Japan has begun campaigning for a snap general election that threatens to pummel the ruling Liberal Democratic party as voters pass judgment on a slush-fund scandal, the rising cost of living and a decade-long failure to deliver greater household prosperity.

日本已开始为提前大选进行竞选活动，随着选民们对贿赂基金丑闻、生活成本上升以及十年来未能实现家庭财富增长等问题作出评判，执政党自民党可能因此受到重创。

The intensive 12-day campaigning season for a vote to be held on October 27 was formally set in motion by Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba — the quirky, 67-year-old LDP veteran who was elevated to the top job two weeks ago after a bitterly divisive party leadership race. 

首相石破茂(Shigeru Ishiba)正式启动了为期12天的密集竞选季，为10月27日举行的选举做准备。现年67岁、性格古怪的石破茂两周前在分歧激烈的党内领导层竞选中被提拔为首相。

“I have positioned this election as an election for the rebirth of Japan.” Ishiba said on Tuesday as he launched his campaign in the northern prefecture of Fukushima. “I will trust the people, tell the truth without lies or deception, and talk about the Japan that should be.”

“我把这次选举定位为日本的重生之选。”石破茂周二在日本北部福岛县启动竞选活动时说，“我将相信人民，不撒谎，不欺骗，说出真相，讨论日本应该成为的样子。”

——本文2024年10月16日发布于FT中文网，英文原题为 Ishiba’s election gamble: Japan’s train-loving PM fights to keep LDP on track

Even before the school day started, there was a problem: the uniform was scratchy. Once inside the building of her secondary school, the overload of noise and smells became overwhelming for Anna, who has autism. “She was anxious,” says her mother, Sophie, from south-east England.

还没开学，问题就来了：校服很粗糙。一进入中学教学楼，各种噪音和气味让患有自闭症的安娜(Anna)难以承受。安娜的母亲、来自英格兰东南部的索菲(Sophie)说：“她很焦虑。”

Despite small class sizes and the support of a teaching assistant, Anna also struggled to engage with lessons at her fee-paying school. Her attendance dwindled until one day she experienced “a full breakdown”, according to her mother. “We decided enough was enough,” says Sophie, who asked to withhold their real names.

尽管学校实行小班教学，并有一名助教提供帮助，但安娜在私立学校上课时还是很吃力。据她母亲说，她的出勤率越来越低，直到有一天“彻底崩溃”。索菲说：“我们受够了。”索菲要求隐去她们的真实姓名。

So last September, Anna started Year 9 at Minerva’s Virtual Academy, an online independent school based in the UK that has pupils from around the world and charges £8,410 a year. From the comfort of her home, and dressed in her own clothes, Anna began to thrive. She now has 100 per cent attendance and is doing well academically. It was a “lifeline”, says Sophie.

去年9月，安娜在线上学校Minerva's Virtual Academy开始了9年级的课程，这是一所位于英国的在线独立学校，学生来自世界各地，学费为每年8410英镑。安娜在舒适的家中，穿着自己的衣服，开始茁壮成长。现在，她的出勤率达到了100%，学习成绩也很好。索菲说，这是一条“生命线”。

——本文2024年10月16日发布于FT中文网，英文原题为 The boom in home schooling

Donald Trump has elevated his threat to impose sweeping tariffs on imported cars including from Mexico and the EU, placing increased US trade protectionism at the heart of his agenda if he wins a new White House term. 

唐纳德•特朗普已经强化了对包括墨西哥和欧盟在内的进口汽车全面征收关税的威胁，如果他赢得新的白宫任期，将把加强美国贸易保护主义作为其议程的核心。

Speaking at the Economic Club of Chicago on Tuesday, Trump lashed out at European car manufacturers, including Mercedes-Benz, and vowed to slap high levies on imported vehicles, arguing that it was the only way to force production to return to the US.

周二，特朗普在芝加哥经济俱乐部发表讲话，抨击包括梅赛德斯-奔驰在内的欧洲汽车制造商，并誓言对进口汽车征收高额关税，认为这是迫使生产回归美国的唯一途径。

“We’re going to put tariffs on them . . . and you know what they can do? Mercedes-Benz will start building in the United States,” Trump said, while mocking the company’s existing presence in America.

“我们要对他们征收关税……你知道他们能做什么吗？梅赛德斯-奔驰(Mercedes-Benz)将开始在美国生产。”特朗普说，同时嘲笑该公司目前在美国的存在。

——本文2024年10月16日发布于FT中文网，英文原题为 Donald Trump pledges to impose sweeping tariffs on imported cars 

Kamala Harris is stepping up her media appearances with direct appeals to Black voters and other groups as she struggles to take on Donald Trump with just three weeks to go in the White House race.

在距离白宫竞选仅剩三周之际，卡玛拉•哈里斯(Kamala Harris)正努力与唐纳德•特朗普(Donald Trump)对决，她正加大媒体露面频率，并直接向黑人选民和其他群体发出呼吁。

On Tuesday Harris was interviewed by Charlamagne tha God, a radio host whose syndicated show is popular with young Black Americans. On Wednesday, Harris will sit down with Fox News presenter Bret Baier in her first appearance on Rupert Murdoch’s conservative cable channel, in a bid to reach centrists and anti-Trump Republicans.

周二，哈里斯接受了电台主持人Charlamagne tha God的采访，他的分销节目在年轻的美国黑人中很受欢迎。周三，哈里斯将与福克斯新闻主持人布雷特•拜尔(Bret Baier)对谈，这将是她首次在鲁珀特•默多克(Rupert Murdoch)的保守派有线电视频道露面，目的是争取中间派和反对特朗普的共和党人。

The media blitz — which could also include a forthcoming interview on Joe Rogan’s controversial podcast — marks a gamble by Harris to reach a wider pool of voters amid concerns among top Democrats that she is losing momentum against Trump. 

这次媒体闪电战——还可能包括即将在乔•罗根(Joe Rogan)备受争议的播客节目上接受采访——标志着哈里斯对打动更广泛选民群体的押注，民主党高层担心她正在失去对抗特朗普的势头。

——本文2024年10月16日发布于FT中文网，英文原题为 Kamala Harris launches media blitz in bid to regain momentum against Donald Trump