The next big event in the campaign will be the presidential debates, with the first one just a week away. 選戰接下來的大事是總統辯論會，而首場總統辯論會就在一週之後。
The candidates are busy playing the expectations game. John Berman tells us how they do it. 候選人正忙著操作預期遊戲。約翰．柏曼要告訴我們他們怎麼進行。
The Obama campaign has spent months and millions trying to convince voters that Mitt Romney is unethical. 歐巴馬競選陣營花了幾個月和數百萬美元，設法要讓選民相信米特．羅姆尼有違道德。
He won't release his tax returns before 2010. 他不會公布在二○一○年之前的報稅單。
Unprepared. 還沒準備好。
My opponent and his running mate are new to foreign policy. 我的對手和他的競選搭檔在外交政策上缺乏經驗。
Unattached to reality. 與現實脫節。
My thinking is maybe you haven't gotten around a lot. 在我認為或許你走訪的地方不多。
With all those alleged problems, surely he has no chance of prevailing against President Obama in the debates, right? 有全部這些所謂的問題，羅姆尼肯定沒機會在辯論會中擊敗歐巴馬了，對吧？
Well, not according to the Obama campaign. 嗯，歐巴馬競選陣營可不這麼認為。
Mitt Romney, I think, has an advantage because he's been through 20 of these debates in the primaries over the last year. 我認為米特．羅姆尼握有優勢，因為去年他在初選中經歷過了二十場像這樣的辯論會。
The Romney team says President Obama is weak on foreign policy. 羅姆尼團隊說，歐巴馬總統在外交政策上能力不足。
What we do not see is steady, consistent American leadership. 我們看到美國並沒有穩健、堅持的領導作風。
Weak on the economy. 在經濟方面無力。
He's in over his head, and he's swimming in the wrong direction. 他不自量力，而且他昏頭搞錯方向了。
And just plain weak overall. 反正什麼都弱就對了。
The president today threw in the white flag of surrender again. 當今的總統又再次豎白旗投降了。
With all those weaknesses, surely he would be easy to beat in a debate, right? 有全部這些缺點，歐巴馬在辯論會中肯定會輕易被擊敗，對吧？
Oh no. Not according to Mitt Romney. 喔，那可不。羅姆尼說並不會。
I mean he's President of the United States. He's a very effective speaker. 我是說，他是美國總統，他是個能說善道的演講者。
So follow this: Team Obama suggests Romney is a sure thing to win the debates. Team Romney says it's Obama. 所以，聽仔細了：歐巴馬團隊暗指羅姆尼肯定會贏得辯論，羅姆尼團隊則說歐巴馬會獲勝。
It's like that famous bizarro-world episode of Seinfeld. 這就像影集《歡樂單身派對》中有名的顛倒世界那集一樣。
Up is down, down is up. He says hello when he leaves, good-bye when he arrives. 上即是下，下即是上。他離開時說你好，人到的時候說再見。
But bizarro Seinfeld was funny; bizarro campaign, a cynical farce -- 但是顛倒的《歡樂單身派對》很有趣；顛倒的選戰，卻像一齣譏諷挖苦的鬧劇——
each side trying to set the expectations so high for the opponent they can't possibly be met. 雙方各自試圖為對手設下高到不可企及的期望。
So low for the home team, merely speaking in a complete sentence would be a victory. It is a long-held tradition. 對自家陣營的期望則是如此之低，只消說出一個完整的句子就算勝利。這是一個長久以來的傳統。
An adviser to George W. Bush once called John Kerry the best debater since Cicero, 小布希的一名顧問曾經稱約翰．凱瑞是希賽羅（註：古羅馬政治家、雄辯家）以來最厲害的辯論家，
but it is a troubling tradition. No matter what they say about each other... 但這種傳統令人頭疼，不論他們怎麼說對方……
Having been through this much more recently than President Obama, I think he starts with an advantage. 和歐巴馬總統相比，他近來經歷過不少辯論會，我想他一開始就佔了優勢。
...elections are not graded on curves. Not even bizarro elections. ……選舉並非依照曲線來打分數，就連顛倒的選舉也不是。
So, if you want still more proof that this whole thing is a farce, here's my guarantee: 所以如果您還要更多證據顯示這整件事都是場鬧劇，以下是我的保證：
No matter what they're saying now about who will win, once the whole thing's over, both sides will claim victory no matter what. 不論他們現在說誰會贏，一旦辯論會結束後，雙方都會宣稱自己獲勝。