谁是福特市长的坚强后盾？

Why does Ford still hold steady popularity?

市长福特被拍到吸烟可卡因的视频后，数星期来他几乎一直处于媒体聚焦中心。有关他丑闻的消息，对他行为的指责，及其对即将出现的绯闻和谣言的种种猜测，劈天盖地出现在每一个电视台，电台，网站和报纸上。而且这种现象尚没有停止的迹象。

Mayor Ford is still in a media tailspin weeks after he was caught on video smoking crack cocaine. The news covering the scandals, the discussions about his behavior, the gossip and speculation on more possible scandals appears on every TV, radio, website and newspaper, creating a media circus. And it seems that this circus is nowhere near an end.

很多人都在指责福特 - 他破坏了城市的声誉，他玷污了多伦多的形象，他不诚实的行为误导了多伦多民众，他的一系列不光彩行丢了大家的脸。很显然，作为加拿大最大城市的市长，他与市民所期翼高道德标准相去甚远。

Many people are pointing a finger at Mayor Ford – he damaged the city’s reputation; he tarnished the brand of Toronto; He is dishonest and misled Torontonians, and he has revealed a slew of disgraceful behaviour. Apparently, as the mayor of the largest city in Canada, he falls far short of the high moral standards expected by the citizens.

现在因为他的不当行为而造成的影响似乎已经远远超出了政治范畴：他成了多伦多市借贷利息高涨的罪魁，而一个新的网站因多市名声遭玷污而准备向福特提起5.2亿元赔偿集体诉讼，而该网站正在为该集体诉讼征集原告。

And now the impact of his misconduct seems to have extended far beyond the political horizon: he was blamed for the rising costs for the city to borrow from the bond market, and now a new website has been launched to recruit plaintiffs for a class action lawsuit against the mayor, seeking $520 million in damages to the city’s brand caused by Ford as the mayor.

但该市长大人似乎是一个是两级分化的人物：虽然有些恨他，有些却爱他。

But the mayor seems to be a polarizing figure – while some hate him, some do love him.

尽管市长福特在多伦多闹的天翻地覆，但是许多民众对福特的酗酒和毒品问题上显示出了极大地宽容，并在其名声扫地的情况下一直与他为伍。市长的群众基础非常深厚，以至于最近的Ipsos Reid民调显示他的支持率高达43%。“福特民众（the Ford Nation）”，许多多伦多民众包括许多多伦多华人，似乎都是福特坚实的后盾。

Despite the serious drama the mayor has brought to the city, many people  are so forgiving of his indulgences in drinking and drugs, and are hanging on tough with him. The mayor has a very strong support base. A recent Ipsos Reid poll indicates that, his approval rating remains as high as 43%. The Ford Nation is behind him, many Torontonians support him and a lot of Chinese community members like him.

福特有这么深厚的群众基础是有一定原因的。福特典型地代表了我们日常生活中成千上万普通人士。他就是我们中的一员。他很真实，有他诚实的一面。

There are profound reasons for why Ford has retained a steady popularity. Ford typically represents hundreds of thousands of ordinary and everyday guys in our daily lives. He is one of us. He is authentic, and in this sense he is honest.

作为一个常人，谁能完美无瑕尽善尽美？谁能没有各种各样的个人麻烦，甚至面临更严重的个人问题，比如吸毒酗酒，婚外恋？且有多少政客贪污腐化，浪费纳税人的钱？在各种权势人士，权威人物和政界或商界精英中，有多少人由于他们肮脏的秘密还没有曝光在媒体镁光灯下，或者他们将其小心翼翼地藏着掖着，因此依然享受大众的青睐？

As human beings, who does not have flaws and personal problems? How many of us do not carry baggage with messy personal lives or dirty laundry – from drug and alcohol abuse, to extramarital affairs? And as a politician, how many of them are corrupt, and have abused taxpayers’ money? And among the powerful people, authority figures, and political or business elites, how many of them still enjoy the public’s admiration, simply because their dirty secrets have not been under the media flashlight, or they have been carefully swept under the carpet?

福特并不是一个贪腐市长。与为自己的利益挥霍了纳税人超过100亿元的省自由党不同的是，福特致力于弥补财政漏洞，旨在保护了纳税人的利益。

Ford is not a corrupt mayor. Unlike the provincial liberals who squandered over $10 billion of taxpayers’ money for their own interest, Ford has worked hard to stop the gravy train, and to protect the interest of taxpayers.

显然，对福特的支持者来说，他们相信，福特比一个只知道如何在公众展示他们的魅力的同时把城市拖入深深的债务而侃侃而谈的精英人物更真实。

Apparently, for Ford supporters, they believe him more as an authentic person than a smooth-talking intellectual who knows the best way to use their charisma to woo the public while dragging the city into deep debt.

此外，福特关心那些在社会最底层的民众。用他自己的话说，他的工作就是“为普通市民而战”。他任贫民区孩子们的橄榄球教练，他会给一名普通的市民回电话。根据Ipsos Reid调查机构分析福特的支持者，其中大部分是低收入者（ 54 ％收入低于59,000 ），与低学历（72 ％低于大学学历）。

Moreover, Ford cares about those who are at the bottom of society.  And using his own words, his job is to “fight for the little guys”.  He coached football games for kids living in poor neighbourhood, and he returns all phone calls from ordinary citizens. According to an Ipsos Reid analysis on Ford supporters, the majority of them are low income earners, (54% making less than 59,000); with low education (72% without university education).

毫不意外的是，移民社区有很多福特支持者。然而，也正是这一特殊人口群体需要福特这样的市长。记住，无论他们是谁，他们年薪多少，是否拥有大学学历，他们在投票箱前都与那些社会上层人士地位平等。民主社会赋予了他们神圣的投票权利，且其“票值”不会因为他们的卑微地位而丝毫受损。

Unsurprisingly, many of his supporters are immigrants. Undoubtedly, it is this demographic that needs a mayor like Ford. Remember, no matter what position they hold, how much they make, whether they are a university graduate or not, they stand equal as those society favored individuals at the ballot box.  Their inferiority will not take away the value of their voting right, which is offered by our democratic society.