It’s been a roller coaster ride in American politics since I returned to the US in mid-June. I knew it would be exciting for me as a journalist just months before the presidential election. But I never imagined it would become such a roller coaster ride. I covered presidential elections when I lived in Washington DC during the 1990s. They were exciting years but not like the political roller coaster ride the US is now experiencing. I pinched myself when a TV news flash said President Joe Biden had just announced he would not seek reelection. A roller coaster ride used this way means sudden and extreme changes in a short period of time.

If you say you had to pinch yourself, it means you cannot believe what you are seeing or hearing. The roller coaster ride began June 27 when Biden shocked Americans by being confused, unfocused, and unable to finish sentences during his televised reelection debate with former President Donald Trump. Many Democrats had pressured him to pass the torch after the debate. To pass the torch means to transfer your position to someone else. Many Americans were shocked again four days later when the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that former and current presidents cannot be criminally charged for official acts while in office.

The ruling will help Trump overcome criminal charges against him. Americans were shocked yet again 12 days later when a 20-year-old man with a rifle tried to assassinate Trump. The latest shock came eight days later when Biden announced he would stand down. He endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris but a final decision will be made next month at the Democratic Party convention.

自從我於六月中回到美國以來，美國的政治就如同過山車旅程一樣起起跌跌（a roller coaster ride）。距離總統大選僅幾個月，我早已知道這對我這個新聞工作者而言會是非常刺激。但我怎也未想過，它會波動得如過山車一般（a roller coaster ride）。一九九零年代我住華盛頓特區的時候，就採訪報道過總統選舉。那個年頭也是很刺激的，卻還不如美國現正經歷的政治過山車旅程（a roller coaster ride）。當電視新聞快訊說總統祖‧拜登宣佈退出競選連任時，我不得不捏一下自己（pinched myself）。A roller coaster ride在這裏是解作在短時間內突然和極端的變化和波動。

若你說你要 pinch yourself，意即你對所看到或聽到的東西難以置信。這場驚險的過山車旅程（roller coaster ride）於六月二十七日開始，當日拜登與前總統唐納德‧特朗普進行總統選舉的電視辯論期間，拜登看來很困惑、茫然、不能好好完成句子，大大震驚了美國人。辯論後已有許多民主黨人向他施壓，要他 pass the torch——to pass the torch即是交棒，將你的位置轉交給另一個人。四天後，最高法院以六比三裁定，前任和現任總統不能為其任內的官方行為受到刑事起訴，亦令許多美國人震驚不已。

這個裁決有助特朗普克服那些針對他的刑事檢控。十二天後，一個二十歲的男人以步槍嘗試暗殺特朗普，又再令美國人震驚。最後一波震驚於八天後來臨，就是拜登宣布他會退選。他支持副總統賀錦麗出選，但仍要待下個月民主黨代表大會才能有最終的提名決定。

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Michael Chugani褚簡寧
中譯：七刻