经济学人471:英国和他的移民们 打开大门

 　　Britain and immigration

　　英国和他的移民们

　　Keep open the gates

　　打开大门

　　The Conservatives should not risk Britain's future prosperity on a flawed bid to cut immigration

　　保守党不应该将英国未来的繁荣错误的投注在削减移民上。

　　WHEN David Cameron declared his intention last year to hold a referendum on Britain's membership of the European Union, this newspaper gave a cautious cheer. Although we felt there was a risk the Conservative prime minister was bending too far to the Eurosceptics in his party, who happily ignore the enormous economic cost Britain would incur² by leaving the union, the issue had become so divisive that we believed Britons should get a say on the subject. We were also encouraged that Mr Cameron made a rousing case for Britain's EU membership, which he vowed³ to fortify⁴ and improve by campaigning for badly needed EU-wide reforms ahead of the promised vote. He needs to restate that commitment, because the recent talk from Number 10 about curbing⁵ immigration from the EU risks giving the opposite impression: of a weak and unprincipled ruling party that is prepared to gamble Britain's national interest on a policy shaped by populists.

　　当去年戴维卡梅伦宣布英国加入欧盟的公民全投意图时，本表发表了谨慎的乐观态度。虽然我们觉得仍然有风险，在党内保守党首相还不算是欧洲怀疑论者，他愉快地忽视了英国脱离联邦会导致的巨大经济成本，这个问题已经意见不一，我们认为英国人对于这件事应该得到一个说法。我们也鼓励卡梅伦先生对英国的欧盟成员国做了一个激动人心的示范，他发誓要在承诺的投票前以竞选的方式加强和改进迫切需要的欧盟改革。他需要重申此承诺，因为最近来自10号关于控制移民以及欧盟风险的话题产生了反面印象：一个弱势的，没有原则的执政党准备把英国的国家利益押注在民粹主义形成的政策上。

　　英国和他的移民们.jpg

　　Britain's contradictory⁶ feelings towards immigration reflect the peculiarities⁷ of its history. On the one hand, the country's success is rooted in openness—in exploration, conquest and trade. Most Britons are not racist⁸, which makes their country especially appealing to the millions of immigrants who have created much of its wealth. On the other hand, Britain is a bristling⁹ island nation, with a deep-seated fear of invasion. Its people worry inordinately¹⁰ about the economic and cultural side-effects of immigration—and are prone¹¹ to scaremongers, a role which the increasingly formidable UK Independence Party (UKIP) is now filling. Its two main causes are leaving the European Union and reducing immigration.

　　英国对移民矛盾感情反映了其历史特点。一方面，这个国家的成功的基石是开放，探索，征服和贸易。大多数英国人都不是种族主义者，这让他们的国家特别吸引数以百万为英国创造巨大财富的移民。另一方面，英国是一个岛国，对入侵有着根深蒂固的恐惧。人们极其担心那些移民在经济和文化反面的副作用并且很容易受到蛊惑。日益强大的英国独立党现在正填充。这就是将要离开欧盟和减少移民的两个主要原因。

　　Mr Cameron has lost one by-election to UKIP and faces the prospect¹² of losing another in a few weeks and seeing his base eroded¹³ in a general election next spring, so it is hardly surprising that he has moved to the right. But the jump has been large and rapid. Last year, when he unveiled his EU reform strategy, Mr Cameron did not mention immigration as an area of concern. His target was red tape, not the liberal migration¹ regime that is one of the union's main strengths. Since then the Tories have said they want to restrict benefits to immigrants and make citizens from future EU member countries wait longer before they are allowed to work in Britain. Now Mr Cameron is talking about “fixing” immigration to Britain from the EU, while his advisers¹⁴ have floated the idea of an “emergency brake” on immigration beyond a certain level from even existing EU members. All will be revealed in a speech soon.

