楊舟

A Vermont town is hailing1 the election of its unusual new mayor： a 3-year-old Nubian goat named Lincoln.

Town Manager Joe Gunther said he decided to hold an election for an animal mayor as a means of raising money to replace a school playground.

Residents2 were given the chance to nominate3 their pets for the mayoral office in exchange for a $5 donation toward the playground cause.

Lincoln bested the second-place finisher， a dog named Sammie， by only two votes.

Gunther said Lincoln would serve a one-year term with duties including marching in the Memorial Day parade.

He said the election turned into an educational opportunity for the towns children.

“Originally we did it as a fundraiser4 to replace the playground behind the school， but it really turned into a small civic5 lesson for the children. ‘Come out and vote. Get involved in the town，” Gunther said.

佛蒙特州的一個(gè)小鎮(zhèn)正在慶祝他們選舉出的不同尋常的新鎮(zhèn)長：一只名叫林肯的3歲的努比亞山羊。

鎮(zhèn)上的管理人喬·岡瑟說，他決定舉行一次選舉，選出一位動(dòng)物鎮(zhèn)長，作為為翻新一個(gè)學(xué)校操場籌集資金的一種方式。

居民們有機(jī)會(huì)以5美元的運(yùn)動(dòng)場捐款，換取提名他們的寵物擔(dān)任鎮(zhèn)長辦公室的職務(wù)。

林肯以兩票之差擊敗了排名第二的候選者，一只名叫桑米的狗。

岡瑟說，林肯將任期一年，職責(zé)包括在陣亡將士紀(jì)念日參加游行。

他說這次選舉變成了鎮(zhèn)上孩子們接受教育的機(jī)會(huì)。

“最初我們是把這作為一個(gè)翻新學(xué)校操場的資金籌集活動(dòng)，但真的變成了給孩子們的一節(jié)小小的公民課?！鰜硗镀保瑓⑴c鎮(zhèn)務(wù)。”岡瑟說。

Notes

1. hail? vt. 致敬;歡呼;歡迎

2. resident? ?n. 居民

3. nominate? vt. 推薦;提名

4. fundraiser? n. 資金籌集人;資金籌集活動(dòng)

5. civic adj. 市的;公民的，市民的