经济学人:脱欧进程 "贵族式跳跃"(1)

 　　Britain

　　英国

　　The Brexit Process: "Lords-a-leaping"

　　脱欧进程：“贵族式跳跃”

　　The Article 50 bill will pass, but the real debate about Brexit is yet to begin.

　　《里斯本条约》第五十条会被通过，但关于脱欧的真正谈判才正要开始。

　　It was certainly a majestic¹ setting.

　　英国的上议院十分壮丽。

　　The House of Lords was resplendent with gilt², glass, a bevy³ of bishops⁴ and many geriatric former politicians crammed⁵ onto its red leather benches.

　　有金碧辉煌的墙壁，装饰着花纹的玻璃，上议院的红皮长椅上坐满了神职议员、年长的前任政客们。

　　脱欧进程贵族式跳跃.jpg

　　And there perched on a parapet just below the glittering royal throne sat Theresa May, on a highly unusual visit to the upper house.

　　特蕾莎梅闪闪发光的御座下有一个矮护墙，在这里开始了一次不同寻常的讨论。

　　The reason for the prime minister's presence on February 20th was that the Lords were starting to debate the bill authorising her to invoke⁶ Article 50, the treaty procedure for leaving the European Union.

　　上议院开始就是否允许特雷莎·梅援引关于脱欧程序的《里斯本条约》第五十条展开辩论，于是英国首相特蕾莎梅在2月20日出席上议院会议。

　　Although (or because) they are unelected, the quality of their debate far exceeded that in the Commons a fortnight ago.

　　虽然上议院的大多数议员都是未经过选举的，但就两周前下议院同样就第五十条法案展开辩论的来看，其辩论水平远远不如这次。

　　Lord Hague, a former Tory leader, loudly denounced Tony Blair, a former Labour prime minister, for inviting⁷ people to “rise up” against Brexit.

　　前保守党领导人黑格强烈谴责前英国首相布莱尔怂恿民众“起义”反对脱欧。

　　Lord Mandelson, Mr Blair's close ally, responded that Brexit supporters did not want Britain to be poorer and politically isolated⁸, and so should be entitled to change their minds.

　　布莱尔的亲信曼德尔森回应说，脱欧支持者不希望英国出现国力衰退，政治上被孤立的情况，当然他们也有权利改变他们的主意。

　　Lords Lawson and Lamont, both former Tory chancellors⁹, attacked as undemocratic the idea of amending¹¹ a bill that had not only passed the Commons unscathed but also reflected one of the biggest votes in British history.

　　前保守党大臣劳森和拉蒙特将此修改条款的做法视为非民主的行为，这不仅能毫发无损地通过下议院颁布这项法令，也反映了英国史上影响力范围最大的一次投票。

　　Even so, because the government lacks a majority in the upper house, the Lords will try to amend¹⁰ the bill.

　　即使如此，因为特雷莎·梅的保守党在上议院没有占多数席位，上议院将设法修改法案。

　　One amendment¹² could demand a bigger role for Parliament.

　　其中一项修改是需要议会发挥更大的作用。

　　Another would try to guarantee the rights of EU citizens in Britain to stay put.

　　另一项是设法保证欧盟人民在英国的权利。

　　Their Lordships might even demand a second referendum on the precise terms of Brexit.

　　苏格兰当局就关于是否脱欧推动苏格兰进行第二次公投。

　　This idea was supported not just by Liberal Democrats¹³ and Scottish Nationalists but by other luminaries¹⁴, including Lord Butler, a former cabinet secretary.

　　这个想法不仅得到了自由民主党和苏格兰民族主义者的支持，还得到了其他名人的支持，如前内阁秘书巴特勒勋爵。

　　1.cabinet secretary 内阁秘书

　　例句:One cabinet secretary, the secretary of Agriculture, is responsible for chickens.

　　作为农业部长的一位内阁部长，他只为鸡群负责。

　　2.prime minister 首相

　　例句:The Prime Minister reviewed the situation with his Cabinet yesterday.

