经济学人262:年度国家奖 希望在跳跃

 　　Our country of the year

　　年度国家奖

　　Hope springs

　　希望在跳跃

　　This has been a bad year for nation-states. But some—and one in particular—deserve congratulations

　　今年对于国家来说并不好，但是一些国家，特别是有一个国家，还是值得去祝贺的。

　　EVEN with the best will in the world—which, in 2014, has not been conspicuously¹ forthcoming—the outgoing year could not be regarded as one of the planet's finest. Between war, disease and insurrection, the past 12 months have often seemed a gory² relay for the apocalypse's four horsemen. But look closely, and amid the misery³ there have been reasons for optimism. Whether by dint⁴ of boldness or stoicism, there are numerous candidates for the coveted⁵ title of The Economist's country of the year.

　　即使是2014年世界上最好的一面还没有显出来，即将过去的一年也不会是最美好的年份之一。在战争、疾病和暴乱之中，过去的12个月似乎往往是大灾难接踵而至。但是仔细看，在痛苦之中也有乐观的理由。无论是凭借勇敢还是坚忍，都会有许多国家能够列入人人向往的《经济学人》年度国家奖项候选名单当中。

　　希望在跳跃.jpg

　　In fact 2014 was a bad year for the very concept of countries, as well as for lots of individual nations. The pre-modern marauders of Islamic State (IS) rampaged between Iraq and Syria, and Russian forces dismembered Ukraine, as if borders were elastic⁶ lines rather than fixed⁷ frontiers. Boko Haram traduced⁸ the sovereignty of Nigeria while the Shabab convulsed the Horn of Africa. South Sudan, a brand new country born only three years ago, imploded⁹ in civil war.

　　事实上，就整个国家概念本身以及许多单个国家而言，2014年并不美好。近代前的伊斯兰国家掠夺者在伊拉克和叙利亚之间猖狂肆虐，俄罗斯强迫分割乌克兰，仿佛边界就像有弹性的线条而非固定的边际线。博科圣地诋毁尼日利亚的主权，青年党（索马里的一个党派-译者注）让非洲之角动荡不安。仅仅三年前建立的全新国家南苏丹爆发内战。

　　But other territories have bravely resisted disintegration¹⁰. The Marshall Islands may be sinking but, by championing the struggle against climate change, they are at least going down fighting. The peshmerga of Iraqi Kurdistan—not yet a country but perhaps on its way to that status—repelled the jihadists of IS and may have saved Baghdad. In a different, democratic kind of confrontation¹¹, but in its way an equally vigorous one, the people of Scotland wisely voted not to end three centuries of union and stayed in the United Kingdom. That would make Scotland a good candidate for our title, except that lauding¹² it as a country because it chose not to become one might seem gallingly contrarian.

　　但是其他国家勇敢地抵御了分裂。马绍尔群岛可能在下沉，但是这个国家勇敢应对气候变化，至少他们在行动。来自伊拉克库尔德斯坦（目前还不是一个国家，但是正在努力成为一个国家）的勇士们反对伊斯兰国家的极端分子，很可能挽救了巴格达。而用一种不同的，民主的方式，但是同样是大力度的方式对抗分裂的例子就是苏格兰人民拒绝断绝与联合王国300年的联姻，选择留在英国。这让苏格兰成为获得该奖项的绝佳候选，但是就因为苏格兰人民选择不独立出来而称其为一个国家可能与众人意愿背道而驰。

　　Disaster has been averted¹³ elsewhere, too. Senegal responded with alacrity¹⁴ to its Ebola outbreak (as indeed did Nigeria). Afghanistan remains¹⁵ one of the world's bleakest¹⁷ places, but it looks a little less bleak¹⁶ after a peaceful handover of power: the Taliban are still slaughtering¹⁸ people, but politically they are a busted¹⁹ flush. Tiny Lebanon deserves a mention for absorbing hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees, plus the machinations of malignant²⁰ outsiders, and continuing, just about, to function. If the peace process between Colombia's government and its FARC guerrillas succeeds, it will be a favorite for our award in 2015.

　　在其他地方，灾难也得到了避免。塞内加尔非常欣然地应对了埃博拉疫情（尼日利亚当然也是如此。）阿富汗一直是世界上最没有希望的国家之一，但是在权力和平交接之后就变得不那么没有希望了。塔利班仍然在屠杀人民，但是从政治上看他们充满热血。黎巴嫩这个小国值得一提，因为它收养了成百上千名叙利亚难民，包容了恶毒的局外人使出的阴谋诡计行为，而且继续行使其权力。如果哥伦比亚政府及其革命武装力量游击队员的和平进程能够成功，那么哥伦比亚将会成为2015年年度国家奖的热门人选。

　　On our home turf of economics there have been some standout performances. Ireland and Iceland have both pulled clear of trouble, showing that democracies can, after all, implement²¹ painful decisions when they must. Unusually among euro-zone countries, Estonia has kept its nose clean. Narendra Modi's victory in India may come to be seen as the moment the world's biggest democracy began to realize its vast potential. We may find that out in 2015, too.

