经济学人:权贵头上的一把刀 看普京如何杯酒释兵权?

 　　Europe Russian politics 欧洲 俄罗斯政坛风向突变

　　Putin’s purges¹ 普京的清洗运动

　　Interpreting a sudden crackdown on extravagant² officials 风向突变，枪指官员；个中详情，且看分解

　　For senior members of the United Russia party it was like a scene from Mikhail Bulgakov’s “The Master and Margarita”.  对于统一俄罗斯党的高层来说，如今这幅景象就像米哈伊尔·布尔加科夫的《大师和玛格丽特》中写的一样。

　　They would have special affinity³ with Nikanor Ivanovich Bosoi, chairman of the tenants’ association tricked by Woland (Satan in disguise).  他们一定对书中的伊万诺维奇·波索伊印象深刻，这位租户协会主席被由魔鬼撒旦乔装的乌兰欺骗。

　　The roubles he gets from Woland’s sidekick and stuffs into a ventilation shaft⁴ turn into dollars.  他从乌兰的口袋里搞到苏联卢布，然后通过通风井变成美元。

　　Bosoi is arrested and put in a psychiatric ward⁵, where he dreams of a bass⁶ voice booming from the sky: “Hand over your foreign currency!” 波索伊后来被捕，并被投入精神病院。在病床上，他梦见从空中传来一阵低沉的声音：“把你手里的外汇交出来！”

　　This time the voice asking for a handover of foreign bank accounts was President Vladimir Putin’s.  如今这个呼喊着催逼外国账户的人换成了普京总统。

　　On February 12th he submitted a bill to the Duma banning officials and lawmakers from having foreign bank accounts or investing in foreign government debt.  2月12日，普京向杜马提交了一份议案，要求禁止政府官员和杜马议员持有外国银行账户和购买外国国债。

　　The draft also banned the ownership of property abroad, though this was subsequently changed to merely demanding its declaration. 议案还禁止拥有境外财产，不过这一项随后被改为只需发表类似声明即可。

　　A day later Vladimir Pekhtin, a founder⁸ of United Russia and head of the Duma's ethics⁹ committee, was revealed as the owner of an undeclared $1.3mluxury apartment in Miami Beach.  一天之后，身为统俄党缔造者、俄罗斯杜马道德委员会负责人的弗拉基米尔·佩赫廷被爆出在迈阿密海滩拥有一所并未公开、价值130万美元的奢华公寓。

　　The details were posted on the internet by Alexei Navalny, an opposition¹⁰ activist¹¹ and blogger.  这些细节是由俄罗斯反对派活动家、博客作家阿莱克谢·纳瓦尔尼通过网络爆出。

　　Mr Pekhtin brushed off these “unmerited accusations¹²”. “I practically have no property abroad,” he insisted.  佩赫廷否认了这些“不当指责”，他坚称：“事实上我在境外没有财产。”

　　Yet on February 20th, doubtless after hearing Mr Putin’s voice, he resigned from the Duma.  不过在2月20日，佩赫廷选择从杜马辞职，毫无疑问这是普京的授意。

　　Even though he had done nothing wrong, he said, the scandal tainted¹³ the party and its interests must come above his own.  佩赫廷表示，虽然自己并没有做错什么事，但这个爆料被视为玷污统俄党的丑闻，党的利益高于他的个人利益，他只能认栽。

　　Another United Russia deputy, Anatoly Lomakin, with an estimated fortune of $1.2 billion, resigned “for health reasons”.  另一位统俄党党员、身价达120亿美元的安纳托利·罗马金因“健康原因”而辞职。

　　More deputies are on their way out, say press reports.  据媒体报道，更多的统俄党人士在寻找出路。

　　State television showed pictures of Miami Beach apartments and talked of purges and a return of moral values. 俄罗斯国家电视台播送了迈阿密海滩公寓的照片，并谈及这次党内清洗，言及这是道德价值的回归。

　　In place of public denunciations and 1930s show trials, the “purged” Mr Pekhtin was greeted by standing¹⁴ ovations¹⁵ from his comrades who called him an example of morality.  与公开谴责和上世纪30年代的公审公判不同，这一次“清洗”佩赫廷是以同志们长时间起立鼓掌，称其为道德楷模的方式进行的。

　　No proceedings¹⁶ were started against him and he could yet end up with a cushy job.  他没有遭到任何起诉，退出后还拿到一份轻松的工作。

　　Nevertheless, the purges signal a shift in Russia’s politics. 话虽如此，清洗标志着俄罗斯政坛要变风向了。

　　Gleb Pavlovsky, a former Kremlin consultant¹⁷, explains that, in the past,  前克里姆林宫智囊格莱布·帕夫洛夫斯基对此解读说，在苏联时代，

　　the nomenklatura were shielded from opponents’ criticism and left to enjoy the fruits of their loyalty¹⁸ at home and abroad without interference from the top.  政府大员们没有政治对手攻击之虞，只要忠于体制，就能尊享国内国外的种种特权，还不会受到高层干预。

