英国卫报:绑架为何成了一门生意(4)（在线收听）

London is the global centre for K&R insurance, but it has not always been a comfortable fit.

伦敦是绑架和赎金保险的中心，但它并不总是一个适合它的地方。

Different countries take different approaches to dealing with the kidnapping of their nationals –

不同的国家采取不同的方法来处理绑架他们的国民——

and the UK, along with the US, has long been a leader of the so-called “no concessions” camp,

英国和美国一直是所谓“不让步”阵营的领导者，

officially refusing to negotiate with terrorists, pay ransom or make concessions.

官方拒绝与恐怖分子谈判、支付赎金或做出让步。

In April 1986, Jennifer Guinness, the wife of banker and member of the Guinness brewing family John Guinness,

1986年4月，银行家、吉尼斯酿造家族成员约翰·吉尼斯的妻子詹妮弗·吉尼斯

was kidnapped by a gang that demanded a ransom of 2m pounds.

被一个团伙绑架，该团伙要求200万英镑的赎金。

She was rescued in a police raid only eight days after being abducted.

在被绑架8天后，她就在一次警察突袭中获救。

But the fact that a K&R policy had been triggered

但事实上绑架和赎金保险已经触发，

and Control Risks were brought in to negotiate a possible ransom sparked outrage.

并且控制风险公司介入，就可能的赎金进行谈判，这引发了愤怒。

“Private security firms such as the ones called in on the Guinness kidnapping

私人安保公司，比如那些参与了吉尼斯绑架事件的安保公司

are operating at the very frontiers of official tolerance,” a top police official announced.

都处于官方容忍的极限，”一位高级警官宣布。

The Thatcher government charged that the insurance industry was fuelling a global kidnapping epidemic,

撒切尔政府指责保险业助长了全球绑架的泛滥，

facilitating the payment of ransom and undermining the British no-concessions policy.

促成了赎金的支付，破坏了英国的不让步政策。

The logic of that policy is that paying ransom puts a target on the back of British citizens, increasing the risk of future kidnappings.

这一政策的逻辑是，支付赎金会让英国公民成为绑架的对象，增加未来绑架的风险。

It also puts money into the hands of terrorist organisations, which is used to finance their ongoing operations.

它还将资金交到恐怖组织手中，用于资助他们正在进行的行动。