经济学人:普京高调反腐 新闻曝光各部长赃款及其情妇(2)

 　　Europe Russia’s president

　　欧洲 俄罗斯总统

　　Alone at the top

　　高处不胜寒

　　All this feeds a sense of uncertainty¹, with the Moscow political elite² “disoriented,” according to Mr Petrov. Investigative files on the two defence cases have existed for years, only to resurface now. Are the rules changing? What could be unearthed³ tomorrow, and against whom? At the same time, the mood of rudderless leadership has been worsened by questions over Mr Putin’s health.

　　据彼得罗夫所言，莫斯科的政治精英们“迷失了方向”，所有这一切增加了迷茫的感觉。国防部的两个腐败案例的调查卷宗已然存在好多年了，只不过现在是重新露面而已。是规则在发生变化吗？明天会揭露出什么？会针对谁呢？与此同时，对于普京总统健康问题的疑问使人们“领导缺乏领头人”的情绪更加恶化。

　　俄罗斯政界的丑闻二.png

　　For much of October and November, Mr Putin worked at his Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow, rarely going to the Kremlin and cancelling foreign trips to Bulgaria, India and Turkey (though he is now going to Turkey next week). News reports discussed a possible back problem caused by flying an ultralight plane beside some wild cranes in September. The Kremlin dismissed this, saying only that Mr Putin had pulled a muscle while exercising. In another political system, the story might have stopped there, but in Russia the mystery took on symbolic⁴ resonance⁵.

　　在十月到十一月的大部分时间里，普京都在莫斯科外的Novo-Ogaryovo的住所办公，很少去克林姆宫，并且取消了去保加利亚，印度和土耳其（虽然下星期他就将出访土耳其）的访问行程。新闻报道讨论总统可能是因为9月乘坐的轻型飞机在一些野生鹤旁边飞行而使背部出了毛病。克里姆林宫拒绝这种说法，说普京总统只不过是在锻炼的时候拉伤了肌肉。在另外一种政治制度下，故事可能就到此为止了。但是在俄罗斯这个神秘事件却有了象征意义。

　　Over the years, Mr Putin has played on traditional Russian deference⁶ to the leader while relying on manipulation of the media. The “charismatic aura” for Mr Putin, says Lev Gudkov of the Levada Centre polling group, has produced a system like “Byzantium, only on television.” The real point of the story about Mr Putin’s back was not the supposed ailment⁷ but the breaking of a taboo⁸ over discussing his health—and his future.

　　在这几年里，普金一直依赖操控媒体来引导俄罗斯大众臣服于他的领导。拉维达中心民意调查集团的勒夫古德科威说，普京头上的“魅力光环”催生出一种类似于“电视里的拜占庭”的系统。其实普京事件真正的重点不是他到底得的什么病，而是打破了不能谈论他身体状况和未来的禁忌。

　　The biggest concern is Mr Putin’s isolation⁹. His claim to Germany’s Angela Merkel that Pussy¹⁰ Riot members had hanged the effigy¹¹ of a Jew in 2008 was bizarre and inaccurate¹² (in fact, the band was protesting against anti-Semitism); either he was misleading her or he had himself been misled. Mr Putin has spent over a decade in power and Yevgenia Albats, editor of the liberal New Times, talks of the “typical syndrome¹³ of an ageing general secretary”.

　　最令人担忧的是普京现在的孤立状况。他曾经向德国的安吉拉默克尔宣称，Pussy Riot乐队的成员曾于2008年绞杀一个犹太人的雕像，这个宣称既古怪又不准确（实际上这个乐队抗议的正是反犹太主义）；要么就是普京在误导默克尔，要么就是他自己也被误导了。普京执政已经超过十年，对此，新时代杂志的编辑同时也是无党派人士耶维格尼亚阿尔巴特表示，这是“年老的总统的典型症状”。

　　Compared with his early years in charge when he relied on economic aides like German Gref and Alexei Kudrin, Mr Putin has less faith in the counsel of those around him and more certainty in his own judgment¹⁴. After a difficult year, he believes that he “owes his position to a hard-fought electoral victory, unlike his colleagues who have no mandate¹⁵ from the voters”, says Sergei Guriev of the New Economic School. On many issues, says one former adviser¹⁶, Mr Putin “thinks he understands the situation, but in fact it can be quite incomprehensible for him”.

　　普京总统当权的早些年依赖其经济助手比如格尔曼.格列夫和阿列克谢.库德林，与那时相比，他现在对他周围的忠告更加不信任而对自己的判断更加确信。在经历了艰难的一年之后，他相信他“把自己的地位归功于通过艰苦奋战取得的选举胜利，不像他那些选民没有授权的同事们”，新经济学院的谢尔盖·瓦西里连科说。一个前顾问说，普京总统在很多事情上“认为他了解情况，但是实际上情况对他来说可能很难以理解”。

　　Decision-making in the Kremlin appears to be on hold. Mr Putin has slowed down progress on the budget, on pensions and on privatisation. This may partly be a prudent¹⁷ move to sit out recent turmoil¹⁸ in global markets. But the danger of what Chris Weafer of Troika Dialog calls a “deliberate policy of inactivity” is that Mr Putin waits too long, acting¹⁹ only when the next political or financial crisis hits him.

