英国卫报：残酷的斗羊世界(2)

For many, that means Europe.

对许多人来说，这意味着欧洲。

These young men have grown up in the shadows of two cataclysmic wars.

这些年轻人是在两场灾难性战争的阴影下长大的。

Between 1954 and 1962, more than a million Algerian Muslims died during the war for independence from France.

在1954年至1962年期间，超过一百万阿尔及利亚穆斯林死于脱离法国的独立战争。

After almost 30 years of repressive one-party rule ended in 1991, Algeria descended¹ into violence once again.

在1991年结束了近30年的一党专制统治后，阿尔及利亚再次陷入暴力冲突。

For the next decade, a bloody² conflict raged between security forces and Islamist insurgents³, leaving some 200,000 Algerians dead.

在接下来的十年里，一场血腥的冲突在安全部队和伊斯兰叛乱分子之间肆虐，造成约20万阿尔及利亚人死亡。

That period is commonly referred to as the “black decade”.

那段时间通常被称为 “黑色十年”。

Since then, security forces have kept a stifling⁴ grip on Algeria.

从那时起，安全部队一直对阿尔及利亚保持着扼杀性的控制。

Both the war for independence and the violence of the 1990s helped build a powerful, revolutionary, proudly Arab-African nation-state obsessed⁵ with self-rule and suspicious of outside intentions – but also afraid of what comes from within.

争取独立的战争和1990年代的暴力都有助于建立一个强大的、革命的、自豪的阿拉伯-非洲民族国家，它痴迷于自我统治，怀疑外部意图，但也害怕来自内部的东西。

Beneath the outward signs of a meaningful democracy – a free press, political pluralism, resilient institutions – shadowy assemblages of business elites⁶, ruling party figures and generals call the shots.

在一个有意义的民主制度的外表下——新闻自由、政治多元化、有弹性的机构——商业精英、执政党人物和将军们的在幕后发号施令。

The streets are filled with secret police and spies from the KGB-inspired intelligence agency.

街道上到处都是秘密警察和来自克格勃情报机构的间谍。

A curfew mentality⁷ still reigns⁸, and there's nothing to do after 6pm.

宵禁的心态依然存在，晚上6点后没有什么可做的。

The system and its citizens are at peace, but remain deeply wary⁹ of one another.

这个系统和它的公民都处于和平状态，但仍然对彼此有很强的警惕性。

There was no Arab spring in Algeria in 2011, partly because the memories of extreme violence in the black decade are still fresh, and secret police intercept¹⁰ most protests before they've even begun.

2011年阿尔及利亚没有阿拉伯之春，部分原因是对黑色十年的极端暴力记忆犹新，而且秘密警察在大多数抗议活动开始之前就进行了拦截。

These days, although the Algerian capital pulses at a low intensity¹¹, beguiled¹² by a weary calm, currents of violence still wash through it.

这些天来，尽管阿尔及利亚首都在低强度下跳动，被平静所迷惑，但暴力的洪流仍然冲刷着它。

The authorities have managed to co-opt or eliminate all major pockets of dissent¹³, yet scarcely a week goes by without protests – localised, spontaneous micro-riots usually sparked by government policies to redistribute oil profits that favour some at the cost of others.

当局已经设法收编或消除了所有主要的异议群体，但几乎每个星期都有抗议活动——局部的、自发的小规模暴乱，通常是由政府重新分配石油利润的政策引发的，这些政策有利于一些人，却牺牲了其他人。

Another common trigger for unrest is the publication of housing grant lists, since the government routinely gives out free apartments to relatives of local officials rather than low-income families who have been waiting for years.

另一个常见的动乱导火索是住房补助名单的公布，因为政府通常会将免费公寓发放给地方官员的亲属，而不是等待了多年的低收入家庭。

These protests purge¹⁴, at least briefly¹⁵, the shame of being dependent on a repressive state, enabling people to reclaim¹⁶ some form of agency.

这些抗议活动至少短暂地清除了依赖压迫性国家的耻辱，使人们能够重新获得某种形式的机构。

Sheep fights have become a rare arena¹⁷ where men can escape the constant supervision¹⁸ of the state.

斗羊已经成为一个罕见的舞台，在这里，人们可以逃避国家的持续监督。

While the fights are technically¹⁹ illegal, authorities allow followers²⁰ of the sport to stream to unauthorised locations each week.

虽然斗羊在技术上是非法的，但当局允许这项运动的追随者每周流向未经授权的地点。

Leagues in Algiers and the eastern port city of Annaba hold matches on hilltops, football pitches and school courtyards.

阿尔及尔和东部港口城市安纳巴的联赛在山顶、足球场和学校院子里举行比赛。

These range from the amateurish²¹ neighbourhood fights, which draw a few hundred local men, to the grand African championship tournaments (held a few times a year in either Algeria or Tunisia – the only two entrants), which attract thousands from all over North Africa.