　　卡梅伦先生已经失去了一个通过选举来的英国独立党，在接下来的几周可能会失去另一个，他的根基在明年春季大选也逐渐在被侵蚀，因此他转移到右派是不足为奇的。但这是一次大规模、快速的跳跃。去年，当他揭开了欧盟的改革策略面纱时，卡梅伦先生没有提到移民这一个令人关注的领域。他的目标就是官僚主义，而不是作为工会主要优势之一的自由迁移制度。自那时以来，保守党表示，他们希望限制移民利益，让来自未来欧盟成员国家的公民等待更长的时间才被允许在英国工作。现在卡梅伦先生在欧盟提到“固定”英国移民，而他的顾问们对远远超出规定数量的移民提出了一个“紧急制动”的主意，甚至针对现有欧盟成员。这都将在不久的一次演讲中揭开谜底。

　　An emergency brake would be foolish in two ways. First, it is unlikely to succeed in its primary aim—fixing UKIP. A few voters may be tempted¹⁵ back to the Tory fold, but UKIP will always be able to outgun its rivals on promises to keep out foreigners. And most of the fears about immigration are a proxy¹⁶ for wider, especially economic, disgruntlements—as differences in attitudes between different bits of the country suggest. London, the city most changed by immigration, is generally relaxed about it, while several of the areas most determined¹⁷ to keep out immigrants, such as north-east England, have hardly seen any. An emergency brake will not assuage¹⁸ the anxiety in such places even if Mr Cameron could introduce it, which he probably cannot.

　　紧急刹车是愚蠢的行为，具体表现在两个方面。首先，对它的首要目标是不可能成功的—固定英国独立党。一些选民可能会回到保守党阵营，但英国独立党总是能够在承诺赶出外国人方面击败竞争对手。大多数移民带来的恐惧是广泛的，特别是经济和不同国家之间的差异态度等方面的不满。伦敦，移民改变了这座城市，一般情况下的政策是宽松的，而一些最坚定的赶走移民的地区，如英格兰东北部，几乎没有看到任何移民。紧急刹车不会减轻这些地方的焦虑，即使卡梅伦先生介绍，也不可能。

　　This is the second problem with his tactic¹⁹. Free movement of labour is one of the EU's four core freedoms. There is vanishingly little chance that other member states will concede it. And if Mr Cameron promises British voters concessions²⁰ he cannot deliver, he risks not just exacerbating²¹ anti-EU feeling, but also cornering himself into a position from which he has to campaign for withdrawal²² from the union.

　　这是他策略的第二个问题。劳动力的自由流动是欧盟的四大核心自由之一。是其他的成员国无法比拟的。如果卡梅伦先生承诺英国选民作出让步，但他不能实现，不仅加剧了反欧盟的感觉，也威胁到了他自己的地位，他就不得不从欧盟退出竞选。

　　Mr Cameron started with an admirable reform agenda, which would help the whole EU. If he makes demands that will never be met he will set that agenda up for failure—and also raise the chances that vexed²³ Britons will end up voting to leave the EU. That is a high price to pay for a few UKIP votes.

　　卡梅伦先生最开始提出的是一个令人钦佩的将有助于整个欧盟的改革议程。但如果他提出的是将永远不会被满足的要求，这个议程最终会因他以失败告终，并且加大英国人最终会投票离开欧盟的机会。这是为了几个英国独立党选票的高的代价。

1 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。

2 incur   

vt.招致，蒙受，遭遇

参考例句：

• Any costs that you incur will be reimbursed in full.你的所有花费都将全额付还。
• An enterprise has to incur certain costs and expenses in order to stay in business.一个企业为了维持营业,就不得不承担一定的费用和开支。

3 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

4 fortify   

v.强化防御，为…设防；加强，强化

参考例句：

• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。
• This treaty forbade the United States to fortify the canal.此条约禁止美国对运河设防。

5 curbing   

n.边石，边石的材料v.限制，克制，抑制( curb的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Progress has been made in curbing inflation. 在控制通货膨胀方面已取得了进展。
• A range of policies have been introduced aimed at curbing inflation. 为了抑制通货膨胀实施了一系列的政策。

