2.What does the Constitution do?
2.宪法有什么作用？
Answer:
答案：
It sets up the government
●宪法组建了政府
It defines the government
●宪法界定了政府
It protects the basic rights of Americans
●宪法保护美国民众的基本权利
Explanation:
解释：
The United States would be a very different country if it did not have the U.S. Constitution, because it does three very important things. First, it sets up (or organizes) the government, just like you would organize any organization or business. The U.S. Constitution divides the government into three branches (or parts): the legislative branch, the executive branch, and the judicial branch. The legislative branch creates (or makes) the new laws. The executive branch enforces (or makes sure people follow) the laws. The judicial branch is the court system, which interprets (or decides what something means in) the laws and determines (or decides) who is guilty of breaking (or going against) the laws.
如果没有宪法，美国将不会是现在的美国，宪法有三大重要作用。首先，宪法组建了政府，就像我们组建其他机构一样。美国宪法将其政府分为三部分?立法部，行政部和司法部。立法部建立法律，行政部执行法律，司法部是法院系统，其诠释法律并决定一个人是否有罪。
All three branches are important. The Constitution makes the branches share power equally, which means that no one branch is stronger than the others. One branch cannot take all the power for itself. We call this sharing “checks and balances.” To check here means to control, and to balance means to make things equal. These checks and balances help control the three branches and keep them equal to each other. If one branch tries to take too much power, one of the other branches can put a stop to it.
三个部门享有同等权利，各执其位，单个部门不能独揽大权，我们将此称为?三权分立?。检查即是控制，平衡即是同等，三权分立既控制三个部门的权利又使其互相平衡，若一方试图越权，其他部门可以阻止。
The second important thing that the Constitution does is to guarantee (or promise and protect) the rights of all Americans. The representatives at the Constitutional Convention didn’t want the government interfering too much in the lives of the people. So they wrote a list of rights - a list of things that everyone could do - and made them part of the Constitution. These are rights that the federal government guarantees. The federal government is the national government, which makes laws for all of the states. There are also state governments that make laws for each individual state.
宪法的第二大作用是确保美国人民的权利。制宪会议的代表们不想让政府过多参与民众生活，因此写了一系列所有人适用的权利并置于宪法中。这是联邦政府确保的权利。联邦政府是国家政府，为所有州政府制定法律，州政府也会根据本州特殊情况制定本州法律。
The third thing the Constitution does is to define (or explain) what powers the states have and what powers the federal government has. The states have to make laws that agree with the U.S. Constitution, since the Constitution is the supreme (or highest) law in the country.
宪法的第三大作用是界定了州政府和联邦政府的权力。州政府制定的法律必须符合美国宪法，只有宪法才是国家的最高法律。
Glossary
词汇
2.What does the Constitution do?
2.宪法有什么作用？
branch - a part of something, usually of the government or an organization; one of many parts
Branch—某物的一部分，多为政府或机构等；多部分中的一个
*Which branch of the military are you in: the Army, Navy, or Air Force?
*你是哪个军的：陆军，海军还是空军？
legislative - related to making laws; related to the part of the government that makes laws
Legislative—与制定法律有关的；与制定法律部门有关的
*The U.S. president doesn't have any legislative power and cannot make laws.
*美国总统没有立法权不能出台法律。
executive - related to enforcing laws or making sure that people follow laws; related to the U.S. president
Executive—与执行法律或确保民众遵守法律有关的；与美国总统有关的
*One of the president's executive powers is to declare war against other countries.
*美国总统的一项行政权是向其他国家宣战。
judicial - related to interpreting the laws (deciding what laws mean) and deciding who has broken a law
Judicial—与诠释法律有关（决定法律意思）并决定谁触犯法律
*When did the court make its judicial decision?
*法院什么时候做司法决定？
to interpret - to determine or decide what something means
To interpret—诠释/决定事物的意思
*When I saw the "no smoking" sign, I interpreted it as meaning that I couldn't smoke indoors, but that it would be okay to smoke outdoors.
*当看到“不准吸烟”标志时，我将其理解为不能在室内吸烟，但可以在室外吸烟。
to check - to control; to monitor or observe something to make sure that it is done correctly
To check—控制；监控或观察某事确保顺利完成
*The vice-president of finance checks the company's spending.
*财务副部长检查公司的开支情况。
to balance - to make or keep things equal, so that no part is stronger, bigger, or more powerful than another part
To balance—保持事物平等避免一方独大
*It is difficult for him to balance his time between his work and his family.
*对他来说做到工作与家庭的平衡很难。
to guarantee - to promise and protect something; to make sure that something happens
To guarantee—承诺保护某物；确保某事发生
*Freedom of religion guarantees that Americans can be part of any religion they want to.
*宗教自由使得美国人可以自由选择自己的宗教。
federal - national; related to the entire country
Federal—国家的；与整个国家有关
*Federal highways are built by the national government; state highways are built by the states.
*联邦公路由国家政府修建；州公路由州政府修建。
to define - to explain; to say what something is or what something means
To define—解释；说明某物是什么和某物的意义
*In this business, a "good year" is defined as a year with more than $1 million in sales.
*在这个行业中，好年份意味着年销售额超过一百万美元