2022年经济学人 俄罗斯仍在向乌克兰边境增派更多军队

The world this week -- Politics

本周国际要闻——政治

Russia moved yet more troops close to its border with Ukraine.

俄罗斯仍在向乌克兰边境增派更多军队。

Vladimir Putin's party claimed, without evidence, that Ukraine's government was planning to attack Russian-speakers in eastern Ukraine, and appealed for Mr Putin to lend them military assistance.

弗拉基米尔·普京的政党在没有证据的情况下声称，乌克兰政府正计划袭击乌克兰东部讲俄语的人，该政党还请求普京向他们提供军事援助。

Western diplomats¹ warned Russia of severe consequences if it invades Ukraine.

西方外交官警告俄罗斯，如果其入侵乌克兰，将面临严重后果。

High-level diplomatic talks yielded no progress in defusing tensions, and America and some other countries told embassy staff to leave Ukraine.

高层外交会谈在缓和紧张局势方面没有取得任何进展，美国和其他一些国家要求大使馆工作人员离开乌克兰。

America and Britain sent more defensive² equipment to help Ukraine defend itself against a possible attack.

美国和英国派送出更多的防御装备，以帮助乌克兰抵御可能发生的袭击。

NATO beefed up its defences of member states in Russia's shadow.

北约受俄罗斯影响加强了成员国的防御。

America promised to help Europe secure more gas, in case Mr Putin decides to restrict supplies.

美国承诺帮助欧洲获得更多的天然气，以防普京决定限制供应。

An electoral college consisting of 1,009 MPs, senators and representatives of regional bodies set about choosing Italy's next president.

由1009名议员、参议员和地方机构代表组成的选举团开始着手选出意大利的下一任总统。

The process, which consists of a series of secret ballots⁴ held once a day, could go on for some time.

这一过程包括每天举行一次的一系列不记名投票，可能会持续一段时间。

Though the president's role is partly ceremonial, the post carries the responsibility of dissolving parliament and appointing new governments.

虽然该国总统这个角色在某种程度上是象征性的，但这一职位承担着解散议会和任命新政府的责任。

Stephen Breyer, one of three liberal justices on America's Supreme⁵ Court, will retire at the end of the court's current term.

美国最高法院三位自由派大法官之一斯蒂芬·布雷耶将在他于法院当前任期结束时退休。

President Joe Biden will nominate his successor, thereby⁶ maintaining the court's current 6-3 split between conservatives and liberals.

美国总统乔·拜登将提名他的继任者，从而维持最高法院目前保守派和自由派之间6比3的分配比例。

Progressives had pressed Justice Breyer, aged⁷ 83, to step down to ensure his replacement⁸ by a Democrat-controlled Senate.

进步人士曾向83岁的布雷耶大法官施压，要求他下台，以确保由民主党控制的参议院接替他。

Mr Biden has promised to nominate a black woman for the vacancy⁹.

拜登已承诺提名一名黑人女性来填补这个职位空缺。

Britain's wait for the results of an inquiry¹⁰ into parties held at the prime minister's office and residence during Covid-19 lockdowns dragged on.

针对新冠肺炎疫情封锁期间在首相办公室和官邸举行聚会的调查持续进行，英国还在等待其结果。

Police are also investigating whether those events broke the law.

警方也在调查这些活动是否违法。

It emerged that another bash took place in Downing Street, this time for Boris Johnson's birthday.

据悉，唐宁街还举行了另一场狂欢，这一次是为了庆祝鲍里斯·约翰逊的生日。

Some Conservative MPs have submitted letters of no confidence in Mr Johnson, though not yet enough to trigger a leadership ballot³.

一些保守党议员已经提交了对约翰逊的不信任信，尽管这还不足以引发不信任投票。

1 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 defensive   

adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的

参考例句：

• Their questions about the money put her on the defensive.他们问到钱的问题，使她警觉起来。
• The Government hastily organized defensive measures against the raids.政府急忙布置了防卫措施抵御空袭。

3 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

4 ballots   

n.投票表决( ballot的名词复数 )；选举；选票；投票总数v.（使）投票表决( ballot的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• They're counting the ballots. 他们正在计算选票。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The news of rigged ballots has rubbed off much of the shine of their election victory. 他们操纵选票的消息使他们在选举中获得的胜利大为减色。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

6 thereby   

adv.因此，从而

参考例句：

• I have never been to that city,,ereby I don't know much about it.我从未去过那座城市，因此对它不怎么熟悉。
• He became a British citizen,thereby gaining the right to vote.他成了英国公民，因而得到了投票权。

7 aged   

adj.年老的，陈年的

参考例句：

• He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了，也老点了。
• He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老，然而记忆力还好。

8 replacement   

n.取代，替换，交换；替代品，代用品

参考例句：

• We are hard put to find a replacement for our assistant.我们很难找到一个人来代替我们的助手。
• They put all the students through the replacement examination.他们让所有的学生参加分班考试。

9 vacancy   

n.（旅馆的）空位，空房，（职务的）空缺

参考例句：

• Her going on maternity leave will create a temporary vacancy.她休产假时将会有一个临时空缺。
• The vacancy of her expression made me doubt if she was listening.她茫然的神情让我怀疑她是否在听。

10 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。