6 contradictory   

adj.反驳的，反对的，抗辩的；n.正反对，矛盾对立

参考例句：

• The argument is internally contradictory.论据本身自相矛盾。
• What he said was self-contradictory.他讲话前后不符。

7 peculiarities   

n. 特质, 特性, 怪癖, 古怪

参考例句：

• the cultural peculiarities of the English 英国人的文化特点
• He used to mimic speech peculiarities of another. 他过去总是模仿别人讲话的特点。

8 racist   

n.种族主义者，种族主义分子

参考例句：

• a series of racist attacks 一连串的种族袭击行为
• His speech presented racist ideas under the guise of nationalism. 他的讲话以民族主义为幌子宣扬种族主义思想。

9 bristling   

a.竖立的

参考例句：

• "Don't you question Miz Wilkes' word,'said Archie, his beard bristling. "威尔克斯太太的话，你就不必怀疑了。 "阿尔奇说。他的胡子也翘了起来。
• You were bristling just now. 你刚才在发毛。

10 inordinately   

adv.无度地，非常地

参考例句：

• But if you are determined to accumulate wealth, it isn't inordinately difficult. 不过，如果你下决心要积累财富，事情也不是太难。 来自互联网
• She was inordinately smart. 她非常聪明。 来自互联网

11 prone   

adj.(to)易于…的，很可能…的；俯卧的

参考例句：

• Some people are prone to jump to hasty conclusions.有些人往往作出轻率的结论。
• He is prone to lose his temper when people disagree with him.人家一不同意他的意见,他就发脾气。

12 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

13 eroded   

adj. 被侵蚀的，有蚀痕的 动词erode的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• The cliff face has been steadily eroded by the sea. 峭壁表面逐渐被海水侵蚀。
• The stream eroded a channel in the solid rock. 小溪在硬石中侵蚀成一条水道。

14 advisers   

顾问，劝告者( adviser的名词复数 )； （指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授

参考例句：

• a member of the President's favoured circle of advisers 总统宠爱的顾问班子中的一员
• She withdrew to confer with her advisers before announcing a decision. 她先去请教顾问然后再宣布决定。

15 tempted   

v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词）

参考例句：

• I was sorely tempted to complain, but I didn't. 我极想发牢骚，但还是没开口。
• I was tempted by the dessert menu. 甜食菜单馋得我垂涎欲滴。

16 proxy   

n.代理权，代表权；（对代理人的）委托书；代理人

参考例句：

• You may appoint a proxy to vote for you.你可以委托他人代你投票。
• We enclose a form of proxy for use at the Annual General Meeting.我们附上委任年度大会代表的表格。

17 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

18 assuage   

v.缓和，减轻，镇定

参考例句：

• The medicine is used to assuage pain.这种药用来止痛。
• Your messages of cheer should assuage her suffering.你带来的这些振奋人心的消息一定能减轻她的痛苦。

19 tactic   

n.战略，策略；adj.战术的，有策略的

参考例句：

• Reducing prices is a common sales tactic.降价是常用的销售策略。
• She had often used the tactic of threatening to resign.她惯用以辞职相威胁的手法。

20 concessions   

n.（尤指由政府或雇主给予的）特许权( concession的名词复数 )；承认；减价；（在某地的）特许经营权

参考例句：

• The firm will be forced to make concessions if it wants to avoid a strike. 要想避免罢工，公司将不得不作出一些让步。
• The concessions did little to placate the students. 让步根本未能平息学生的愤怒。

21 exacerbating   

v.使恶化，使加重( exacerbate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• This pedagogical understretch is exacerbating social inequalities. 这种教学张力不足加重了社会不平等。 来自互联网
• High fertilizer prices are exacerbating the problem. 高涨的肥料价格更加加剧了问题的恶化。 来自互联网

22 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。

23 vexed   

adj.争论不休的；（指问题等）棘手的；争论不休的问题；烦恼的v.使烦恼( vex的过去式和过去分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论

参考例句：

• The conference spent days discussing the vexed question of border controls. 会议花了几天的时间讨论边境关卡这个难题。
• He was vexed at his failure. 他因失败而懊恼。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》