美国国家公共电台 NPR--The British government debates the future of the Northern Ireland Protocol

The British government debates the future of the Northern Ireland Protocol¹

Transcript²

The U.K. government of Prime Minister Boris Johnson is weighing proposed legislation to scrap³ a part of the Brexit deal that governs trade between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

A MART?NEZ, HOST:

The Northern Ireland Protocol is an agreement that controls how goods move back and forth⁴ over the border between Northern Ireland in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland in the European Union. It was central to the Brexit deal when the U.K. pulled out of the EU. And critics say Prime Minister Boris Johnson's proposal to scrap it now could start a trade war. Reporter Willem Marx is in London. So why is Boris Johnson's government trying to upend this trade protocol?

WILLEM MARX, BYLINE⁵: Well, A., there's no single answer to that question, you might imagine. But the legislation is designed in such a way that it gives British authorities the legal cover, at least under U.K. domestic law, to essentially⁶ ignore parts of the Brexit agreement that it doesn't like. For months, Johnson's government has complained that the way the European Union has been implementing⁷ the 2019 agreement creates trade obstacles between Northern Ireland and the rest of the U.K. - so that's England, Wales and Scotland - by, for instance, conducting checks on certain goods that are headed there. This new legislation seeks to ensure that tax breaks are available to businesses in Northern Ireland and that a European court can no longer rule on trade disputes there.

MART?NEZ: But, Willem, why now in particular?

MARX: Well, aspects of that post-Brexit deal, like those checks on goods I just mentioned, have made a significant group of people in Northern Ireland unhappy, since they want Northern Ireland to remain an integral part of the U.K. These unionists, as they're called, say those trading checks ultimately overseen⁸ by the EU threaten that integrity. And so consequently, the leaders of the largest unionist political party have essentially been boycotting⁹ the local government executive for the past several weeks. That, in turn, has placed pressure on a 1998 Northern Ireland peace deal known as the Good Friday Agreement. And that's one major reason the U.K. government says it needs to override¹⁰ parts of that post-Brexit protocol that it signed up to.

MART?NEZ: How are leaders in the European Union reacting to this?

MARX: Well, as I said, the U.K. signed up to this deal at the time. It campaigned on the - Boris Johnson on the deal during the last general election. They've subsequently sought to delay implementation¹¹ of some elements of the deal for quite a while, while they've continued negotiations¹² with the European Union over long-term solutions. But the EU has repeatedly said the Northern Ireland Protocol itself cannot be renegotiated. So as you might imagine, the Irish prime minister, Micheal Martin, said the U.K. was reneging on an international treaty and that this was a new low point. This European Commission said it was, quote, "not acceptable." Germany's Foreign Minister described it as a, quote, "breach¹³ of trust." It's worth noting even Secretary of State Antony Blinken has urged his British counterpart, Foreign Minister Liz Truss, to continue with good-faith negotiations with the EU to try and find common ground that preserves that 1998 Good Friday peace agreement.

MART?NEZ: So we are on the verge¹⁴ of a trade war here?

MARX: Well, it kind of depends on whether this proposed legislation gets watered down in the weeks ahead, as the British Parliament may choose to try and do. Some critics say Johnson's not only introduced this hard-line plan for greater leverage¹⁵ during those talks with the EU or perhaps to win over critics inside his own Conservative Party. You might remember after a recent no-confidence vote that was here, it showed he had less than rock-solid internal support in his party. And on the European side, they say they're weighing their options. But it's fair to say that a trade war's not entirely¹⁶ unrealistic. The possibility tariffs¹⁷ could be imposed on British exports or restrictions¹⁸ placed on British firms doing business in the EU cannot be ruled out.

MART?NEZ: Willem Marx, reporting for us from London. Willem, thanks a lot.

MARX: Thanks, A.

1 protocol   

n.议定书，草约，会谈记录，外交礼节

参考例句：

• We must observe the correct protocol.我们必须遵守应有的礼仪。
• The statesmen signed a protocol.那些政治家签了议定书。

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 scrap   

n.碎片；废料；v.废弃，报废

参考例句：

• A man comes round regularly collecting scrap.有个男人定时来收废品。
• Sell that car for scrap.把那辆汽车当残品卖了吧。

4 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

5 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

6 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

7 implementing   

v.实现( implement的现在分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• -- Implementing a comprehensive drug control strategy. ――实行综合治理的禁毒战略。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• He was in no hurry about implementing his unshakable principle. 他并不急于实行他那不可动摇的原则。 来自辞典例句

8 overseen   

v.监督，监视( oversee的过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was overseen stealing the letters. 他被人撞见在偷信件。 来自辞典例句
• It will be overseen by ThomasLi, director of IBM China Research Laboratory. 该实验室由IBM中国研究院院长李实恭(ThomasLi)引导。 来自互联网

9 boycotting   

抵制，拒绝参加( boycott的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• They're boycotting the shop because the people there are on strike. 他们抵制那家商店，因为那里的店员在罢工。
• The main opposition parties are boycotting the elections. 主要反对党都抵制此次选举。

10 override   

vt.不顾，不理睬，否决；压倒，优先于

参考例句：

• The welfare of a child should always override the wishes of its parents.孩子的幸福安康应该永远比父母的愿望来得更重要。
• I'm applying in advance for the authority to override him.我提前申请当局对他进行否决。

11 implementation   

n.实施，贯彻

参考例句：

• Implementation of the program is now well underway.这一项目的实施现在行情看好。

12 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

13 breach   

n.违反，不履行；破裂；vt.冲破，攻破

参考例句：

• We won't have any breach of discipline.我们不允许任何破坏纪律的现象。
• He was sued for breach of contract.他因不履行合同而被起诉。

14 verge   

n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• She was on the verge of bursting into tears.她快要哭出来了。

15 leverage   

n.力量，影响；杠杆作用，杠杆的力量

参考例句：

• We'll have to use leverage to move this huge rock.我们不得不借助杠杆之力来移动这块巨石。
• He failed in the project because he could gain no leverage. 因为他没有影响力，他的计划失败了。

16 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

17 tariffs   

关税制度； 关税( tariff的名词复数 )； 关税表； （旅馆或饭店等的）收费表； 量刑标准

参考例句：

• British industry was sheltered from foreign competition by protective tariffs. 保护性关税使英国工业免受国际竞争影响。
• The new tariffs have put a stranglehold on trade. 新的关税制对开展贸易极为不利。

18 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制