　　就本刊所讲的经济学而言，也有一些拥有突出表现的国家。爱尔兰和冰岛都走出了困境，表明民主毕竟在必要的时候会有助于实现痛苦的决定。在欧元区国家当中有不同寻常的表现，爱沙尼亚按套路出牌，纳伦德拉·莫迪在印度选举中获胜，这一刻可能意味着世界上最大的民主国开始显现出巨大的潜力。我们也会在2015年拭目以待。

　　And the winner is…

　　那么获奖者是…

　　Yet there is more to life and to statecraft than guns and GDP: witness our choice in 2013 of Uruguay, for its liberal stance on drugs and gay marriage. (Uruguay has had another strong year, notching²² up a model election, impressive growth and a grown-up welcome to six internees from Guantánamo.) The two top contenders for our 2014 title earned their kudos²³ for displays of political maturity²⁴ that, like most great achievements, involved both leaders and their people.

　　但是民生和管理国家的方式比军事和GDP更能作为评判的标准。2013年的获奖者是乌拉圭，原因是该国对毒品和同性婚姻持开明的立场。（乌拉圭今年又是强势的一年，创建了一个模拟选举，增长让人瞩目，欢迎了来自关塔那摩的6名政治犯出狱。）2014年度国家奖的前两名竞争者展现出了政治上的成熟，和其他的成就一样，这种成熟涉及领导和人民。

　　The runner-up (just) is Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim nation, where a modern politician bested the old, militaristic regime in a fair if rancorous vote. The new, reforming president, Joko Widodo, has begun to nudge his country beyond its crossroads and towards prosperity.

　　亚军得主（仅仅是亚军）是世界上最大的穆斯林国家印度尼西亚。一位现代政治家以充满敌意但是很公平的投票打败了陈旧的军国主义体制。崇尚改革的新任总统佐科·维多多开始将自己的国家跨出十字路口，向着繁荣前进。

　　Our winner is a much smaller nation, but we think symbolism matters more than size. The idealism engendered²⁵ by the Arab spring has mostly sunk in bloodshed and extremism, with a shining exception: Tunisia, which in 2014 adopted a new, enlightened constitution and held both parliamentary and presidential polls (a run-off is due in the latter on December 21st). Its economy is struggling and its polity is fragile; but Tunisia's pragmatism and moderation have nurtured²⁶ hope in a wretched region and a troubled world. Mabrouk, Tunisia!

　　而今年的年度国家奖得主面积要小得多，但是我们认为象征意义比面积更重要。源自阿拉伯之春的理想主义大多已经淹没在屠杀与血腥之中，但是有一个国家是例外，而且有着闪光点，这个国家就是突尼斯。2014年，突尼斯采纳了一部具有启发意义的新宪法，并进行了议会和总统选举（后者会在12月21日进行附加选举。）该国的经济在挣扎，政治组织脆弱，但是突尼斯的实干主义精神和温和立场为这个悲惨的地区和不安的世界孕育希望。祝贺突尼斯！

1 conspicuously   

ad.明显地，惹人注目地

参考例句：

• France remained a conspicuously uneasy country. 法国依然是个明显不太平的国家。
• She figured conspicuously in the public debate on the issue. 她在该问题的公开辩论中很引人注目。

2 gory   

adj.流血的；残酷的

参考例句：

• I shuddered when I heard the gory details.我听到血淋淋的详情，战栗不已。
• The newspaper account of the accident gave all the gory details.报纸上报道了这次事故中所有骇人听闻的细节。

3 misery   

n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦

参考例句：

• Business depression usually causes misery among the working class.商业不景气常使工薪阶层受苦。
• He has rescued me from the mire of misery.他把我从苦海里救了出来。

4 dint   

n.由于，靠；凹坑

参考例句：

• He succeeded by dint of hard work.他靠苦干获得成功。
• He reached the top by dint of great effort.他费了很大的劲终于爬到了顶。

5 coveted   

adj.令人垂涎的；垂涎的，梦寐以求的v.贪求，觊觎(covet的过去分词)；垂涎；贪图

参考例句：

• He had long coveted the chance to work with a famous musician. 他一直渴望有机会与著名音乐家一起工作。
• Ther other boys coveted his new bat. 其他的男孩都想得到他的新球棒。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 elastic   

n.橡皮圈，松紧带；adj.有弹性的；灵活的

参考例句：

• Rubber is an elastic material.橡胶是一种弹性材料。
• These regulations are elastic.这些规定是有弹性的。

