4.What is an amendment?
4.什么是修正案？
Answer: A change (to the Constitution); An addition (to the Constitution)
答案：对宪法进行变更和添加
Explanation: The men who wrote the U.S. Constitution knew that their document was not perfect.
解释：撰写美国宪法的人知道他们的法律文件并不完美。
That is why they included ways to change or add laws to the Constitution in the future.
所以他们允许以后对宪法进行变更或添加。
The fifth article (or section) of the Constitution says that Americans can change the Constitution in two ways.
宪法第五条规定美国人有两种改变宪法的方式。
The first way is to have another Constitutional Convention, a big meeting where representatives from all of the states would gather and decide on the changes, just like they did when the Constitution was written in Philadelphia in 1787.
第一种方式是召开另一个制宪会议，一次所有的州代表们聚集在一起决定变更的大会，正如他们在1787年费城撰写宪法时一样。
This way, however, has never been used.
然而，这种方式从未使用过。
There has never been a second Constitutional Convention.
美国从未召开过第二次制宪会议。
The second and more common way to change the Constitution has two steps.
第二种更常见的变更宪法的方式分为两步。
First, Congress (the group of elected national representatives) passes (or approves) a special law to change or add something to the Constitution.
首先，国会（一组选举出来的国民代表）批准专门的法律来变更或添加宪法。
This change or addition is called an amendment.
这样的变更或添加称之为修正案。
Two-thirds (or 67%) of the members of Congress has to vote in favor of (or say "yes" to approve) this amendment.
三分之二（或者67%）的国会议员必须投票支持这个修正案。
Then the amendment must be approved by three-fourths (or 75%) of the states.
然后，这个修正案必须由四分之三（或者75%）的州批准。
译文为秀哈英语翻译，未经授权请勿转载！
