Americans have been watching the protests in the Middle East and North Africa -- and closer to home. 
美国人民最近目睹了中东、北非以及国内的抗议示威活动。

Workers in Wisconsin, and now some other states, have been protesting efforts to limit the negotiating power of government employees.
威斯康星州——如今还有其它一些州的工人们正在对试图限制政府雇员谈判权的行为进行抗议。

Wisconsin's newly elected governor, Scott Walker, says limits are needed on labor unions to help cut a deficit in the state budget. 
威斯康星新选州长斯科特·沃克称，需要对工会加以限制以协助削减州的预算赤字。

The Republican governor proposes to end collective bargaining rights for most public employees except on the issue of wages.
这位共和党州长提议终止大部分政府雇员的集体谈判权——工资谈判权除外。

The bill has led to big, noisy demonstrations that began earlier this month in Madison, the state capital.
此议案引起了人们声势浩大的游行示威，示威活动始于本月早些时候，地点位于州府麦迪逊。

"This is what democracy looks like!"
这就是所谓的民主！”。

The bill would not affect police or firefighters. 
该议案对警察和消防员不造成影响。

They are barred from striking.  
因为这些人被禁止罢工。

But firefighter Mahlon Mitchell came to protest anyway.
但消防员马伦·米切尔仍参加到抗议中来。

"This is ground zero for the nation."
这是国家的根本。

Democrats in the state Senate fled to the neighboring Midwestern state of Illinois. 
州民主党参议员“出逃”至中西部的邻州伊利诺伊。

They want to prevent the Republican majority in the Wisconsin Legislature from passing the bill which they consider anti-union. 
他们想要阻止威斯康星州议会里占多数的共和党人通过这份在他们看来是反工会的议案。

Labor unions are a traditional base of support for the Democratic Party.
工会传统上是民主党的基础支持者。

Governor Walker says the state could have to start dismissing workers unless the Democrats return to debate what he calls a budget repair bill.
州长沃克称，除非这些民主党人回来讨论他所说的预算修正案，否则威斯康星州可能不得不开始裁减雇员。

Dennis Dresang is professor emeritus of political science at the University of Wisconsin. 
丹尼斯·朱桑时威斯康星大学政治科学退休的荣誉教授。

He says the modern history of the state helps explain the strong reaction.
他表示，该州的近现代史有助于解释人们为何反应这么激烈。

"Wisconsin was the first in the nation to establish the right of public employees to bargain collectively, and it's a real shock to a lot of people that these rights would be taken away."
威斯康星是美国首个赋予政府雇员集体谈判权的州，所以现在要取消这些权利让许多人大吃一惊。

Collective bargaining rights differ from state to state. 
集体谈判权各州都不一样。

Lawmakers in Indiana, Michigan and Ohio have also proposed limits on unions representing public employees. 
印第安纳州、密歇根州和俄亥俄州的立法者也提议限制政府雇员的工会权利。

Critics say politicians are using state budget problems as an excuse for union-busting -- an effort to take away rights to organize.
批评者称政治家是拿州预算问题当作摧毁工会——取消雇员组织工会权利的借口。

Unions have been shrinking in private industry. 
私有行业中的工会力量一直在缩水。

The Labor Department says only 7% of workers in the private sector now belong to one. 
劳工部称，如今全国只有7%的私企雇员是工会成员。

But more than 1/3 of government workers hold union cards. 
但参加工会的政府雇员却超过1/3.

Local governments are the most unionized. 
其中地方政府的工会力量最为强大。

Over 42% of workers like teachers, health care workers and public safety employees are union members.
在诸如教师、卫生保健人员和公共安全雇员之类的从业人员中，超过42%的人都加入了工会。

But labor protests are not the only political dispute capturing attention right now. 
但劳工抗议活动不是目前唯一引人注目的政治纠纷。

A budget battle in Washington could force the federal government to suspend many operations at midnight next Friday. 
华盛顿的一场预算之争恐使得联邦政府于下周五午夜暂停众多机构的运作。

The last government shutdown happened 15 years ago. 
上次政府关停是在15年前。

It lasted a record 21 days.
当时创造了持续21天的纪录。