新西兰的新国旗方案独立专家小组日前公布了40幅入围设计稿，这个小组将负责在其中选出新国旗的设计方案。

　　Nearly 10,300 were submitted by members of the public to a government website for consideration by the government-appointed panel of 16 people.

　　政府网站收到了新西兰民众提交的近10300幅作品，这些作品将交由政府任命的16人国旗方案专家小组进行评审。

　　The process attracted international attention for its more off-the-wall entries, including memorably a kiwi with lasers for eyes, a crude line drawing of a man on a bicycle, a QR code, and the 10-year-old Pepe the Frog meme.

　　由于较为稀奇古怪的参选作品，该活动吸引了国际关注。其中令人印象深刻的作品有：一只眼睛发射激光的几维鸟、一幅骑着自行车的男人的拙劣简笔画、一个二维码、甚至还有一只诞生于1995年的青蛙佩佩。

　　新西兰新国旗入围设计出炉.jpg

　　Unsurprisingly, but nonetheless somewhat disappointingly, the panel went for a more refined approach in the longlist of 40 designs it published on Monday, with variations on the silver fern, the Southern Cross constellation and the koru (unfurling fern frond) featuring prominently.

　　专家小组10日公布了40幅设计初选入围设计稿，走的是高雅路线，虽然不出意料，但还是或多或少有些让人失望。新西兰银蕨、南十字星座以及展开的银蕨叶这些入围作品里出现最多的元素。

　　The silver fern on black designed by Kyle Lockwood – which was the preference of the prime minister, John Key, before it was likened to the Islamic State’s flag by an Australian commentator – is on the list.

　　新西兰总理约翰·基（John Key）原本看好由凯尔·洛克伍德设计的黑底银蕨旗，但后来有一名澳大利亚评论人士指出黑底银蕨旗太像恐怖组织伊斯兰国（Islamic State）的旗帜。

　　In an open letter jointly signed by all 12 members, the panel said its decision was guided by the input of “thousands of Kiwis across a range of communities told us when they shared what is special to them about New Zealand”.

　　在一封由12名专家小组成员全体签名的公开信中，专家小组表示，数千名来自不同群体的新西兰人分享了新西兰对自已而言最特别的地方，他们是在这些民众传达出的信息的指引下做出的决定。

　　“A potential new flag should unmistakably be from New Zealand and celebrate us as a progressive, inclusive nation that is connected to its environment, and has a sense of its past and a vision for its future.”

　　“新国旗的候选设计毫无疑问必须具有鲜明的新西兰特色，体现出我们是一个进取、包容的国家，我们同自然和谐相处，我们铭记历史同样也面向未来。”

　　Cultural, vexillology and art and design experts were asked to review the longlisted designs, and due diligence of all 40 will be carried out, “including robust intellectual property checks”.

　　文化、旗帜学和艺术与设计方面的专家应邀审查这些入选作品，他们将认真负责地审阅全部40幅作品，“包括对这些作品进行严格的知识产权的审查”。

　　Two designs by Pax Zwanikken, a New Zealander based in Sydney, made the longlist of the “20 or so” he submitted.

　　住在悉尼的新西兰人帕克斯·茨瓦尼肯提交了“20个左右”作品，有两幅作品入选。

　　“My personal favourites were more simple than the ones they selected, but I’m not surprised that these two were their choice,” he said. “They are potentially less divisive than some of my other concepts.”

　　帕克斯表示：“我自己最喜欢的作品要比小组选出来的更简约，但他们选了这两幅作品我并不意外，因为同我的一些其他创意相比这两个要和谐多了。”

　　Zwanikken said he felt that there had been a backlash against the push to change the flag – instigated by Key – in part because of the cost and duration of the process, which will include a two-step postal vote and is estimated to cost just under $NZ26m.

　　更换国旗的事情由新西兰总理约翰·基发起。帕克斯说他认为更换国旗这件事遭到抵制的部分原因是开销过大耗时过长，它需要进行两轮邮寄投票，预计耗资近2600万新西兰元。

　　The panel is now faced with the task of whittling down the longlist of 40 to four designs that will be put to a public vote in a binding referendum in November or December.

　　小组现在面临着将这40幅设计稿精简为4幅的任务，选出的4款设计将在11月份或12月份接受公投，公投结果具有约束力。

　　A second referendum, to be held in March 2016, will be a run-off between the current flag and the preferred alternative design.

　　第二轮公投将于2016年3月份举行，将决定保留现在使用的国旗还是选择之前选出的新国旗设计。

　　New Zealand’s current flag, a pairing of the Union Jack with the Southern Cross constellation that closely resembles Australia’s, was formally adopted in 1902.

　　新西兰现在的国旗于1902年正式投入使用，由英联邦的米字旗和南十字星座组合而成，与澳大利亚的国旗颇为相似。