In Democrats’ quest(寻求，追求) to restrain Donald Trump over the past two years, no tool was more frequently deploy(部署，动用)ed than the sternly worded letter(措辞严厉的信件). Democrats sent these missive(信件，函件)s regularly; the president and his associates ignored most of them. Such is the plight(困境，苦境) of the minority party in Congress, which lacks power to call hearings or issue subpoenas, much less(更不用说) pass laws.
过去两年，民主党人为了约束唐纳德·特朗普，最常用的工具莫过于措辞严厉的信件。民主党人定期发出这些函件；总统及其同僚对其中大部分置之不理。这就是国会少数党的困境：他们无权召开听证会或发出传票，更不用说通过法律了。
That will change when Democrats grab the gavel(接过议事槌，掌控权力) on January 3rd, having won a thumping(压倒性的，巨大的) majority in both the House and Senate. They will probably have around 260 seats in the lower chamber(议院；房间). The task now is to live up to(兑现，达到（期望）) the twin promises of the campaign: boosting the fortunes of ordinary Americans and checking the president. Their hope is that substantive(实质性的，重大的) victories will pave a path(铺平道路) back to the White House in 2028. The risk is that they fall short(未达到目标，功亏一篑), or overreach(过度扩张，用力过猛), and create an opening for a Republican recovery.
1月3日，民主党人将接过议事槌，届时情况将发生变化——他们已在参众两院赢得压倒性多数。他们在众议院可能拥有约260个席位。现在的任务是兑现竞选时的双重承诺：改善普通美国人的命运，并制约总统。他们希望实质性的胜利能为2028年重返白宫铺平道路。风险在于，他们可能功亏一篑，或者用力过猛，从而为共和党东山再起创造机会。
The main problem is that the Democrats’ win, though triumphant, still leaves them far short of the 290 seats in the House and 67 in the Senate that would have given them a veto-proof majority.(主要问题在于，民主党的胜利虽然辉煌，但仍远未达到能在众议院拥有290席、在参议院拥有67席的否决权门槛。) They are unlikely to advance major legislation(立法，法律). They may, however, manage to make modest deals with the president that appeal to his populist(民粹主义的) instincts, such as capping drug prices.
主要问题在于，民主党的胜利虽然辉煌，但仍远未达到能在众议院拥有290席、在参议院拥有67席的否决权门槛。他们不太可能推进重大立法。不过，他们或许能与总统达成一些迎合其民粹本能的适度协议，比如限制药品价格。