　　Mr Pekhtin’s resignation shows that this no longer holds true, but without explaining what the new rules are.  佩赫廷的辞职表明这一现象将是明日黄花，只不过新的游戏规则还没有厘定出来。

　　This makes the elite¹⁹ nervous, which may be no bad thing from Mr Putin’s viewpoint. 这会让俄罗斯的权贵们紧张不安，不过按照普京的观点这可能不是什么坏事。

　　The purges are not a concession²⁰ to the opposition.  不过清洗并不代表对反对派的让步。

　　Using Mr Navalny’s information to its advantage has not stopped the Kremlin from throwing new accusations at him.  虽然当局采用了纳瓦尔尼的信息，不过这并不会让克林姆林宫停止对他提起新指控。

　　Nor do they stem from a sudden conversion²¹ to the principle of democratic accountability.  这些变化并非源于民主问责制。

　　Rather, say Kremlinologists, they reflect Mr Putin’s need to gain more legitimacy²² among voters  相反，按克里姆林宫问题专家的说法，这反倒折射出普京需要从选民手里获得更多的支持，

　　and tighten²³ his grip over an elite that likes to keep its assets and children in the West. 并像对待他们在西方国家的财产和移居西方的小孩一样，收紧对俄罗斯权贵阶层的控制。

　　Behind the purges lies an assumption that the West is plotting against him and could exploit the private interests of Russian officials.  清洗的背后也有这样一种假设，即西方正在密谋反对普京，而且可能会利用俄罗斯官员的私人利益来达到目的。

　　Mr Putin seems to see America’s Magnitsky act, which threatens sanctions against Russian officials involved in human-rights abuses, as an attempt to control them.  美国已经弄出了个“马格尼茨基法案”，这项法案威胁要制裁在马格尼茨基案中侵犯人权的俄罗斯官员，这就是在尝试去控制俄罗斯官员。

　　Hence his wish to “ring-fence” the elite from Western influence and gain more leverage²⁴. 因此普京要把俄罗斯的精英们从西方的影响中“隔离开来”，加大对这一群体的影响。

　　But Mr Putin’s options are limited. Access to Western goods, services and property is a pillar of his system.  但是普京手里的牌却不多。精英阶层购买西方商品，享受西方服务，置购西方地产，这些特权是支持普京权利体系的支柱，

　　Removing it could turn more of the elite against him.  现在回收这些特权可能会把权贵们赶到自己对立面去。

　　Random²⁵ (and so far soft) purges, a ban on foreign bank accounts and anti-American hysteria may be mere⁷ half-measures, but even they may be too extreme.  虽然在普京看来，肆意清洗（现在还算轻的），禁开外国银行账户以及对美国妄想症般的诋毁都不过是折中方案，即便如此，这些方案都显得太过于极端。

　　Alexei Venediktov, editor of Echo Moskvy, a radio station, comments that “Mr Putin has tied an axe²⁶ over the head of the elite.  “莫斯科回声”电台编辑阿莱克谢·维涅季克托夫评价说：“普京在权贵头上悬了一把斧头。

　　But being a cautious politician, he considers a threat of repression²⁷ more effective than repression itself.” 但是作为一个审慎的政治家，他知道高压的威胁远比高压本身更有效果。”

　　Repression is used against protesters but also on junior officials.  镇压不仅用在抗议者身上，还用在高官们身上。

　　In the past year over 800 cases have been opened into local officials, councillors and mayors.  在过去的2012年，俄罗斯有800多个案子涉及到地方官员、议员和市长们。

　　The highest-profile casualty so far was Anatoly Serdyukov, an ex-defence minister implicated²⁸ in a procurement²⁹ scandal.  迄今为止，最大的受害者就是前国防部长谢尔久科夫，他是因一桩采购丑闻而落马。

　　He was fired and humiliated³⁰ on state television, but not arrested or charged.  他被解了职，还在国家电视台上出了洋相，不过没有被关押和指控。

　　Whether he is now brought before the judges will show just how far Mr Putin’s purges go. 他会不会被送到法官面前取决于普京的清洗行动会走多远。

1 purges   

清除异己( purge的名词复数 )； 整肃（行动）； 清洗； 泻药

参考例句：

• Mandelshtam perished in the purges of the 1930s, Akhmatova remained silent. 曼杰利什坦姆在30年代的清洗中死去，阿赫玛托娃也销声匿迹。
• He purges his subconscious and meditates only on God. 他净化他的潜意识且只思念上帝。

2 extravagant   

adj.奢侈的；过分的；(言行等)放肆的

参考例句：

• They tried to please him with fulsome compliments and extravagant gifts.他们想用溢美之词和奢华的礼品来取悦他。
• He is extravagant in behaviour.他行为放肆。

