gerrymander的意思

gerrymander

基本解释

n. 改变选举区；选区不公正的重新划分

vt. 为政党利益改划选区；为一党私利而重新将划分选区

vi. 不公正地划分选区；弄虚作假

gerrymander 不公正的划分选区

来自19世纪初美国马萨诸萨邦州长Elbridge Gerry，其为了获取更多选票，把选区进行人为的划分，被嘲笑新选区看起来如同一只salamander, 因此据此合成了该词。

gerrymander: gerrymander: [19] The story goes that in 1812 the governor of Massachusetts, Elbridge Gerry, instituted some electoral boundary changes favourable to his party, the Democrats. When a painter named Stuart saw these outlined on a map in the office of a newspaper editor, he remarked that the resulting area resembled a salamander in shape. ‘A gerrymander, you mean!’ replied the editor – and the term caught on for ‘unfair manipulation of constituency boundaries’.
gerrymander (v.): 1812, "arrange political divisions in disregard of natural boundaries so as to give one party an advantage in elections," also from 1812 as a noun, American English, from name of Elbridge Gerry + (sala)mander. Gerry, governor of Massachusetts, was lampooned when his party redistricted the state in a blatant bid to preserve an Antifederalist majority. One sprawling Essex County district resembled a salamander, and a newspaper editor dubbed it the Gerrymander. Related: Gerrymandered; gerrymandering.
[T]he division of this county into districts has given an opportunity for a Caracatura stamped at Boston and freely circulated here called the Gerrymander. The towns as they lie are disposed as parts of a monster whose feet and claws are Salem and Marblehead. It is one of those political tricks which have success as far as they go. [William Bentley, diary, April 2, 1812]

1. Another law will gerrymander parliament in its favor.: 另一项法律会让这个政权更容易控制国会.