又中又英 | A head - to - head clash | 褚简宁

　　Elon Musk's angry spat with US President Donald Trump dominated the news for almost a week. The angry spat dominated the news because both men are 800-pound gorillas. Musk is the world's richest person. Trump is the president of the world's most powerful nation. That makes them 800-pound gorillas. An angry spat is an angry but short argument. The expression "800-pound gorilla” is used to describe people or entities so powerful or dominant they can do what they want. Musk's angry spat began when he criticized a massive budget bill going through the US Congress, saying it will increase the deficit by US$2.4 trillion.

　　But Trump wants Congress to approve the bill. The Musk-Trump angry spat is no longer dominating the news. It has been replaced by a head-to-head political clash between Trump and California's Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom. A head-to-head clash can mean a direct competition between two rival sports teams or a battle between two armies. But it can also mean direct competition between two political or other rivals. Newsom is furious with Trump for sending the National Guard to handle protests in Los Angeles against Trump's deportation of undocumented immigrants. The norm is for state governors to request National Guards during an emergency.

　　Newsom didn't request the troops, insisting the protests were largely peaceful and local police could handle the situation. Headlines are also focusing on disagreements among Republicans, who have majorities in both Houses of Congress, over the budget bill. Some in Congress say the bill is on the bubble. The expression "on the bubble" can mean not certain to get a place in a sports team. But used this way, it means the budget bill is not guaranteed to succeed in the Congress.

　　伊隆．马斯克与美国总统当劳．特朗普的愤怒争吵（angry spat）已经霸占新闻版面近一星期了。这个愤怒的争执（angry spat）能占尽新闻版面，是因为两个男人都是「800磅的大猩猩」（800-pound gorillas）。马斯克是世上最有钱的人，特朗普则是全球最强大国的总统，这就使他们成为毫无顾忌的800磅大猩猩（800-pound gorillas）。An angry spat是愤怒但短暂的小争吵。习语800-pound gorilla是用来形容很强大的人或机构，他们举足轻重，能肆无忌惮地随心所欲。马斯克的愤怒吵闹（angry spat）始于他批评现正在美国国会审议的巨大预算法案，说它将会增加2万4000亿美国财政赤字。

　　特朗普却希望国会能通过法案。但这个马斯克与特朗普的愤怒争吵（angry spat）不再占尽新闻版面，取而代之的是特朗普与加州民主党州长加文．纽森之间的正面（head-to-head）政治冲突。A head-to-head clash可以指两个敌对运动队伍的正面交锋又或两军对垒的战役，但它也可以解作两个政治或其他领域的对手的正面比并。洛杉矶爆发示威抗议特朗普遣返非法移民，特朗普派美国国民警卫队加以平息，纽森对此勃然大怒。按标准应由州长在紧急事故期间要求国民警卫队出兵。

　　纽森却并未要求派兵，他坚持示威基本上都是和平的，当地警察亦能处理局面。现在新闻头条亦主要集中在共和党内就预算法案的分歧，而共和党现在占国会两院的大多数。国会里有些人说，法案是on the bubble——习语on the bubble可以是指不确定能否当上运动队伍的队员，但在这里，意思则是预算法案并不保证能在国会顺利通过。

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Michael Chugani褚简宁
中译：七刻