经济学人:英国政治 时钟停摆

 　　Politics

　　英国政治

　　Winding¹ down

　　时钟停摆

　　Over a year before the general election, Parliament is already clocking off

　　大选后一年多，议会已像时钟一样停摆

　　PARLIAMENT feels different from usual. The lobbies and corridors are quieter. The queues in the canteens are shorter. Records of internet activity in the Palace of Westminster show that monthly visits to YouTube have overtaken those to Parliament's information pages. Visits to cricket websites are up, too. The division bells still ring in MPs' offices to announce votes and the wood-panelled committee rooms are still busy—but debates tend to be on independent (and sometimes eccentric) initiatives by MPs rather than on government bills. Each seems to be doing his own thing.

　　英国议会与往常大不一样。议会大厅和走廊比以往安静许多，在餐厅钱排队的人也变少了。议会大厦网络活动记录显示，YouTube的月访问量已经超过了议会信息网页。板球运动网站访问量也有所增长。议员办公室的分组表决铃依然在宣布着投票结果，镶木会议室里依然繁忙——然而，议会辩论与其说是关于政府债券，倒不如说是关于议员的自主（有时略显诡异）积极性。大家似乎各行其是。

　　议会已像时钟一样停摆.jpg

　　Britain's Parliament normally stands out for its raucous² debates, its might and its bustle³. Unlike America's Congress, it is not prone⁴ to long spells of deadlock⁵; unlike France's National Assembly, it is not subordinate to a monarch-like president; unlike the German Bundestag, regional legislatures do not dilute⁶ its power. And not long ago it was a whirlwind of activity. In the 2010-12 session the Conservative-Liberal Democrat⁷ coalition⁸ passed 42 bills overhauling⁹ the national finances and most major public services.

　　英国议会一向以其激烈的辩论、威严的力量和热闹的场面而著称。英国议会不像美国国会那样长期僵持，也不像法国国民议会那样从属于一个君主式的总统，更不会像德国联邦议院那样使地区立法机关将其权利分流。不久以前，英国议会活动频繁。在2010-2012年间，保守党和自由民主党联合通过42项法案，大力整改了国家财政和大部分公共服务机构。

　　But last year's Queen's Speech introduced just 15 bills, several of them minor¹⁰. With seven weeks left in the parliamentary year, MPs have passed only 801 pages of government legislation (excluding money-raising measures and bills mostly debated in the last session). Even in the unusually short 2012-13 session they managed more than twice as much. Thirteen months before the next general election, the legislative¹¹ motor is spluttering.

　　但是去年的女王演讲仅仅引进了15项法案，其中一些都是小修小改。本届议会任期还有七周，但议员们仅仅通过了801页政府立法（除了筹款措施和上届议会主要讨论的法案）。即使是在2012-2013年较短的任期内，议员们通过的法案也比现在多出一倍。距离下届大选还有13个月， 而立法运动举步维艰。

　　Why? “They passed a hell of a lot of legislation in early sessions, much more so than Blair or Thatcher¹²,” explains Peter Riddell of the Institute for Government. So the government soon ran out of policies that both sides of the coalition found acceptable. It is now stuck. Having fixed¹³ the parliamentary term at five years, it must sit out the remaining months.

　　这一切原因何在？这是因为“他们在早期的议会中已经通过许多立法法案，比布莱尔和撒切尔时期还要多，”政府研究院的彼得·里德尔（Peter Riddell）解释道。因此，政府很快就穷于政策，无法使联合议会的双方都满意。所以如今，立法进程受阻。议会将任期修改为5年，所以他们在剩下的几个月必须耐着性子坚持到底。

　　The slumber¹⁴ of all parliaments

　　麻木的议会

　　Amid the torpor¹⁵, minds are turning to the election. “A year ago all the conversations were about policy; now it is positioning and campaigning,” observes one MP. Those with swing seats, particularly Lib Dems who need to overcome their party's poor polling, are using the quiet time to woo constituents¹⁶. Some spend as little as a day a week in Westminster.

　　议会已经麻木，人们的想法渐渐向大选转移。一位议员观察到，“一年以前，大家都在谈论政策，如今，大家都在谈论定位和运动”。一些议员尤其是需要力克其正当惨淡的投票情况的自由民主党人，正需要利用这一麻木期来争取那些立场不坚定的选民。有些议员一周仅在议会大厦工作一天。

　　Other MPs are away from Parliament for different reasons. For those with comfortable majorities, foreign junkets and media careers beckon¹⁷. “I've never had more time to write,”chuckles one. So occupied are some MPs with their second jobs that Andrew Lansley, the leader of the House of Commons, is said to have reminded them that their first duty is to their voters. Scottish MPs have a less cushy distraction¹⁸: canvassing¹⁹ voters ahead of the referendum on independence, which will take place in September.

