up to its knees in深陷其中

用自嘲的口氣說出還有人相信政治，把理想說得卑微又珍貴，一句就讓人心裡發軟。

some ... who still believes in us

感慨還有人願意相信、願意堅持時用，語氣半自嘲半溫柔。

someone out there still trusts us ／ a fool who has not given up on us

口語

idealistic sucker 連讀，still believes in us 放慢。

Some hopeful fool out there still believes in us. 外面還有某個天真的傻瓜依然相信我們。

Some wide-eyed optimist still has faith in this. 總有某個天真的樂觀派還對此抱有信心。

一句「你去跟他們說」把高談闊論當場按回現實：玩政治遊戲的人，代價由普通人付。具體的人名和「住在車裡」讓空話無處躲。

Well, tell that to ... living in their car.

有人用「身不由己」為妥協開脫、你想讓他看看真實代價時用，語氣尖銳；對正在自責的人說可能顯得刻薄。

Go tell that to the family sleeping in their car. ／ Try saying that to the people who lost everything.

口語

tell that to 連讀，living in their car 逐詞重讀收尾。

Say that to the family whose house just got taken. 這話你去跟那戶剛被收走房子的人家說。

把一輩子的政治生涯總結成三個字做到剛夠，坦白得近乎殘忍，一句話勝過一段懺悔。

I've made a career out of doing enough.

自嘲或認錯，承認自己一直在敷衍時用。

I always did just enough and no more. ／ My whole career was the minimum.

口語

made a career out of 連讀，doing enough 放慢收尾。

No—my whole career has been about doing just enough. 不，我這輩子做事都只做到剛好夠。

把政治上的明哲保身講成一句大白話，前半句認錯、後半句甩出理由，自嘲裡全是老練。

I always did just enough not to ... , 'cause ...

反省自己慣於敷衍、不敢得罪人時用，適合跟朋友掏心；在需要表態的正式場合別用它當藉口，會顯得推卸責任。

I only ever did enough to keep everyone happy. ／ I never pushed hard, because angry people do not vote for you.

口語

just enough 連讀，piss anybody off 輕快帶過，'cause 之後稍慢、重讀 won't vote。

I always did just enough not to fail, and that was the problem. 我一向只做到剛好不失敗，問題就出在這兒。