　　昨天，首相和他的内阁对局势进行了审度。

　　3.rise up 上升；叛变

　　例句:He incited¹⁵ them to rise up against their officers.

　　他煽动他们起来反对他们的军官。

　　4.stay put 留在原处

　　例句:Nigel says for the moment he is very happy to stay put in Lyon.

　　奈杰尔说目前他很乐意留在里昂。

1 majestic   

adj.雄伟的，壮丽的，庄严的，威严的，崇高的

参考例句：

• In the distance rose the majestic Alps.远处耸立着雄伟的阿尔卑斯山。
• He looks majestic in uniform.他穿上军装显得很威风。

2 gilt   

adj.镀金的；n.金边证券

参考例句：

• The plates have a gilt edge.这些盘子的边是镀金的。
• The rest of the money is invested in gilt.其余的钱投资于金边证券。

3 bevy   

n.一群

参考例句：

• A bevy of bathing beauties appeared on the beach.沙滩上出现了一群游泳的美女。
• Look,there comes a bevy of ladies.看，一群女人来了。

4 bishops   

（基督教某些教派管辖大教区的）主教( bishop的名词复数 )； （国际象棋的）象

参考例句：

• Each player has two bishops at the start of the game. 棋赛开始时，每名棋手有两只象。
• "Only sheriffs and bishops and rich people and kings, and such like. “他劫富济贫，抢的都是郡长、主教、国王之类的富人。

5 crammed   

adj.塞满的，挤满的；大口地吃；快速贪婪地吃v.把…塞满；填入；临时抱佛脚( cram的过去式)

参考例句：

• He crammed eight people into his car. 他往他的车里硬塞进八个人。
• All the shelves were crammed with books. 所有的架子上都堆满了书。

6 invoke   

v.求助于(神、法律)；恳求，乞求

参考例句：

• Let us invoke the blessings of peace.让我们祈求和平之福。
• I hope I'll never have to invoke this clause and lodge a claim with you.我希望我永远不会使用这个条款向你们索赔。

7 inviting   

adj.诱人的，引人注目的

参考例句：

• An inviting smell of coffee wafted into the room.一股诱人的咖啡香味飘进了房间。
• The kitchen smelled warm and inviting and blessedly familiar.这间厨房的味道温暖诱人，使人感到亲切温馨。

8 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

9 chancellors   

大臣( chancellor的名词复数 )； （某些美国大学的）校长； （德国或奥地利的）总理； （英国大学的）名誉校长

参考例句：

• The opposition leader spoke against the chancellors' proposals and mincemeat of them. 反对派领导人反对大臣们的建议，并将他们驳得体无完肤。
• Chancellors and defence secretaries are supposed to keep such disputes private. 各部大臣和国防大臣本应该私下进行这种争论。

10 amend   

vt.修改，修订，改进；n.[pl.]赔罪，赔偿

参考例句：

• The teacher advised him to amend his way of living.老师劝他改变生活方式。
• You must amend your pronunciation.你必须改正你的发音。

11 amending   

改良，修改，修订( amend的现在分词 )； 改良，修改，修订( amend的第三人称单数 )( amends的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Amending acts in 1933,1934, and 1935 attempted to help honest debtors rehabilitate themselves. 一九三三年，一九三四年和一九三五年通过的修正案是为了帮助诚实的债务人恢复自己的地位。
• Two ways were used about the error-amending of contour curve. 采用两种方法对凸轮轮廓曲线进行了修正。

12 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

13 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 luminaries   

n.杰出人物，名人（luminary的复数形式）

参考例句：

• In that day there will be no light; the luminaries will dwindle. 亚14:6那日、必没有光．三光必退缩。 来自互联网
• Includes household filament light bulbs & luminaries. 包括家用的白炙灯泡和光源。 来自互联网

15 incited   

刺激，激励，煽动( incite的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He incited people to rise up against the government. 他煽动人们起来反对政府。
• The captain's example incited the men to bravery. 船长的榜样激发了水手们的勇敢精神。