉纳罗的反对率非常高，32%的选民表示，他们在任何情况下都不会为博拉索罗投票，仅比达席尔瓦高出一个百分点。

The next most rejected was Alckmin, referred to by many as the "squash popsicle" for being seen as bland. He was rejected by 22 percent of the electorate, according to the poll.

其次被选民放弃的是Alckmin，被许多人称为“南瓜冰棒”，因为它被视为平淡无奇。 根据民意调查显示，22％的选民拒绝为他投票。

"I will only leave home if it is to block Bolsonaro. I might vote against him, but I am not voting for any of these candidates," said Guilherme Prado, a 44-year-old Uber driver who lives outside of Sao Paulo.

居住在圣保罗之外的44岁的优步司机GuilhermePrado说：“我想给博拉纳罗投反对票，但实际上我不会为任何一个竞选人投票”

"None of these candidates give me the confidence that Brazil will be doing better next year."

“这些候选人没有一个能让我相信巴西明年会更好。”