Heading into this autumn’s midterm elections, the Republicans have one overriding liability(不利因素，负担)—and, perversely(反常地，违背常理地) and predictably, they are shining as bright a spotlight on it as they can. As Donald Trump did with every skyscraper he developed, and as he is doing now with the landscape of Washington, DC, he has remade the Republican Party as a monument to himself. He has been so successful at this, and his strategy of self-aggrandisement has made the party so vulnerable, that the Republicans are left with little alternative but to keep exalting him no matter how low his approval ratings sink.(他在这件事上如此成功，而他自我抬高的策略又让这个党如此脆弱，以至于共和党人别无选择，只能继续颂扬他，无论他的支持率跌到多低。)
进入今年秋天的中期选举，共和党人有一个压倒性的软肋——而反常却又可以预料的是，他们正尽可能把聚光灯打在这个软肋上。正如唐纳德·特朗普对待他开发的每一栋摩天大楼，也正如他如今对待华盛顿特区的城市景观那样，他已经把共和党改造成了一座纪念自己的纪念碑。他在这件事上如此成功，而他自我抬高的策略又让这个党如此脆弱，以至于共和党人别无选择，只能继续颂扬他，无论他的支持率跌到多低。
Mr Trump’s years of purging apostate(叛教者，变节者)s, combined now with his unpopularity, have boxed Republicans in. Across statewide primaries, turnout(投票率，出席人数) by Democratic voters has outstrip(超过，胜过)ped that of Republicans, revealing a gap in partisan(党派的，党派性的) enthusiasm confirmed by polls. Independent voters who warmed to Mr Trump in 2024 have turned against him. Reminding Mr Trump’s hard-core supporters why they love him, and why they fear or despise the Democrats, may be the party’s best hope of hanging onto its congressional majorities, salvaging the candidacies of the MAGA loyalists Mr Trump endorsed over more electable Republicans.(提醒特朗普的铁杆支持者他们为什么爱他、为什么害怕或鄙视民主党人，或许是共和党保住国会多数席位、挽救那些特朗普力挺的MAGA忠实拥护者（而非更有胜算的共和党人）的候选人资格的最大希望。)
特朗普多年来清洗异己，如今又加上他本人不受欢迎，这两点把共和党人困住了。在全州范围的初选中，民主党选民的投票率超过了共和党选民，民调也证实了两党在投票热情上的差距。2024年曾对特朗普有好感的独立选民，如今已转而反对他。提醒特朗普的铁杆支持者他们为什么爱他、为什么害怕或鄙视民主党人，或许是共和党保住国会多数席位、挽救那些特朗普力挺的MAGA忠实拥护者（而非更有胜算的共和党人）的候选人资格的最大希望。
Nothing better illustrates the dwindling returns of Mr Trump’s politics of self than his choice to hold his midterm convention not in a traditional electoral battleground but in Texas, which he won in 2024 by almost 14 points.(最能说明特朗普"自我政治"收益递减的，莫过于他选择把中期选举大会开在得克萨斯州，而不是传统的选举战场州——2024年他在得州以近14个百分点的优势获胜。) His decision to help Ken Paxton, the state’s attorney-general, wrest(夺取，抢走) the Republican nomination from Senator John Cornyn has put what would have been a safe seat in play(胜负难料，有变数). Only full-throated(全力发声的，高声的) advocacy(拥护，倡导) and millions of dollars from Mr Trump can save Mr Paxton’s candidacy, in the view of Republican senators. This is just how Mr Trump likes things.
最能说明特朗普"自我政治"收益递减的，莫过于他选择把中期选举大会开在得克萨斯州，而不是传统的选举战场州——2024年他在得州以近14个百分点的优势获胜。他决定帮助州检察长肯·帕克斯顿从参议员约翰·科宁手中夺走共和党提名，这让一个本应稳操胜券的席位变得胜负难料。在共和党参议员看来，只有特朗普全力站台和数百万美元的资金才能挽救帕克斯顿的选情。而这正是特朗普喜欢的方式。
Dust in his wind
扬起的尘土