　　克林姆宫的决策似乎要推迟了。普京总统放缓了预算、养老金和私有化的进展。部分原因是出于普京对近期全球市场混乱无序的谨慎考虑，不愿去淌这个浑水。但是克丽丝韦弗和特罗伊卡戴尔罗格称此举十分危险，是一种“故意不作为的政策”，也就是说普京一直按兵不动，直到下一次政治或金融危机出现时再采取对策。

　　As for the campaign against corruption²⁰, it will go only so far. Corruption is a pillar of Putin-era stability as much as a threat to it. Much of what could be called corruption has become formalised, if not legalised, through official tenders, court rulings and bank-approved loans. That makes it both more prevalent and amorphous—and harder to eliminate.

　　至于反腐斗争，也只能到此为止了。腐败既是普京政局稳定的一大支柱，也是一大威胁。被称为腐败的很多东西即使没有合法化，也通过正式投标、法院裁决和银行许可的贷款变得正常化了。这就导致贪污问题更加普遍，形式更加复杂，更难消除。

　　Alexei Venediktov of the Ekho Moskvy radio station likens the situation to “turbulence” in an aeroplane. The ruling class may know “in which direction and with which pilot” they are flying, he says; but the plane is shaking disconcertingly.

　　回声电台的阿列克谢·维涅季克托夫将此比作飞机遇到的“不稳定气流”。在飞行时统治阶层也许清楚“朝何处前进，和哪位飞行员一同协作”， 但是飞机正在令人不安地摇晃。

　　1.rely on 依靠

　　例句:I was sure that I might rely on you.

　　我原先就肯定我是可以依仗你的。

　　2.so far 目前

　　例句:So far the message has not been read.

　　这个信息至今未被辨认出来。

　　3.sit out 袖手旁观

　　例句:They became aware that it would be impossible for them to sit out any war in Europe.

　　他们已经意识到一旦欧洲发生战争，他们不可能置身事外。

　　4.in power 执政的；掌权的

　　例句:The Socialists²¹ were in power in Westminster.

　　在威斯敏斯特中是工党得势。

1 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

2 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。

3 unearthed   

出土的（考古）

参考例句：

• Many unearthed cultural relics are set forth in the exhibition hall. 展览馆里陈列着许多出土文物。
• Some utensils were in a state of decay when they were unearthed. 有些器皿在出土时已经残破。

4 symbolic   

adj.象征性的，符号的，象征主义的

参考例句：

• It is symbolic of the fighting spirit of modern womanhood.它象征着现代妇女的战斗精神。
• The Christian ceremony of baptism is a symbolic act.基督教的洗礼仪式是一种象征性的做法。

5 resonance   

n.洪亮；共鸣；共振

参考例句：

• Playing the piano sets up resonance in those glass ornaments.一弹钢琴那些玻璃饰物就会产生共振。
• The areas under the two resonance envelopes are unequal.两个共振峰下面的面积是不相等的。

6 deference   

n.尊重，顺从；敬意

参考例句：

• Do you treat your parents and teachers with deference?你对父母师长尊敬吗？
• The major defect of their work was deference to authority.他们的主要缺陷是趋从权威。

7 ailment   

n.疾病，小病

参考例句：

• I don't have even the slightest ailment.我什么毛病也没有。
• He got timely treatment for his ailment.他的病得到了及时治疗。

8 taboo   

n.禁忌，禁止接近，禁止使用；adj.禁忌的；v.禁忌，禁制，禁止

参考例句：

• The rude words are taboo in ordinary conversation.这些粗野的字眼在日常谈话中是禁忌的。
• Is there a taboo against sex before marriage in your society?在你们的社会里，婚前的性行为犯禁吗？

9 isolation   

n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离

参考例句：

• The millionaire lived in complete isolation from the outside world.这位富翁过着与世隔绝的生活。
• He retired and lived in relative isolation.他退休后，生活比较孤寂。

10 pussy   

n.(儿语)小猫，猫咪

参考例句：

• Why can't they leave my pussy alone?为什么他们就不能离我小猫咪远一点？
• The baby was playing with his pussy.孩子正和他的猫嬉戏。

11 effigy   

n.肖像

参考例句：

• There the effigy stands,and stares from age to age across the changing ocean.雕像依然耸立在那儿，千秋万载地凝视着那变幻无常的大海。
• The deposed dictator was burned in effigy by the crowd.群众焚烧退位独裁者的模拟像。

12 inaccurate   

adj.错误的，不正确的，不准确的

参考例句：

• The book is both inaccurate and exaggerated.这本书不但不准确，而且夸大其词。
• She never knows the right time because her watch is inaccurate.她从来不知道准确的时间因为她的表不准。

13 syndrome   

n.综合病症；并存特性

参考例句：

• The Institute says that an unidentified virus is to blame for the syndrome. 该研究所表示,引起这种综合症的是一种尚未确认的病毒。
• Results indicated that 11 fetuses had Down syndrome. 结果表明有11个胎儿患有唐氏综合征。

14 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

15 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。

16 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

17 prudent   

adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的

参考例句：

• A prudent traveller never disparages his own country.聪明的旅行者从不贬低自己的国家。
• You must school yourself to be modest and prudent.你要学会谦虚谨慎。

18 turmoil   

n.骚乱，混乱，动乱

参考例句：

• His mind was in such a turmoil that he couldn't get to sleep.内心的纷扰使他无法入睡。
• The robbery put the village in a turmoil.抢劫使全村陷入混乱。

19 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

20 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

21 socialists   

社会主义者( socialist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The socialists saw themselves as true heirs of the Enlightenment. 社会主义者认为自己是启蒙运动的真正继承者。
• The Socialists junked dogma when they came to office in 1982. 社会党人1982年上台执政后，就把其政治信条弃之不顾。