Russians go to the polls on Sunday for a presidential election in which the victory of Kremlin-backed candidate Dmitri Medvedev is considered a foregone conclusion. Medvedev's path toward high office has been very different from the one facing American presidential hopefuls.

俄羅斯民眾計劃星期天在總統選舉中投票，克里姆林宮支持的候選人梅德韋杰夫在這次選舉中獲勝已經被視為定局。梅德韋杰夫通往總統寶座的道路與美國總統候選人非常不同。

Russians today are witnessing the twists and turns of an exciting presidential campaign.

俄羅斯人今天正在目睹一場激動人心的總統競選的曲折過程。

But … it is not their own.

但是這不是俄羅斯的總統競選。

Russia's presidential contest stands in sharp contrast to America's hotly-contested presidential primaries.

俄羅斯總統競爭與美國競爭激烈的總統初選完全不同。

Unlike his American counterparts, Dmitri Medvedev - the candidate of the ruling United Russia Party - did not need to submit his ideas, style and political record to the scrutiny of open competition, in which various party constituencies select their nominee based on discrete interests, be they regional, social, industrial, or financial.

與美國總統候選人不同的是，代表執政的統一俄羅斯黨的梅德韋杰夫不需要暴露思想、方式和從政記錄，來接受公開競爭的檢驗。在公開競爭中，不同政黨的選民根據地區、社會、工業或者財政等不同利益來挑選候選人。

Instead, Medvedev was nominated in private, though the exact procedure is unknown. Word of his candidacy came in December after the leaders of several parties, not just United Russia, presented his name to current president Vladimir Putin. But it is widely believed Mr. Putin selected Medvedev himself.

盡管無法了解確切的程序，梅德韋杰夫卻是私下任命。統一俄羅斯黨等幾個政黨的領袖去年12月向現任總統普京提名梅德韋杰夫之后，梅德韋杰夫就成為候選人了。但是人們普遍相信，是普京本人挑選了梅德韋杰夫。

The 42-year-old candidate also did not have to agree to a single debate against his opponents. President Putin says there is no need.

今年42歲的梅德韋杰夫也不用答應與任何一個對手進行辯論�？偨y普京說沒有這個必要。

The Kremlin leader asks why should Medvedev participate in debates and discuss problems that will be clearly formulated in a populist key. He continues, "Did we not have the opportunity to tell citizens what we have done and what we will do? In essence everything has been said."

普京問道，梅德韋杰夫為什么應該參加辯論、去討論將會被清楚確定的問題？他說：“我們有機會告訴公民我們已經做了什么和我們將會做什么嗎？其實所有事情都已經說過了�！�

Mr. Putin says the opposition candidates - political unknown Andrei Bogdanov, Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov, and populist firebrand Vladimir Zhirinovsky - have been granted every opportunity to publicize their programs.

普京說，政界不知名人士博格丹諾夫、共產黨領袖久加諾夫和煽動民粹爭議的日里諾夫斯基這些反對黨候選人有充分的機會來宣揚他們的競選計劃。

But none has challenged the front-runner's platform and opposition campaign advertising is barely visible. Televised political promotions are not frequent, and the candidates have little outdoor advertising.

但是沒有任何人來挑戰梅德韋杰夫的競選綱領，而且很少能看見反對派的競選廣告。電視經常播放政治宣傳，候選人的室外廣告很少。

The most prominent election publicity amid a sea of commercial ads is a generic series of small billboards with a reminder that March 2 is Election Day. Another series billboards in Moscow shows prominent Russians - Mayor Yuri Luzhkov, well-known actor Leonid Yakubovych, or Viktor Sadovnychy, an honorary citizen of the capital, announcing merely that they will vote.

在商業廣告的海洋中，最令人矚目的競選宣傳是一系列的小型標語牌，提醒人們留意3月2號是選舉日。莫斯科另外一個系列標語牌是顯示莫斯科市長盧日科夫、知名演員雅庫波維奇或者顯示莫斯科一位榮譽市民，標語牌上僅僅說，這些人都會投票。

The advertising seems aimed at increasing voter turnout. Although denied by the Kremlin, political analysts say large institutions such as factories, hospitals and universities are being pressured to secure a 65 percent turnout to promote the legitimacy of the election.

宣傳廣告的目的似乎是為了增加投票率。克里姆林宮雖然否認，但政治分析人士說，工廠、醫院和大學等大型機構正在被迫確保65%的投票率來提升選舉的合法性。

Public opinion polls indicate Dmitri Medvedev will win handily in the first round. Muscovite Andrei Borodin intends to vote for him.

公共民意測驗顯示梅德韋杰夫將在第一輪投票中輕松獲勝。

The Russian voter says everybody fundamentally understands that Medvedev is Putin's successor, adding that he is very pleased with Putin's policies and considers them to be those of order. Borodin says most Russian citizens feel the same.

莫斯科市民包羅丁說，他有意投票給梅德韋杰夫。包羅丁說：“每個人根本都了解，梅德韋杰夫是普京的繼承人�！� 他補充說，對普京的政策感到很滿意，認為這些政策是有序的。包羅丁說，大部分俄羅斯公民都有共同的感受。

Russia's March second vote comes eight months before the U.S. election. By January, both countries will have new leaders, who will have arrived in office after completely different campaigns. But outgoing Russian president Vladimir Putin says it will be in the interests of both countries for their new leaders to cooperate.

俄羅斯總統普京說，兩國新的領導人進行合作，符合兩國的利益。