在一个雷雨交加、洪水泛滥的日子里，以色列选民投票率创下自1999年以来的新高。
On a day of thunderstorms and flooding, Israel voted in greater numbers than at any time since 1999.
这是躁动不安的一天，充斥着选举舞弊的指控，内塔尼亚胡等人为争取每一张选票而试图延长投票站开放时间的最后努力也未能成功。
It was a febrile day, characterised by accusations of electoral dirty tricks and an unsuccessful last-ditch effort by Mr Netanyahu and others to keep polling stations open longer to accrue every last vote.
阿拉伯裔以色列人的投票率尤其高，预计两个阿拉伯政党将在120席的议会中赢得约16个席位，尽管人们担心右翼活动人士会试图破坏这些社区的投票。
Turnout among Arab-Israelis was particularly high, yielding the two Arab parties an expected haul of around 16 seats in the 120-seat legislature, despite fears that Right-wing activists would seek to disrupt voting in those communities.
如果民调准确，反对派阵营组建政府的唯一机会就是与阿拉伯人达成协议，尽管其内部一些领导人表示不会直接与他们合作。
If the polls are correct, the opposition bloc’s only chance of forming a government would be to do a deal with the Arabs, although some of the leaders within it have said they would not work directly with them.
艾森科特的希望受挫。周三凌晨，内塔尼亚胡在耶路撒冷利库德集团竞选派对上发表讲话，称右翼阵营在犹太选民中赢得了“决定性多数”。
Eisenkot’s hopes dampened Speaking in the early hours of Wednesday at the Likud campaign party in Jerusalem, Mr Netanyahu said the Right-wing bloc had won a “decisive majority” among Jewish voters.
总理延续了他全天用来激励支持者投票的反阿拉伯主题，并补充说，“危及以色列、建立一个依赖反犹太复国主义阿拉伯政党的政府”是不可想象的。
Continuing the anti-Arab theme that he had utilised to galvanise his supporters to vote throughout the day, the Prime Minister added that it was unthinkable “to endanger Israel and set up a government that relies upon anti-Zionist Arab parties”.
艾森科特在出口民调显示他将领导最大阵营后发表讲话，称总理的“失败联盟已经失去了人民的信任”。
Mr Eisenkot, speaking after the exit polls suggested he would command the largest bloc, said the prime minister’s “coalition of failure has lost the people’s trust”.
他声称：“今晚，内塔尼亚胡面对的是一个更大、更强的犹太复国主义多数派，他们致力于把国家放在首位。一位配得上职位的领导人会接受人民的不信任投票，并在今天宣布退出政治生活。”但内塔尼亚胡在整个夜晚获得了更多席位，打击了艾森科特的希望。目前的数据显示，艾森科特的亚沙尔党获得21席，大幅落后于内塔尼亚胡的27席。
“Tonight, Netanyahu faces a larger, stronger Zionist majority committed to putting the country first,” he claimed. “A worthy leader would accept the people’s vote of no confidence and announce his retirement from political life today.”But Mr Netanyahu accrued more seats throughout the night, dampening Mr Eisenkot’s hopes. The current figures put Mr Eisenkot’s Yashar party on 21, substantively behind Mr Netanyahu’s 27.
总体而言，预计内塔尼亚胡的阵营将获得56席，而艾森科特阵营为49席——两者都未达到有效多数，为可能漫长的联盟谈判埋下伏笔。
In total, Mr Netanyahu’s bloc is predicted to claim 56 seats, compared to 49 for Mr Eisenkot – both short of a working majority and setting the stage for potentially lengthy coalition talks.
根据以色列的制度，总统会正式邀请一位政党领袖尝试组建政府，给予其28天的时间，并可延期14天。
Under Israel’s system, the president formally invites one party leader at a time to try to form a government, giving them 28 days, with a possible 14-day extension.