BAGPIPES DRONE at the top of Buchanan Street. The afternoon sun picks out the lichen(苔藓、地衣) of old chewing gum stomped into the pavement. Glaswegians mill about(闲逛、无所事事地走动). Mention Scotland’s next election and they shrug. “It feels like the same slog again,” says Derek Burns, a business owner.(“感觉又是一场苦战，”企业主德里克·伯恩斯说。) “There’s nothing to be excited about.”
布坎南大街顶上传来了风笛声。午后的阳光映出被踩进人行道的旧口香糖上的苔藓。格拉斯哥人闲逛着。提起苏格兰的下一场选举，他们耸耸肩。“感觉又是一场苦战，”企业主德里克·伯恩斯说，“没什么值得兴奋的。”
On May 7th Scots will vote on the composition of their country’s parliament for the next five years. The ruling Scottish National Party (SNP) is less popular than it was and may again fall short of(未能达到) a majority, partly due to voter fatigue(选民疲劳). But it will probably enter a third decade in power, according to More In Common(民调公司), a polling firm.
5月7日，苏格兰人将投票决定未来五年该国议会的构成。执政的苏格兰民族党（SNP）已不如以往受欢迎，可能再次未能获得多数席位，部分原因是选民疲劳。但根据民调公司More In Common的说法，它很可能进入执政的第三个十年。
More intriguing will be the contest for second place. Support for Labour has plunged(暴跌). The Conservatives are in the doldrums(停滞不前、处于低迷). The Liberal Democrats and Green Party may win a few extra seats. But Reform UK(改革英国党) is expected to become the second-largest party in Scotland. Hugh McAdams, a retired taxi driver, reckons illegal immigration is the country’s biggest issue. He likes Reform’s policies, but not its politicians. Of Malcolm Offord, the party’s leader in Scotland, Mr McAdams says: “I wouldn’t trust him with my goldfish.”(“我连金鱼都不会托付给他。”)
更引人入胜的是第二名的争夺。工党的支持率暴跌。保守党陷入低迷。自由民主党和绿党可能赢得几个额外席位。但改革英国党预计将成为苏格兰第二大党。退休出租车司机休·麦克亚当斯认为非法移民是该国最大的问题。他喜欢改革党的政策，但不喜欢其政客。谈到该党在苏格兰的领袖马尔科姆·奥福德，麦克亚当斯说：“我连金鱼都不会托付给他。”