7 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

8 traduced   

v.诋毁( traduce的过去式和过去分词 )；诽谤；违反；背叛

参考例句：

• We have been traduced in the press as xenophobic bigots. 我们被新闻界诋毁为仇外的偏狭之徒。 来自辞典例句

9 imploded   

v.（使）向心聚爆( implode的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The economies of Brazil and Russia imploded in 1998. 巴西与俄罗斯的经济在1998年宣告破裂。 来自互联网
• A startling number of his nominees for senior positions have imploded. 他所提名的高级官员被否决的数目令人震惊。 来自互联网

10 disintegration   

n.分散，解体

参考例句：

• This defeat led to the disintegration of the empire.这次战败道致了帝国的瓦解。
• The incident has hastened the disintegration of the club.这一事件加速了该俱乐部的解体。

11 confrontation   

n.对抗，对峙，冲突

参考例句：

• We can't risk another confrontation with the union.我们不能冒再次同工会对抗的危险。
• After years of confrontation,they finally have achieved a modus vivendi.在对抗很长时间后，他们最后达成安宁生存的非正式协议。

12 lauding   

v.称赞，赞美( laud的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Let sing out our own song lauding life, lauding world. 让我们以我们自己的歌来咏赞生命，咏赞世界吧！ 来自互联网
• Vice President-elect Joe Biden also spoke, lauding the value of work and the dignity it brings. 副总统当选人乔·拜登经常说，要赞颂工作的价值及其带来的高贵。 来自互联网

13 averted   

防止，避免( avert的过去式和过去分词 )； 转移

参考例句：

• A disaster was narrowly averted. 及时防止了一场灾难。
• Thanks to her skilful handling of the affair, the problem was averted. 多亏她对事情处理得巧妙，才避免了麻烦。

14 alacrity   

n.敏捷，轻快，乐意

参考例句：

• Although the man was very old,he still moved with alacrity.他虽然很老，动作仍很敏捷。
• He accepted my invitation with alacrity.他欣然接受我的邀请。

15 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。

16 bleak   

adj.(天气)阴冷的；凄凉的；暗淡的

参考例句：

• They showed me into a bleak waiting room.他们引我来到一间阴冷的会客室。
• The company's prospects look pretty bleak.这家公司的前景异常暗淡。

17 bleakest   

阴冷的( bleak的最高级 )； （状况）无望的； 没有希望的； 光秃的

参考例句：

• This is the bleakest novel I've ever read. 这是我读过的小说中最乏味的一本。
• Relax! When things appear at their bleakest. 放松！当情况显得凄凉的时候。

18 slaughtering   

v.屠杀，杀戮，屠宰( slaughter的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The Revolutionary Tribunal went to work, and a steady slaughtering began. 革命法庭投入工作，持续不断的大屠杀开始了。 来自英汉非文学 - 历史
• \"Isn't it terrific slaughtering pigs? “宰猪的！ 来自汉英文学 - 中国现代小说

19 busted   

adj. 破产了的，失败了的，被降级的，被逮捕的，被抓到的 动词bust的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• You are so busted! 你被当场逮住了！
• It was money troubles that busted up their marriage. 是金钱纠纷使他们的婚姻破裂了。

20 malignant   

adj.恶性的，致命的；恶意的，恶毒的

参考例句：

• Alexander got a malignant slander.亚历山大受到恶意的诽谤。
• He started to his feet with a malignant glance at Winston.他爬了起来，不高兴地看了温斯顿一眼。

21 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

22 notching   

adj.多级的（指继电器）n.做凹口，开槽v.在（某物）上刻V形痕( notch的现在分词 )；赢得；赢取；获得高分

参考例句：

• Results are very linear and free from phase notching. 结果非常线性，没有相位凹口。 来自互联网
• This means that the system only improves, always notching forward, never backsliding. 这意味着系统只能够被改进，总是向前的，从不会倒退。 来自互联网

23 kudos   

n.荣誉，名声

参考例句：

• He received kudos from everyone on his performance.他的表演受到大家的称赞。
• It will acquire no kudos for translating its inner doubts into hesitation.如果由于内心疑虑不安而在行动上举棋不定，是得不到荣誉的。

24 maturity   

n.成熟；完成；(支票、债券等)到期

参考例句：

• These plants ought to reach maturity after five years.这些植物五年后就该长成了。
• This is the period at which the body attains maturity.这是身体发育成熟的时期。

25 engendered   

v.产生（某形势或状况），造成，引起( engender的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The issue engendered controversy. 这个问题引起了争论。
• The meeting engendered several quarrels. 这次会议发生了几次争吵。 来自《简明英汉词典》

26 nurtured   

养育( nurture的过去式和过去分词 )； 培育； 滋长； 助长

参考例句：

• She is looking fondly at the plants he had nurtured. 她深情地看着他培育的植物。
• Any latter-day Einstein would still be spotted and nurtured. 任何一个未来的爱因斯坦都会被发现并受到培养。