　　另一些议员因为不同原因离开了议会。对于舒适的大多数议员，国际旅行和媒体事业吸引着他们。一名议员笑道：“我从来没有这么多时间来写作。”一些其他有副业的议员也过着充实的日子，例如下议院领袖安德鲁·兰斯利（Andrew Lansley）。据说他已经提醒大家，他们最重要的任务就是对选民负责。而苏格兰议员们却并不轻松，他们还需要关注这一问题：在九月开始独立公投之前拉选票。

　　Those left in Westminster spend their time on three main things. One is scrutiny²⁰. Since 2010 select committees have been elected by MPs rather than by party bosses. That has enlivened them. They are busy holding the government to account and, in the case of the Consolidation²¹ Bills committee, tidying up outdated²² legislation. One recent victim was a series of 19th-century laws governing the railways in Imperial India. “The romantic in me was rather sad to see them go,” says Robert Buckland, one of its members.

　　留在议会大厦的议员们主要进行三项工作。一是选票复查工作。自2010年，特别委员会由议员选举，而不是党魁。这使得他们生机勃勃。特别委员会忙于令政府负责，至于合并法案委员会，他们正整理过时的立法法案。近期，一系列19世纪的印度帝国银行铁路法律遭到废除。特委会成员罗伯特·巴克兰德（Robert Buckland）称，“看着他们被废除，我很难过。”

　　Others pursue idiosyncratic political campaigns. Peter Bone, an outspoken²³ Tory, is trying to rename the August Bank Holiday after Margaret Thatcher. Other campaigns concern bread-and-butter matters like household bills and consumer rights. Robert Halfon, the Conservative MP for Harlow, a blue-collar town in Essex, is especially prolific²⁴. His Additional Charges for Utility Bills Not Paid by Direct Debit²⁵ (Limits) Bill awaits its second reading. In the lobbies and tearooms these campaigning MPs seek their colleagues' support for such private members' bills, Early Day Motions (short written declarations) and backbench debates.

　　其他议员追求特殊政治运动。心直口快的保守党议员彼得·伯恩（Peter Bone）继玛格丽特·撒切尔之后，正试图重新命名八月公共假日。其他运动关注民生问题，如家庭支出和消费者权利。罗伯特·阿尔丰（Robert Halfon）是埃塞克斯蓝领镇哈洛的保守党成员，他在这一运动中硕果累累。他提出的《不额外收取水电费由直接借记支付（限制）法案》正等着第二次阅读。在大厅和茶室里，这些运动的议员都就类似的私有法案、早一天运动以及后座议员辩论寻求同事们的支持，

　　Other parliamentarians are busy agitating²⁶ within their parties. Pressure groups of MPs are becoming more vocal²⁷, and new ones like Renewal²⁸ (a campaign for working-class Conservatism) and One Nation (a gang of young Labour MPs) have sprung up. Some of these publish reports and papers, others host guest speakers. “Every five minutes there is another bloody²⁹ supper club,” groans³⁰ one MP in a marginal seat. These gatherings³² mostly serve as networking opportunities. More troublingly, for party leaders, they are also perfect places for idle hands to make trouble: for leadership pretenders to peacock and for disgruntled MPs to plot and scheme. Tory backbenchers have taken to gathering³¹ signatures on letters grousing³³ about government policy.

　　其他议员正忙于在其党派内鼓吹信息。议会施压小组变得更加有力，新的运动不断涌现，如“复兴”（一项为保守党工薪阶层而掀起的运动）和“单一民族党”（一群年轻的工党议员）。有些运动发布了报告和文件，有些则客串嘉宾主持人。一位在边缘席位的议员呻吟道：“每五分钟就有一场血雨腥风。”这些聚会主要是作为联系机会而存在的。更麻烦的是，对于党魁来说，这里也是一个闲杂人等闹事的好地方：对于假装领导人的人来说，是个炫耀的好地方，对于心存不满的议员来说，是个密谋和计划的好地方。保守党后座议员已经开始收集签名，抱怨政府政策。

　　The depth of Westminster's legislative lull³⁴ may be unusual, but it is not entirely³⁵ new. In the 1850s the Spectator, a news magazine, reported that Parliament was so quiet “you may hear a bill drop.” In the 18th century MPs could talk for as long as they liked—and often did—as their colleagues ate oranges and cracked nuts. Something for MPs to ponder, in between doing not very much.

