欧美人文风情第227篇:英国脱欧争议

 Britain and the European Union may be in for a messy divorce. 英国和欧盟可能面临一场麻烦的离婚。

Britain's exit, or Brexit, from one of the world's most powerful trading blocs² will happen if Brits vote to leave, in a national referendum on June 23. 英国的出走，或称 Brexit，脱离世界最强大贸易联盟之一，将会在英国人于 6 月 23 日一场全民公投中表决离去时发生。

Polls showed the Brexit vote could go either way. 民调显示英国脱欧的投票结果两种都有可能。

So here's how we got to this situation: The camp that wants to leave the EU are the so-called Euroskeptics. 我们是这样走到这步的：想要脱离欧盟的阵营是所谓质疑欧盟者。

They kept the UK from adopting the Euro when it was launched in 1999. 他们在 1999 年欧元发行时阻止英国采用欧元。

Nowadays, they're more worried about the surge of immigration. 如今，他们更担忧移民潮。

The UK gets about 500 people added to its population every day. 英国每天约增加五百名人口。

Since EU systems have the freedom to live in any country they choose, leaving the bloc¹ is the only sure way to stem the flow of people. 因为欧盟体系拥有居住在他们想要的任何国家内的自由，离开联盟是遏制移民潮的唯一确定方法。

Arguing to stay in is Prime Minister David Cameron. 主张留在欧盟的是首相卡麦隆。

He negotiated new terms to the UK's EU membership, 他协商英国新的欧盟会员条款，

including some reassurances³ for London's financial industry and the right to restrict welfare payments to migrants. 包含一些对伦敦金融业的保障，以及限制对移民福利支出的权利。

He says a breakup would be an economic disaster. 卡麦隆表示，脱欧将是场经济灾难。

Europe accounts for nearly half of UK exports. 欧洲占英国出口近一半。

And, he says, a Brexit would create a decade of uncertainty⁴ for financial markets, investment, and the wider economy. 另外，他表示英国脱欧会造成十年金融市场、投资的不确定性，以及影响更广层面的经济。

The debate is whiplashing markets and has sent the pound tumbling. 脱欧争议正重挫市场并让英镑骤跌。

Now, here's the argument: 现在，论点如此：

Those pushing for a Brexit say the EU has morphed from a free-trade zone into a superstate that's eating away at Britain's national sovereignty. 那些推动英国脱欧的人们说欧盟已经从自由贸易区变成一个超国家，持续侵蚀英国国家主权。

The vote will likely come down to two issues: the economic risks of an exit versus⁵ concern about a flow of immigrants that can't be stopped. 这场投票归根究底可能来到两个议题：脱欧带来的经济风险与对无法抵抗的移民潮的忧虑。

Whichever way the vote goes, Britain's long love-hate relationship with the EU will rumble⁶ on. 无论投票结果如何，英国和欧盟长久以来的爱恨情仇将继续演下去。

 

1 bloc   

n.集团；联盟

参考例句：

• A solid bloc of union members support the decision.工会会员团结起来支持该决定。
• There have been growing tensions within the trading bloc.贸易同盟国的关系越来越紧张。

2 blocs   

n.集团，联盟( bloc的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The division of Europe into warring blocs produces ever-increasing centrifugal stress. 把欧洲分为作战集团产生了越来越大的离心效果。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The policy of the two blocs was played out. 把世界分为两个集团的政策已经过时了。 来自辞典例句

3 reassurances   

n.消除恐惧或疑虑( reassurance的名词复数 )；恢复信心；使人消除恐惧或疑虑的事物；使人恢复信心的事物

参考例句：

• We have had some reassurances from the council that the building will be saved. 理事会保证会保留那座建筑，这使我们得到了些许安慰。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Everybody's reassurances have encouraged me. 大家的勉励鼓舞了我。 来自辞典例句

4 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

5 versus   

prep.以…为对手，对；与…相比之下

参考例句：

• The big match tonight is England versus Spain.今晚的大赛是英格兰对西班牙。
• The most exciting game was Harvard versus Yale.最富紧张刺激的球赛是哈佛队对耶鲁队。

6 rumble   

n.隆隆声；吵嚷；v.隆隆响；低沉地说

参考例句：

• I hear the rumble of thunder in the distance.我听到远处雷声隆隆。
• We could tell from the rumble of the thunder that rain was coming.我们根据雷的轰隆声可断定，天要下雨了。