經濟學人精讀| 英國脫歐後實行新政策Foreign policy after Brexit

「Whatever is worth doing is worth doing well.」

Foreign policy after Brexit

脫歐後與歐盟籤訂新政策

Britain’s place in the world

英國的世界地位

「Global Britain」 is a fine idea, but it requires hard choices and re-engagement with Europe

「英國全球化」是個好策略，但這需要艱難的選擇和與歐洲的重新接觸

 

英文選自0102《經濟學人》Leaders板塊

譯審：Giulietta, Maggie, Matthew 編輯：Robin

The transition is over and Britain is fully out of the European Union. On December 24th the sides agreed on a trade deal. It spares them the even greater upheaval of no deal at all (see Britain section). It is minimal, though, along the lines first signalled months ago. It largely overlooks services and marks the start of endless haggling. And, on British insistence, foreign policy and defence are ignored. Looking across the seas with an estranged continent at its back, alonesome Britain thus faces a bracing question: what role should it now play in the world?

過渡已經結束，英國完全脫離了歐盟。12月24日，雙方達成了一項貿易協議。這讓他們避免了因不達成協議而造成的更大動蕩。不過，和幾個月前首次發出的信號相比，這是最低限度的。其在很大程度上忽視了服務，標誌著無休止的爭論的開始。而且，在英國的堅持下，外交政策和國防遭到忽視。隔海相望，背靠著一塊關係疏遠的大陸，孤獨的英國因此面臨著一個令人振奮的問題：它現在應該在世界上扮演什麼角色？

 

■單詞釋義

upheaval/ʌpˈhiːvəl/ 【n.】An upheaval is a big change which causes a lot of trouble, confusion, and worry. 動亂 haggle/ˈhæɡəl/ 【v.】If you haggle, you argue about something before reaching an agreement, especially about the cost of something that you are buying. 爭論 (尤指討價還價) bracing/ˈbreɪsɪŋ/【adj.】 If you describe something, especially a place, climate, or activity as bracing, you mean that it makes you feel fresh and full of energy. 令人心神氣爽的 

■積累

agree on a trade deal達成了一項貿易協議

 

It is a question the country has grappled with off and on for centuries, and in recent decades British thinking has often been clouded by nostalgia for lost empire and great-power status. Membership of the European club provided an answer of sorts. Britain, as Tony Blair put it, could be a 「bridge」 between America and Europe, with influence in both Washington and Brussels. Now it must think afresh.

幾個世紀以來，英國一直在思索這個問題，近幾十年來，英國人常被帝國和大國地位隕落所產生的懷舊思想籠罩。歐洲俱樂部的成員資格提供了一個類似的答案。正如託尼布萊爾所說，英國可以成為美國和歐洲之間的「橋梁」，對華盛頓和布魯塞爾都起到影響。現在這必須重新思考。

 

■單詞釋義

nostalgia/nɒˈstældʒə/ 【n.】 Nostalgia is an affectionate feeling you have for the past, especially for a particularly happy time. (尤指對幸福時光的) 懷舊

■積累

grapple with努力克服

think afresh重新思考

 

One possibility would be for Britons to accept their country’s diminished status and focus on things at home—becoming a big Denmark, a decent north European place without great-power pretensions. Sure enough, in September 38% of Britons told Ip sos-mori’s pollsters that Britain should 「stop pretending it is an important power in the world」; only 28% disagreed. Yet Britons should not take the benefits of influence for granted. It is to their advantage to try to sway the world in ways that suit British interests, whether on trade, climate change or democracy (including, like Denmark, through the power of example).

一種可能是英國人接受自己國家地位的下降，專注於國內事務，成為一個大丹麥，一個體面的北歐國家，而不必自命不凡。果不其然，9月，38%的英國人告訴Ip sos mori的民意調查機構，英國應該「停止假裝自己是世界上重要的強國」；只有28%的人不同意。然而，英國人不應該把影響力的好處視為理所當然。無論是在貿易、氣候變化還是民主上（包括像丹麥一樣，通過榜樣的力量），以符合英國利益的方式來影響世界都是對他們有利的。

 

■單詞釋義

 sway/sweɪ/ 【v.】If you are swayed by someone or something, you are influenced by them. 影響 

■積累

diminished status國家地位的下降

 

The Conservative government talks of 「Global Britain」, suggesting ambitions far beyond Europe. Yet more than four years after the referendum the idea is still little more than a slogan. Witness the lack ofurgency over an 「Integrated Review」 of foreign policy, security, defence and development due to report in autumn 2020. It is now expected early in 2021.

