又中又英 | Third Rail | 褚簡寧
Trains run on two rails, as we all know, but not many people know that some train systems have a third rail. The third rail is not used for a train's wheels. It is a rail that runs parallel to the two rails to supply high voltage electricity to trains. The New York subway uses such a third rail for power. London's subway, called the Tube, has four rails, with two supplying electricity. Hong Kong’s MTR uses an overhead system instead of a third rail for electricity. But the expression “third rail” has another completely different meaning in politics.
A third rail in political terms means an issue so controversial that politicians dare not discuss it. They regard such issues as untouchable, just like the high voltage third rail of a train system, which electrocutes and kills people who touch it. The expression is attributed to the late Democratic Party’s Tip O’Neill, who was Speaker of the US House of Representatives from 1977 to 1987. He said Social Security, which provides a monthly source of income to retirees, is the third rail of American politics. Politicians who interfere with it by reducing benefits or eliminating it commit political suicide.
The expression is being used again as fears grow among retirees the Trump Administration will reduce or cut Social Security benefits to shrink the huge government deficit. President Donald Trump has promised he won’t touch Social Security but his ally Elon Musk, who Trump appointed to cut government costs, claimed there is massive fraud in Social Security benefits, raising fears he will reduce or cut benefits.
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我們人人也知道，火車行走在兩條鐵軌上，但不是許多人知道，一些鐵路系統有第三軌（third rail）。這條第三軌（third rail）並不是用來給火車車輪行走的，它是跟兩條鐵軌平行鋪設，用以供應高壓電力給火車的。紐約地鐵就有用第三軌（third rail）供電；倫敦的地鐵稱為Tube（管子），則有四條軌道，當中兩條是用來供電的。香港的鐵路則是用架空電纜而非第三軌（third rail）去供電。然而，習語“third rail”在政治領域中卻有另一個迥然不同的意思。
A third rail作為政治術語，是指一個議題甚具爭議，令政客們都不敢討論。他們將這種議題視為不可觸及的，一如鐵路系統的高壓線（third rail），會使任何觸碰的人觸電身亡。這個習語得歸功於已故民主黨人提普．奧尼爾，他於1977至87年任美國眾議院議長。他說，為退休人員提供每月收入的美國社會保障，是美國政治的高壓線（third rail）。政客若要插手削減福利甚或剔除它，簡直是政治自殺。
當退休人員越發擔憂，特朗普政府會削減或砍掉社會保障福利，以縮減政府龐大的赤字時，這個習語又再被使用。總統當勞．特朗普已許諾他不會觸碰社會保障，然而他的盟友伊隆．馬斯克，就是受特朗普任命去減省政府開支的，卻聲稱社會保障福利涉及大量的欺詐，引起許多人擔憂他將要削減或取消相關福利。
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Michael Chugani褚簡寧
中譯：七刻
褚簡寧