　　议会大厦立法间歇的深度可能非同寻常，但也并非全新。19世纪50年代的《旁观者》杂志报道，议会安静得“听得到法案落地的声音”。18世纪，议员们可以想说多久说多久—事实上他们的确经常这样做—而他们的同事吃着橘子和坚果。有些东西需要议员思考，其中很多事情他们做得并不好。

　　1.visit to 易于；倾向于

　　例句:He's prone to flit between subjects with amazing ease.

　　他往往会轻松自如地转换话题。

　　2.tend to 倾向于；趋向

　　例句:We tend to meet up for lunch once a week.

　　我们往往每周共进一次午餐。

　　3.seem to 似乎

　　例句:I seem to fritter my time away at coffee mornings.

　　我似乎把时间全都浪费在咖啡早茶会上了。

　　4.prone to 易于；倾向于

　　例句:As they shorten, cells become more prone to disease and death.

　　细胞变小后就会更容易感染疾病，也更容易死亡。

1 winding   

n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈

参考例句：

• A winding lane led down towards the river.一条弯弯曲曲的小路通向河边。
• The winding trail caused us to lose our orientation.迂回曲折的小道使我们迷失了方向。

2 raucous   

adj.(声音)沙哑的，粗糙的

参考例句：

• I heard sounds of raucous laughter upstairs.我听见楼上传来沙哑的笑声。
• They heard a bottle being smashed,then more raucous laughter.他们听见酒瓶摔碎的声音，然后是一阵更喧闹的笑声。

3 bustle   

v.喧扰地忙乱，匆忙，奔忙；n.忙碌；喧闹

参考例句：

• The bustle and din gradually faded to silence as night advanced.随着夜越来越深，喧闹声逐渐沉寂。
• There is a lot of hustle and bustle in the railway station.火车站里非常拥挤。

4 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。

5 deadlock   

n.僵局，僵持

参考例句：

• The negotiations reached a deadlock after two hours.两小时后，谈判陷入了僵局。
• The employers and strikers are at a deadlock over the wage.雇主和罢工者在工资问题上相持不下。

6 dilute   

vt.稀释，冲淡；adj.稀释的，冲淡的

参考例句：

• The water will dilute the wine.水能使酒变淡。
• Zinc displaces the hydrogen of dilute acids.锌置换了稀酸中的氢。

7 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

8 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

9 overhauling   

n.大修；拆修；卸修；翻修v.彻底检查( overhaul的现在分词 )；大修；赶上；超越

参考例句：

• I had no chance of overhauling him. 我没有赶上他的可能。 来自辞典例句
• Some sites need little alterations but some need total overhauling. 有些网站需要做出细微修改，而有些网站就需要整体改版。 来自互联网

10 minor   

adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修

参考例句：

• The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
• I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。

11 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

12 thatcher   

n.茅屋匠

参考例句：

• Tom Sawyer was in the skiff that bore Judge Thatcher. 汤姆 - 索亚和撒切尔法官同乘一条小艇。 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险
• Mrs. Thatcher was almost crazed; and Aunt Polly, also. 撒切尔夫人几乎神经失常，还有波莉姨妈也是。 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险

13 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。

14 slumber   

n.睡眠，沉睡状态

参考例句：

• All the people in the hotels were wrapped in deep slumber.住在各旅馆里的人都已进入梦乡。
• Don't wake him from his slumber because he needs the rest.不要把他从睡眠中唤醒，因为他需要休息。

15 torpor   

n.迟钝；麻木；（动物的）冬眠

参考例句：

• The sick person gradually falls into a torpor.病人逐渐变得迟钝。
• He fell into a deep torpor.他一下子进入了深度麻痹状态。

16 constituents   

n.选民( constituent的名词复数 )；成分；构成部分；要素

参考例句：

• She has the full support of her constituents. 她得到本区选民的全力支持。
• Hydrogen and oxygen are the constituents of water. 氢和氧是水的主要成分。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 beckon   

v.(以点头或打手势)向...示意，召唤

参考例句：

• She crooked her finger to beckon him.她勾勾手指向他示意。
• The wave for Hawaii beckon surfers from all around the world.夏威夷的海浪吸引着世界各地的冲浪者前来。

