【最新：输大选吃帽子？】当地时间5月7日晚，英国大选投票结束，英国广播公司发布的投票后民调显示，保守党有望获316个议席，工党将获239个议席，自民党将获10席。由于自民党的席位比上次大选少47席，自民党前党首阿什当表示，他不相信投票后民调的预测，如果预测当真，他将当众吃掉自己的帽子。（张春燕，中国日报伦敦）
What is a general election?
英国大选是什么？
英国大选始于国会解散，下议院席位空缺。每位选民选择一位国会议员，也就是下议院议员。如果一党拥有绝对多数的议员，则此党将组成下届政府。
When Parliament is dissolved every seat in the House of Commons becomes vacant and a general election is held. Each constituency in the UK elects one Member of Parliament (MP) to a seat in the House of Commons. Usually the political party that wins the most seats in the House of Commons forms the Government.
英国议会有650名成员。任何党派只要获得不少于326个席位的绝对多数，就可以组建政府。
Britain's parliament has 650 members. Any party that wins an outright majority of 326 or more seats can form a government.
When is the general election?
大选时间？
根据Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011规定，英国大选每5年举行一次，时间定在5月的第一个周四。今年大选投票日是5月7日。
The Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 provides for general elections to be held on the first Thursday in May every five years. The date of this year's general election was 7 May 2015.
Why are elections held on Thursdays?
为什么选举定在周四？
一种说法是周五才会发工资，周四选举能保证人们不会因为宿醉而无法投票。
One theory about the Thursday origins is that people were not paid until Fridays and so holding polls on Thursdays ensured they were not too drunk to vote.
Does the Queen vote?
女王投票吗？
作为立法机关的一员，伊丽莎白女王不能投票。皇室网站对此的说明是“身为国家元首，女王必须保持政治中立，因为任何赢得下议院多数席位的党派都将为她组建政府”。其它皇室成员可以投票，甚至可以为选举拉票。但他们为了保持中立不这样做。
Queen Elizabeth cannot vote because she is part of the legislature. "As Head of State, The Queen must remain politically neutral, since her Government will be formed from whichever party can command a majority in the House of Commons," the monarchy site explains. Other royals can vote - and can even stand for election - but do not do so in order to maintain neutrality.
Who becomes Prime Minister?
谁将成为首相？
如果一党拥有绝对多数的议员，则此党将组成下届政府，该党党魁则成为首相。
Usually the political party that wins the most seats in the House of Commons at a general election forms the new government and its leader becomes Prime Minister.
What if no party wins a Commons majority?
如果没有党派赢得下议院的多数席位怎么办？
要是没有哪个党派赢得多数议员席位的话，情况就复杂了。获得席位最多的政党可以组建少数派政府，但这可能会在施政时遇到许多困难，也可能根本行不通。如果 某几个党派的下议院议员总数之和超过半数，它们也可以尝试组建联合政府。议席最多的政党还可以和另一政党达成非正式协议，在遇到反对党的不信任案时不予支 持，这样政府还能继续执政。
The situation becomes more complex if no party has a majority of MPs. The largest single party could try to form a minority government, but this would involve difficulties with getting business done and could prove unworkable. It, or other parties, could try to form a coalition, with the result that their combined MPs provide a Commons majority. Or it could reach an informal agreement with another party not to vote against it when a "no-confidence" motion is tabled by the opposition, enabling it to become a sustainable government.
How much does it cost to run an election?
进行一次大选要花多少钱？
2010年英国大选花了8460万英镑（不包括邮费）。
The last UK general election, in 2010, cost £84.6m to administer (excluding the cost of postal delivery).
Calling of a new Parliament
组建新国会
今年新国会诞生的日子定在5月18日，首相请求女王召集新议会的首次会议。
The Prime Minister asked Her Majesty to summon the new Parliament to meet on Monday 18 May 2015.
David Cameron's Conservatives VS Ed Miliband's opposition Labour Party
保守党vs工党
英国保守党领袖、现任首相卡梅伦说，只有保守党才能组建一个强大的政府，"其它政党都会在骚乱中倒台。"保守党承诺关注就业以及经济复苏，将为3000万民众减少收入税，精简政府以结束占国内生产总值5%的财政赤字。
Cameron said only his Conservatives could deliver strong, stable government: "All other options will end in chaos." The Conservatives portray themselves as the party of jobs and economic recovery, promising to reduce income tax for 30 million people while forcing through further spending cuts to eliminate a budget deficit still running at 5 percent of GDP.
工党承诺每年减少赤字，为1%最高收入者增税，关注低收入群体以及完善国民医疗保健制度。
Labour says it would cut the deficit each year, raise income tax for the highest 1 percent of earners and defend the interests of hard-pressed working families and the treasured but financially stretched National Health Service.
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