美聯社17日發表文章，直白地形容正在進行的美國總統選舉是“撒謊季”。正像馬克·吐溫的《競選州長》中所描述的那樣，謠言和謊言占據了選舉的大部分。夸海口開空頭支票，將微小問題惡意夸大，故意歪曲和更改關鍵數據和事實，這些“雕蟲小技”在美國政客的競選過程中，簡直就是小菜一碟，屢試不爽。

特朗普和希拉里（圖片來源：新華社）

下面我們就看看這篇文章是如何描述“撒謊”的：

This is the season of lies.
這是一個撒謊的季節。

【season of lies】撒謊季，season除了表示“季節”，還可以表示體育中的“賽季”，美劇播放也以season（季）為單位。

We watch with fascination as candidates for the world's most powerful job trade falsehoods and allegations of dishonesty.
我們興奮地看著世界上最重要工作的競選人不斷地撒謊并指責對手撒謊。

【falsehood】虛偽; 謊言

例句：She called the verdict a victory of truth over falsehood.
她將這一判決稱為真理對謬誤的勝利。

【dishonesty】不正直，不誠實; 欺詐

例句：Dishonesty is ultimately self-defeating.
弄虛作假最終會自食其果。

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump routinely calls rival Ted Cruz "Lyin' Ted." Cruz retorts: "Falsely accusing someone of lying is itself a lie and something Donald does daily."
“撒謊的特德”是共和黨總統競選人唐納德?特朗普對他的黨內競爭對手特德?克魯茲最習慣的稱呼。克魯茲則反唇相譏地說：“妄稱對方撒謊，本身就是撒謊。這是特朗普天天做的事情。”

【Falsely accusing someone of lying is itself a lie.】妄稱對方撒謊，本身就是撒謊。

【羅姆尼的鼻子】“沒準兒，他說的經濟增長就是用這種騙人的方式進行吧！”

News organizations dedicate enormous resources to separating candidates' truthful wheat from their dishonest chaff.
新聞機構現在必須投入大量資源和精力對競選人言論進行甄別，去偽存真。

【separate the wheat from the chaff】to separate what is useful or valuable from what is worthless.將有用或有價值的事物與無價值的區分開來。

例句：The managers hoped that the new procedure for evaluating employees would separate the wheat from the chaff.
經理希望新的員工考核流程能讓優秀員工體現其價值。

We all stretch the truth. We learned to deceive as toddlers. We rationalize our fabrications that benefit us. We tell little white lies daily that make others feel good.
我們都會說謊，從幼兒時就學會了說謊。我們為自己的捏造找借口，以有利于自己。為了讓別人更愉快，我們每天都可能會說些善意的謊言。

【stretch the truth】言過其實，說話過分夸大。

例句：The slightest stretch of any truth will produce an absurdity.
真理越過一步,就會變成謬誤。

【deceive】欺騙

【fabrication】捏造

【white lies】善意的謊言

例句：Do you believe that we need white lies in our life?
你認為我們的生活中需要善意的謊言嗎？

Politicians distort the truth more often, use more self-justifications and deceive in larger ways, and with more consequences, experts in psychology and political science say.
心理學家和政治學家表示，政客更經常歪曲事實，更多地自我辯白，騙人騙得更夸張，后果也更嚴重。

【distort the truth】歪曲事實

例句：Journalists, I think, should take responsibility to report the truth, not distort it.
我認為記者應該有責任報道真相，而非扭曲真相。

When lies succeed, they make it "more tempting to lie. Lies can stick. They can have a lingering effect, even if they are debunked. "
說謊成功后，“人們就更難以抗拒去繼續說謊。謊言有時候揮之不去，影響很久，即使被揭穿。”

【debunk】揭穿真相，暴露

例句：Historian Michael Beschloss debunks a few myths.
歷史學家邁克爾?貝施洛斯破除了幾個不實傳言。

（中國日報網英語點津? yaning）