这些比赛的范围从吸引几百名当地男子的业余邻里比赛，到吸引数千名来自北非各地的人参加的盛大的非洲锦标赛（每年在阿尔及利亚或突尼斯举行几次，这是唯一的两个参赛者）。

1 descended   

a.为...后裔的，出身于...的

参考例句：

• A mood of melancholy descended on us. 一种悲伤的情绪袭上我们的心头。
• The path descended the hill in a series of zigzags. 小路呈连续的之字形顺着山坡蜿蜒而下。

2 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。

3 insurgents   

n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The regular troops of Baden joined the insurgents. 巴登的正规军参加到起义军方面来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Against the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents, these problems are manageable. 要对付塔利班与伊拉克叛乱分子，这些问题还是可以把握住的。 来自互联网

4 stifling   

a.令人窒息的

参考例句：

• The weather is stifling. It looks like rain. 今天太闷热，光景是要下雨。
• We were stifling in that hot room with all the windows closed. 我们在那间关着窗户的热屋子里，简直透不过气来。

5 obsessed   

adj.心神不宁的,鬼迷心窍的,沉迷的

参考例句：

• He's obsessed by computers. 他迷上了电脑。
• The fear of death obsessed him throughout his old life. 他晚年一直受着死亡恐惧的困扰。

6 elites   

精华( elite的名词复数 )； 精锐； 上层集团； （统称）掌权人物

参考例句：

• The elites are by their nature a factor contributing to underdevelopment. 这些上层人物天生是助长欠发达的因素。
• Elites always detest gifted and nimble outsiders. 社会名流对天赋聪明、多才多艺的局外人一向嫌恶。

7 mentality   

n.心理，思想，脑力

参考例句：

• He has many years'experience of the criminal mentality.他研究犯罪心理有多年经验。
• Running a business requires a very different mentality from being a salaried employee.经营企业所要求具备的心态和上班族的心态截然不同。

8 reigns   

n.君主的统治( reign的名词复数 )；君主统治时期；任期；当政期

参考例句：

• In these valleys night reigns. 夜色笼罩着那些山谷。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The Queen of Britain reigns, but she does not rule or govern. 英国女王是国家元首，但不治国事。 来自辞典例句

9 wary   

adj.谨慎的，机警的，小心的

参考例句：

• He is wary of telling secrets to others.他谨防向他人泄露秘密。
• Paula frowned,suddenly wary.宝拉皱了皱眉头，突然警惕起来。

10 intercept   

vt.拦截，截住，截击

参考例句：

• His letter was intercepted by the Secret Service.他的信被特工处截获了。
• Gunmen intercepted him on his way to the airport.持枪歹徒在他去机场的路上截击了他。

11 intensity   

n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度

参考例句：

• I didn't realize the intensity of people's feelings on this issue.我没有意识到这一问题能引起群情激奋。
• The strike is growing in intensity.罢工日益加剧。

12 beguiled   

v.欺骗( beguile的过去式和过去分词 )；使陶醉；使高兴；消磨（时间等）

参考例句：

• She beguiled them into believing her version of events. 她哄骗他们相信了她叙述的事情。
• He beguiled me into signing this contract. 他诱骗我签订了这项合同。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

13 dissent   

n./v.不同意，持异议

参考例句：

• It is too late now to make any dissent.现在提出异议太晚了。
• He felt her shoulders gave a wriggle of dissent.他感到她的肩膀因为不同意而动了一下。

14 purge   

n.整肃，清除，泻药，净化；vt.净化，清除，摆脱；vi.清除，通便，腹泻，变得清洁

参考例句：

• The new president carried out a purge of disloyal army officers.新总统对不忠诚的军官进行了清洗。
• The mayoral candidate has promised to purge the police department.市长候选人答应清洗警察部门。

15 briefly   

adv.简单地，简短地

参考例句：

• I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
• He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。

16 reclaim   

v.要求归还，收回；开垦

参考例句：

• I have tried to reclaim my money without success.我没能把钱取回来。
• You must present this ticket when you reclaim your luggage.当你要取回行李时，必须出示这张票子。

17 arena   

n.竞技场，运动场所；竞争场所，舞台

参考例句：

• She entered the political arena at the age of 25. 她25岁进入政界。
• He had not an adequate arena for the exercise of his talents.他没有充分发挥其才能的场所。

18 supervision   

n.监督，管理

参考例句：

• The work was done under my supervision.这项工作是在我的监督之下完成的。
• The old man's will was executed under the personal supervision of the lawyer.老人的遗嘱是在律师的亲自监督下执行的。

19 technically   

adv.专门地，技术上地

参考例句：

• Technically it is the most advanced equipment ever.从技术上说，这是最先进的设备。
• The tomato is technically a fruit,although it is eaten as a vegetable.严格地说，西红柿是一种水果，尽管它是当作蔬菜吃的。

20 followers   

追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件

参考例句：

• the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
• The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。

21 amateurish   

n.业余爱好的，不熟练的

参考例句：

• The concert was rather an amateurish affair.这场音乐会颇有些外行客串的味道。
• The paintings looked amateurish.这些画作看起来只具备业余水准。