3 affinity   

n.亲和力，密切关系

参考例句：

• I felt a great affinity with the people of the Highlands.我被苏格兰高地人民深深地吸引。
• It's important that you share an affinity with your husband.和丈夫有共同的爱好是十分重要的。

4 shaft   

n.(工具的)柄，杆状物

参考例句：

• He was wounded by a shaft.他被箭击中受伤。
• This is the shaft of a steam engine.这是一个蒸汽机主轴。

5 ward   

n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开

参考例句：

• The hospital has a medical ward and a surgical ward.这家医院有内科病房和外科病房。
• During the evening picnic,I'll carry a torch to ward off the bugs.傍晚野餐时，我要点根火把，抵挡蚊虫。

6 bass   

n.男低音(歌手)；低音乐器；低音大提琴

参考例句：

• He answered my question in a surprisingly deep bass.他用一种低得出奇的声音回答我的问题。
• The bass was to give a concert in the park.那位男低音歌唱家将在公园中举行音乐会。

7 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

8 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

9 ethics   

n.伦理学；伦理观，道德标准

参考例句：

• The ethics of his profession don't permit him to do that.他的职业道德不允许他那样做。
• Personal ethics and professional ethics sometimes conflict.个人道德和职业道德有时会相互抵触。

10 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

11 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

12 accusations   

n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名

参考例句：

• There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
• He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。

13 tainted   

adj.腐坏的；污染的；沾污的；感染的v.使变质( taint的过去式和过去分词 )；使污染；败坏；被污染，腐坏，败坏

参考例句：

• The administration was tainted with scandal. 丑闻使得政府声名狼藉。
• He was considered tainted by association with the corrupt regime. 他因与腐败政府有牵连而名誉受损。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

15 ovations   

n.热烈欢迎( ovation的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Everywhere they appeared there were ovations. 他们出现在哪儿，哪儿就是一片欢呼声。 来自辞典例句
• There were notable standing ovations for the Iraqi and the Palestinian teams. 而且引人注目的是，伊拉克和巴勒斯坦代表团还受到了持久的掌声欢迎。 来自互联网

16 proceedings   

n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼

17 consultant   

n.顾问；会诊医师，专科医生

参考例句：

• He is a consultant on law affairs to the mayor.他是市长的一个法律顾问。
• Originally,Gar had agreed to come up as a consultant.原来，加尔只答应来充当我们的顾问。

18 loyalty   

n.忠诚，忠心

参考例句：

• She told him the truth from a sense of loyalty.她告诉他真相是出于忠诚。
• His loyalty to his friends was never in doubt.他对朋友的一片忠心从来没受到怀疑。

19 elite   

n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的

参考例句：

• The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
• We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。

20 concession   

n.让步，妥协；特许(权)

参考例句：

• We can not make heavy concession to the matter.我们在这个问题上不能过于让步。
• That is a great concession.这是很大的让步。

21 conversion   

n.转化，转换，转变

参考例句：

• He underwent quite a conversion.他彻底变了。
• Waste conversion is a part of the production process.废物处理是生产过程的一个组成部分。

22 legitimacy   

n.合法，正当

参考例句：

• The newspaper was directly challenging the government's legitimacy.报纸直接质疑政府的合法性。
• Managing from the top down,we operate with full legitimacy.我们进行由上而下的管理有充分的合法性。

23 tighten   

v.(使)变紧；(使)绷紧

参考例句：

• Turn the screw to the right to tighten it.向右转动螺钉把它拧紧。
• Some countries tighten monetary policy to avoid inflation.一些国家实行紧缩银根的货币政策，以避免通货膨胀。

24 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。

25 random   

adj.随机的；任意的；n.偶然的(或随便的)行动

参考例句：

• The list is arranged in a random order.名单排列不分先后。
• On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。

26 axe   

n.斧子；v.用斧头砍，削减

参考例句：

• Be careful with that sharp axe.那把斧子很锋利，你要当心。
• The edge of this axe has turned.这把斧子卷了刃了。

27 repression   

n.镇压，抑制，抑压

参考例句：

• The repression of your true feelings is harmful to your health.压抑你的真实感情有害健康。
• This touched off a new storm against violent repression.这引起了反对暴力镇压的新风暴。

28 implicated   

adj.密切关联的；牵涉其中的

参考例句：

• These groups are very strongly implicated in the violence. 这些组织与这起暴力事件有着极大的关联。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Having the stolen goods in his possession implicated him in the robbery. 因藏有赃物使他涉有偷盗的嫌疑。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

29 procurement   

n.采购；获得

参考例句：

• He is in charge of the procurement of materials.他负责物资的采购。
• More and more,human food procurement came to have a dominant effect on their evolution.人类获取食物愈来愈显著地影响到人类的进化。

30 humiliated   

感到羞愧的

参考例句：

• Parents are humiliated if their children behave badly when guests are present. 子女在客人面前举止失当，父母也失体面。
• He was ashamed and bitterly humiliated. 他感到羞耻，丢尽了面子。