The Muslim Brotherhood is considered likely to be the biggest beneficiary of Egypt's first post-revolution elections - a nationwide vote for parliament that begins Monday. But the Brotherhood has an image problem: it is considered too radical by some abroad, and too accommodating by some at home.
穆斯林兄弟会被认为可能成为埃及革命后首次选举的最大获益者。埃及全国将从星期一开始进行议会选举投票。但是穆斯林兄弟会的形象存在问题: 国外的一些人认为它太激进，国内的一些人认为它太包容。穆斯林兄弟会一名竞选人在开罗设法让选民更加全面地了解他的组织。
If it is a politician's goal to appeal to the widest base, then Muslim Brotherhood candidate Amr Zaki is very good at his job. His core issue, unsurprisingly, is Islam - Islam as the center of all things political, economic and social.
如果说一位政治家的目标是吸引最广泛的基础，那么穆斯林兄弟会的候选人阿姆尔·扎基的工作做得非常好。毫不奇怪，他的核心问题是伊斯兰教，作为所有政治、经济和社会问题核心的伊斯兰教。
Encompassing society
"It's all encompassing", he repeats to the crowd gathered in this working-class Cairo district - Islam is all encompassing. But the man some fear represents a step backward for women and religious minorities shares the stage at this rally with a female community organizer and a neighborhood Christian priest.
扎基向聚集在开罗的这个工薪阶层区的民众反复强调说：“伊斯兰包容所有一切。”一些人担心扎基在代表女性和宗教少数派方面是个倒退。而在这次集会上，扎基与一位女性社区组织者和一位社区基督教牧师一起站在了演讲台上。
"Your church," he tells the priest in welcome, "is valued by us as much as our mosques." And as a counterpoint to Western fears of an Islamist ascendancy after the Arab Spring, Zaki switches to English with a message of pragmatism for the foreign media in the front row.
扎基欢迎这位牧师，他说：“我们将你的教堂和我们的清真寺看得同样珍贵。”西方国家担心穆斯林在阿拉伯之春运动后取得优势地位，对此，扎基用英语向坐在前排的外国媒体记者传达实用的信息。
"In first priority, in our proceedings in party, how we can build, how we can build the Egyptian people," he says.
扎基说：“我们的首要任务在于，我们怎样能够建设，我们怎样能为埃及人民谋利益。”
Zaki, an urban planner with business interests abroad, combines what many people here in Egypt seem to want: middle-class prosperity - he outlines housing developments, industrial centers, new hospitals - while retaining a deep religious faith. It's an accommodating stance that appeals to many in the voting district - a warren of crowded, narrow streets where children run with abandon and a goat wanders, looking for a meal.
扎基，这位在海外拥有商业利益的城市规划者，融合了许多埃及人看来想要的东西:中产阶级的兴旺。他概述了有关住房发展、产业中心和新医院的计划，同时还保持了很深的宗教信仰。这是一个具有包容性的立场，吸引了这个投票区的很多人。这个区人员拥挤，孩子们在狭窄的街道上无拘无束地玩耍，一只山羊在漫步，寻找东西吃。
"They are very moderate and they can accept all the currents and they can accept all the groups of the society, OK? And they have a very good program," said Wael Lofti, an English teacher and Brotherhood supporter.
居民沃尔·洛夫蒂是一名英语老师，他是穆斯林兄弟会的支持者。洛夫蒂说：“他们非常温和，他们可以接受现在所有的趋势，他们可以接受社会中所有的团体。他们有很好的计划。”
Track record
The question is, will they stay that way? Long-time dissident and political analyst Hisham Kassem says most political forces don't think so.
问题是，他们会保持这种作风吗?资深异议人士和政治分析师希沙姆·卡西姆说，大多数政治派别不这样认为。
"In the past, Mubarak's opposition, where I come from, did not trust the Brotherhood because of their track record of reneging on deals," said Kassem. "Once they are in a position of power, their discourse changes completely, and their attitude in negotiations."
卡西姆说：“我是穆巴拉克的反对者。过去，穆巴拉克的反对者不信任穆斯林兄弟会，因为他们一直有背信违约的记录。一旦他们掌权，他们的说辞就完全变了，他们的态度也会有所不同。”
The accusation of opportunism has cropped up again in recent days in the Brotherhood's dealings with the ruling military council, some say at the expense of its opponents on Tahrir Square. It's a charge Zaki dismisses.
最近几天，有人再次指责穆斯林兄弟会在与执政的军事委员会打交道时表现出机会主义，有人说他们还以解放广场上的反对派为代价。扎基否认这种指责。
"There is no relation between us and the army," said Zaki. "This is not true."
扎基说：“我们和军队没有关系。这种指责不是事实。”
And while the Brotherhood has been largely missing from the latest round of demonstrations, Zaki expresses support for the protesters.
尽管穆斯林兄弟会基本上没有参加最近一轮的示威抗议活动，但扎基表达了对抗议者的支持。
"I first give a good attention and appreciate their efforts in Tahrir," he said. "And they understand the Muslim Brothers is going to put the effort in the right direction."
扎基说：“首先，我向解放广场民众的行动表示很大的关注和感谢。他们理解穆斯林兄弟会正朝着正确的方向努力。”
Election performance
Analyst and publisher Kassem says that with all its promises, the Brotherhood has stretched itself too thin.
分析师和出版商卡西姆说，穆斯林兄弟会作出了很多承诺，这就好比橡皮筋拉得太紧，难以承受。
"I don't think the Brotherhood will have a very impressive performance in the elections,"he said. "I think they'll end up with more seats as a party, but not enough to form a government, and nobody will enter a coalition with them."
卡西姆说：“我认为穆斯林兄弟会在这次选举中不会有令人印象很深刻的表现。我认为他们作为一个政党最终会获得更多席位，但是还不足以组建政府，而且没有哪个党派会和他们组成联合政府。”
But on one thing both Kassem and Zaki agree: elections are the only way forward.
但是卡西姆和扎基都赞同的一点是:选举是唯一的出路。
"The election is a good chance for our country," said Zaki. "We need to proceed with it, to finalize it. We need to proceed to press this part of our history."
扎基说：“对我们国家来说选举是一个很好的机会。我们需要推进选举，完成选举。我们需要推进我们的这部分历史。”
Whatever the Brotherhood's future direction, for this election, Zaki has embraced the spirit of the process.
不管穆斯林兄弟会未来的走向如何，对于这次选举，扎基领略了其中的精神。 |