美国国家公共电台 NPR--What does the new Brexit trade deal mean for the future of Northern Ireland?

What does the new Brexit trade deal mean for the future of Northern Ireland?

Transcript¹

NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to professor Katy Hayward of Queen's University Belfast, about the United Kingdome and European Union reaching a deal on the trading status of Northern Ireland.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is trying to gather support for a trade deal between his country and the European Union, something to replace the old trade arrangements after the U.K. left the union in Brexit. Among other problems, the country of Ireland remains² inside the EU. But if you look at, you know, the map or the globe on my desk, you would see that Northern Ireland, a U.K. possession, is on the same island. And that is now outside the EU. So how do they manage to trade across that border? Let's discuss it with Katy Hayward, a professor of political sociology at Queen's University Belfast. Welcome.

KATY HAYWARD: Thank you for having me.

INSKEEP: Would you just explain for people who don't follow this every day why it would be such a problem, how trade has managed to cross that border on your island?

HAYWARD: Yes. So for nearly 50 years, the U.K. and Ireland were jointly³ members of the European Union, which fundamentally helps reduce the significance of borders between member states. And that's practically important in terms of increasing trade, but also politically important as well. And for Northern Ireland, which is on the island of Ireland, as you say, but part of the United Kingdom, reducing - having an open Irish border was seen as helpful for the peace process on the island and also helpful for Northern Ireland's economy. With the U.K. leaving the EU, the challenge was, how do you avoid having a hard border for the external border of the European Union across the island of Ireland? And they came up with a special arrangement called the protocol⁴, which essentially⁵ sees the checks and controls that would otherwise happen on the land border mainly happening down the Irish Sea between Britain and Northern Ireland.

INSKEEP: OK. So let me make sure I understand this. So if you've got trade going between Belfast and Dublin, or cities on either side of that border on the island, it can go freely. And the issue is not to ship things further on into the U.K. Is that what you're saying?

HAYWARD: Yes. So the goods can move from Northern Ireland across the whole of the EU and into Britain. And this gives Northern Ireland a distinct advantage given that goods can't move freely from Britain into the EU. They have to go through checks and controls. However, this situation did bring difficulties for Northern Ireland. And because we're talking about borders, those difficulties were practical and political. So in practical terms, there was disruption to some trade coming into Northern Ireland from Britain, from the rest of the United Kingdom. And also, politically, unionists in Northern Ireland who want Northern Ireland to stay part of the United Kingdom were concerned that Northern Ireland was going to drift apart from the U.K. and become less secure in its position there. So this became contentious⁶.

INSKEEP: Yeah, they become almost like a junior partner in the EU. So what is Rishi Sunak's solution to all of this?

HAYWARD: So the U.K. and the EU were at loggerheads over this issue for a long period of time and, after months of negotiations⁷, have come up with this deal which essentially reduces the significance of that Irish Sea border. So what they're saying now is it's almost invisible. Those checks and controls, that's going to be a very light touch, essentially trying to allow for the fact that Northern Ireland is, in practical and political terms, integrated both with the United Kingdom and with the island of Ireland as a whole. And so this is seen as a really important moment not just for the U.K.-EU relationship to become better from this point onwards, but also for Northern Ireland an exciting opportunity.

INSKEEP: I'm just wondering that. Could this be really good for the economy of Northern Ireland, to be open to both sides?

HAYWARD: I mean, certainly that's what the U.K. and the EU were saying, that this is a tremendous opportunity. And we are conscious here in Northern Ireland that Joe Kennedy III has been appointed a special economic envoy⁸ by the president to Northern Ireland to try and encourage investment here, making the most of its unique situation. And the hope is that politically we can have some more stability now, as well as making the most of these new economic opportunities.

INSKEEP: Very briefly⁹, is anybody pushing back hard on this?

HAYWARD: Certainly, there's been some resistance from strong unionists, from hard-line unionists about the whole implications of the protocol. They're trying to be convinced by the U.K. and the EU as to the fact that the economic opportunities can outweigh¹⁰ the challenges.

INSKEEP: Katy Hayward is a professor of political sociology at Queen's University in Belfast. And she joined us via Skype. Thanks so much.

HAYWARD: Thank you.

1 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。

2 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

3 jointly   

ad.联合地，共同地

参考例句：

• Tenants are jointly and severally liable for payment of the rent. 租金由承租人共同且分别承担。
• She owns the house jointly with her husband. 她和丈夫共同拥有这所房子。

4 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。

5 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。

6 contentious   

adj.好辩的，善争吵的

参考例句：

• She was really not of the contentious fighting sort.她委实不是好吵好闹的人。
• Since then they have tended to steer clear of contentious issues.从那时起，他们总想方设法避开有争议的问题。

7 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。

8 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

9 briefly   

adv.简单地，简短地

参考例句：

• I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
• He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。

10 outweigh   

vt.比...更重，...更重要

参考例句：

• The merits of your plan outweigh the defects.你制定的计划其优点胜过缺点。
• One's merits outweigh one's short-comings.功大于过。