18 distraction   

n.精神涣散，精神不集中，消遣，娱乐

参考例句：

• Total concentration is required with no distractions.要全神贯注，不能有丝毫分神。
• Their national distraction is going to the disco.他们的全民消遣就是去蹦迪。

19 canvassing   

v.（在政治方面）游说( canvass的现在分词 )；调查（如选举前选民的）意见；为讨论而提出（意见等）；详细检查

参考例句：

• He spent the whole month canvassing for votes. 他花了整整一个月四处游说拉选票。
• I'm canvassing for the Conservative Party. 我在为保守党拉选票。 来自辞典例句

20 scrutiny   

n.详细检查，仔细观察

参考例句：

• His work looks all right,but it will not bear scrutiny.他的工作似乎很好，但是经不起仔细检查。
• Few wives in their forties can weather such a scrutiny.很少年过四十的妻子经得起这么仔细的观察。

21 consolidation   

n.合并,巩固

参考例句：

• The denser population necessitates closer consolidation both for internal and external action. 住得日益稠密的居民，对内和对外都不得不更紧密地团结起来。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• The state ensures the consolidation and growth of the state economy. 国家保障国营经济的巩固和发展。 来自汉英非文学 - 中国宪法

22 outdated   

adj.旧式的，落伍的，过时的；v.使过时

参考例句：

• That list of addresses is outdated,many have changed.那个通讯录已经没用了，许多地址已经改了。
• Many of us conform to the outdated customs laid down by our forebears.我们许多人都遵循祖先立下的过时习俗。

23 outspoken   

adj.直言无讳的，坦率的，坦白无隐的

参考例句：

• He was outspoken in his criticism.他在批评中直言不讳。
• She is an outspoken critic of the school system in this city.她是这座城市里学校制度的坦率的批评者。

24 prolific   

adj.丰富的，大量的；多产的，富有创造力的

参考例句：

• She is a prolific writer of novels and short stories.她是一位多产的作家，写了很多小说和短篇故事。
• The last few pages of the document are prolific of mistakes.这个文件的最后几页错误很多。

25 debit   

n.借方，借项，记人借方的款项

参考例句：

• To whom shall I debit this sum?此款应记入谁的账户的借方？
• We undercharge Mr.Smith and have to send him a debit note for the extra amount.我们少收了史密斯先生的钱，只得给他寄去一张借条所要欠款。

26 agitating   

搅动( agitate的现在分词 )； 激怒； 使焦虑不安； （尤指为法律、社会状况的改变而）激烈争论

参考例句：

• political groups agitating for social change 鼓吹社会变革的政治团体
• They are agitating to assert autonomy. 他们正在鼓吹实行自治。

27 vocal   

adj.直言不讳的；嗓音的；n.[pl.]声乐节目

参考例句：

• The tongue is a vocal organ.舌头是一个发音器官。
• Public opinion at last became vocal.终于舆论哗然。

28 renewal   

adj.(契约)延期，续订，更新，复活，重来

参考例句：

• Her contract is coming up for renewal in the autumn.她的合同秋天就应该续签了。
• Easter eggs symbolize the renewal of life.复活蛋象征新生。

29 bloody   

adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染

参考例句：

• He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。
• He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。

30 groans   

n.呻吟，叹息( groan的名词复数 )；呻吟般的声音v.呻吟( groan的第三人称单数 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦

参考例句：

• There were loud groans when he started to sing. 他刚开始歌唱时有人发出了很大的嘘声。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• It was a weird old house, full of creaks and groans. 这是所神秘而可怕的旧宅，到处嘎吱嘎吱作响。 来自《简明英汉词典》

31 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

32 gatherings   

聚集( gathering的名词复数 )； 收集； 采集； 搜集

参考例句：

• His conduct at social gatherings created a lot of comment. 他在社交聚会上的表现引起许多闲话。
• During one of these gatherings a pupil caught stealing. 有一次，其中一名弟子偷窃被抓住。

33 grousing   

v.抱怨，发牢骚( grouse的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He's always grousing about the workload. 他总是抱怨工作量大。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The group are grousing about the service in the hotel restaurant. 旅游团对这家饭店餐厅的服务质量抱怨颇多。 来自互联网

34 lull   

v.使安静，使入睡，缓和，哄骗；n.暂停，间歇

参考例句：

• The drug put Simpson in a lull for thirty minutes.药物使辛普森安静了30分钟。
• Ground fighting flared up again after a two-week lull.经过两个星期的平静之后，地面战又突然爆发了。

35 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。