He won seven Mr. Olympia titles and put bodybuilding on the map2. Then he set his sights3 on Hollywood and went on to become one of the biggest movie stars of all time. He's played a “terminator4” and a medieval5 barbarian6 named Conan in the movies. He even walked a beat7 as a kindergarten cop8. Now Arnold Schwarzenegger has a new role—governor of California.
On October 7, 2003, voters in the Golden State9 tossed the governor, Gray Davis, out of office ten months into his second term. They then elected Schwarzenegger, the movie action-hero turned politician.
Schwarzenegger will serve the remainder10 of Davis's second term, which ends in 2006. Schwarzenegger said he couldn't wait to begin his new career.
“I made it very clear in my campaign11 that I will be the people's governor,” Schwarzenegger said. “That is the most important thing, governor for the people, not for special interests, but for everybody.”
Total Recall12
Schwarzenegger, a Republican, won the state's top political post after voters ousted13 Davis in a controversial14 recall election. Recalls are special elections that some states can have to remove a public official. This recall was the first time that Californians used an old state law to remove a sitting governor.
Why did voters want Davis out of office? A poll15 conducted on Election Day showed that 72 percent of voters disapproved of16 Davis's job performance. They blamed him for the state's fiscal17 problems.
“I never thought in a million years that I'd be for a recall,” one voter, Arlene Schwab, told Time magazine. “But it does send a message loud and clear—that we the people can do something [about the state's problems].”
Casting18 Call
Schwarzenegger, the former bodybuilder19 and star of such movies as Conan the Barbarian, Total Recall, Kindergarten Cop, and Terminator 3, was one of more than 130 candidates20 who ran for governor. The other candidates included a used-car salesman, a former child actor named Gary Coleman, a comedian21 named Gallagher, and a man who claimed a comet22 streaking23 across the sky persuaded him to run.
Some serious politicians also entered the race, including Davis's lieutenant24 governor, Democrat Cruz Bustamante.
However, Schwarzenegger was the candidate who won 49 percent of the vote—not bad for a person who has never held elected office. Schwarzenegger said his experience as a businessperson will help him lead California.
“You have given me your trust by voting for me,” he told voters. “I will do everything I can to live up to25 that trust.”
Toughest Role
What will Schwarzenegger do as governor of the nation's most populous26 state and the world's fifth-largest economy? Can he be a star in Sacramento, the capital of California, as he is in Hollywood?
During the campaign, Schwarzenegger laid out27 a plan to close a budget28 gap that could reach $20 billion next year. He talked about doing away with some taxes while making sure that children in California get a good education.
One of Schwarzenegger's biggest challenges will be to find a way to push his agenda through29 a state legislature30 made up chiefly of rival31 Democrats, many of whom opposed the recall.
“The easy part about being a politician is getting elected,” Herb Wesson, the speaker of the state assembly32, told USA Today. “The difficult part is governance33.”
Political Stage
To help Schwarzenegger make the transition34 from actor to governor, he has put together a team that includes George Shultz, a former U. S. secretary of state, and former California Gov. Pete Wilson.
As governor, Schwarzenegger admits he won't have time to make any movies.
But, he promises, he'll be back.
他先后7次赢得“奥林匹克先生”头衔，从而把健美推上了重要地位。接着他决意进军好莱坞，从而成为一代巨星。他在影片中扮演过“终结者”和中世纪的野蛮人柯南，甚至演过幼儿园执行任务的特警。而如今阿诺·施瓦辛格有了新的角色—— 加州州长。
去年10月7日，加州的选民们将第二届任期10个月的格雷·戴维斯推下了州长宝座，继而选举了由动作影星转而从政的施瓦辛格。
施瓦辛格将接替戴维斯完成剩下的任期，至2006年任期届满。他透露对开始新的政治生涯早已迫不及待了。
施瓦辛格称：“我在竞选中已经表明，我将是人民的州长。州长不是为特殊的利益团体，而是为所有州民、为每一个人谋福利的，这才是最重要的。”
罢免神威
戴维斯在一次有争议的罢免选举中被选民赶下台后，共和党人施瓦辛格赢得了州最高行政职位。罢免选举是一些州特有的选举形式，用于必要情况下决定是否撤换政府官员。这次罢免选举是加州人第一次行使传统州法撤换在位的州长。
为什么选民们想让戴维斯下台？选举日的民意测验显示：72%的选民认为戴维斯政绩不佳，并将加州的各种财政问题归罪于他。
“我从来没想过要拥护罢免。”选民阿林·希瓦布告诉《时代周刊》，“但这确实明确、公开地传递了一个信息，就是我们老百姓（对加州出现的问题）也能做些什么。”
角色的召唤
施瓦辛格，这位前健美先生及《野蛮人柯南》、《宇宙威龙》、《幼稚园警探》和《终结者III》等影片中的主角，是竞选州长的130多位候选人之一。其他候选人包括某二手车商、前童星盖瑞·科尔曼、喜剧演员加勒格以及某位声称是划过天空的彗星说服自己参加竞选的人。
一些正儿八经的政客也参加了这次竞选，包括戴维斯的副州长、民主党人巴斯塔曼。
然而施瓦辛格赢得了49%的选票，这对一个没有从政经历的人来说已经很难得了。施瓦辛格认为自己的从商经历将有助于他领导加州。
他向选民许诺：“你们选我是对我的信任，我会竭尽全力不辜负你们的信任。”
最难的角色
作为全美人口最多以及全球第五大经济实体的加州之长，施瓦辛格将有何作为？他能像在好莱坞那样成为加州首府萨克拉门托的明星吗？
施瓦辛格在竞选中就已表示，明年将让财政预算缺口缩小到200亿美元；他还提及要采取减税措施，同时又要保证加州儿童接受良好的教育。
加州立法机构的主体是施瓦辛格的对手民主党人士，他们当中许多人都是反对罢免选举的，因而施瓦辛格面临的最大挑战之一是如何使自己的议事日程获得州立法机构的通过。
州议会发言人赫尔布·威逊对《今日美国》说：“从政选举成功不难，难的是治理。”
政治舞台
为了帮自己完成从演员到州长的转变，施瓦辛格组建了助理小组，成员有前美国国务卿乔治·舒尔茨及前加州州长皮特·威尔逊。
身为州长，施瓦辛格承认他没有时间拍摄任何影片了。
但是，他许诺，他会回来的。
1． governor n． 管理者，地方长官
2． put sb．／sth． on the map 使人／事出名；
bodybuilding n． 健美
3． sights n． （复）目标，志向
4． terminator n． 终结者
5． medieval adj． 中世纪的
6． barbarian n． 野蛮人
7． beat n． 警察负责的范围，地区
8． cop n． （俚）警察
9． Golden State 加州别称
10． remainder n． 剩余部分
11． campaign n． 竞选运动
12． recall n． 通过公民投票将某个官员从职位上撤销
13． oust v． 撵走
14． controversial adj． 有争议的
15． poll n． 民意测验
16． disapprove of 不赞成，不同意
17． fiscal adj． 财政的
18． cast v． 选派角色
19． bodybuilder n． 健美运动员
20． candidate n． 候选人
21． comedian n． 喜剧演员
22． comet n． 彗星
23． streak v． 飞跑，疾驰
24． lieutenant n． 副职官员，助理官员
25． live up to 达到（要求、期望等）
26． populous adj． 人口稠密的
27． lay out 摆开，展示
28． budget n． 预算
29． push through 完成；
agenda n． 日程
30． legislature n． 立法机构
31． rival adj． 对手的
32． state assembly 州议会
33． governance n． 治理
34． transition n． 转变