保守黨政府談論「全球英國」，暗示其遠在歐洲之外的野心。然而，在公投四年多之後，這個想法仍然只是一個口號。將於2020年秋季提交的報告見證了對外政策、安全、國防和發展的「綜合審查」缺乏緊迫性。而現預計2021發布。

 

Dueto report...這段如何翻譯呢？

將於2020年秋季提交的報告見證了對外 政策、安全、國防和發展的「綜合審查」缺乏緊迫性。而此報告現預計2021發布。

■單詞釋義

 referendum/ˌrɛfəˈrɛndəm/ 

【n.】If a country holds a referendum ona particular policy, they ask the people to vote on the policy and show whether or not they agree with it. 公民投票; 全民公決

 

■積累

little more than僅僅

 

That is a pity. As our Briefing explains, Global Britain has a lot going for it. Membership of NATO, the G7, the G20, the Common wealth, a permanent seat on the UN Security Council—all bring influence. Britain has nuclear weapons and a capable army (after America, it expects to be the biggest defence spender in NATO). It also has an abundance of soft power, for example through its hefty spending on foreign aid and through its able scientists, prominent in developing vaccines and identifying treatments for covid-19. In 2021 Britain is chairing the g7 and hosting the COP26 summit on climate change, both opportunities to shine.

好可惜。正如我們的簡報所解釋的那樣，「全球化的英國」有很多優勢。北大西洋公約組織、七國集團、二十國集團、大英國協、聯合國安理會常任理事國——所有這些都具有影響力。英國擁有核武器和強大的軍隊(僅次於美國，並且有望成為北約軍費開支最大的國家)。此外，英國擁有強大的軟實力，例如憑藉其在對外援助上巨大的花銷，以及能力超強的科學家，這些科學家在開發疫苗和發現新冠肺炎治療方法方面表現突出。2021年，英國將擔任七國集團(G7)輪值主席國，並主辦氣候變化問題的COP26峰會，這都是兩個可以耀眼奪目的機會。

 

此處的through怎麼翻譯句子比較通順呢？

「例如憑藉其在對外援助上巨大的花銷，以及能力超強的科學家」and後面的內容因為是並列關系所以沒有再次翻譯。

 

■單詞釋義

hefty/ˈhɛftɪ/

【adj.】Hefty means large in size, weight, or amount. 龐大的; 沉重的

 

■積累

the UN Security Council 聯合國安理會

nuclear weapons 核武器

Outside the EU, Britain can also be a nimbler power. It is able to move more boldly than the consensus-bound 27 member states on, say, sanctions on despotic Belarus, or more swiftly on approving a vaccine against covid-19. It has defied sceptics by rolling over trade deals with countries from Japan to Turkey. It can use its convening power for good causes, such as raising nearly $9bn for Gavi, the global vaccine alliance. It can work with groups of like-minded countries to press interests—teaming up with Canada to promote media freedom and inviting Australia, India and South Korea to the G7 summit to underline democracy. Without the endless rounds of Euro-meetings, Britain’s ministers and diplomats will have more time for action beyond Europe, including a 「tilt to the Indo-Pacific」, a region with growing importance for everything from trade to security.

脫離歐盟之後，英國也可以成為一個更加機智的強國。比起達成共識的27個成員國，英國在制裁專制的白俄羅斯等問題上能夠採取更加大膽的行動，或者在批准新冠肺炎疫苗問題上採取更迅速的行動。英國與日本、土耳其等國重新籤訂了貿易協議，這一舉動公然挑戰了懷疑者。英國可以將其號召力用於公益事業，例如為全球疫苗聯盟Gavi籌集近90億美元。英國還可以與志同道合的國家合作，共謀利益——例如與加拿大合作以促進媒體自由，邀請澳大利亞、印度和韓國參加G7峰會以強調民主。沒有了無休止的歐盟會議，英國的部長和外交官們將有更多的時間在歐洲之外採取行動，包括「向印太地區傾斜」——一個從貿易到安全都越來越重要的地區。

 

■單詞釋義

nimble/ˈnɪmbəl/

【adj.】If you say that someone has a nimble mind, you mean they are clever and can think very quickly. 機智的

 

tilt/tɪlt/

【n.】The tilt of something is the fact that it tilts or slopes, or the angle at which it tilts or slopes. 傾斜; 傾斜度

 

■積累

like-minded志趣相投的；具有相似意向或目的的

team up with 與……合作

However, if Global Britain is to live up to these aspirations Boris Johnson and his successors will have to face up to some daunting problems. Over time, Britain’s sway in the world will depend on its success at home—much as the perceived prowess of Thatcherism and Blairism helped Britain 「punch above its weight」. That has just become harder, and  not only because Britain’s management of covid-19 has harmed its reputation. One reason is economic: Britain’s recent performance has been poor and Brexit will be a further drag on growth. Another is political: dismay at Brexit is prompting renewed calls for Scottish independence and a united Ireland. Britain will not be taken seriously abroad if it is falling apart at home.

然而，如果全球化的英國要實現這些抱負，鮑裡斯•詹森(Boris Johnson)及其繼任者將不得不面對一些艱巨的問題。隨著時間的推移，英國在世界上的影響力將取決於它在國內的成功——就像人們所認為的技藝高超的柴契爾主義和布萊爾主義幫助英國「超越自身的力量」一樣。但是這已經變得更加困難，不僅僅是因為英國對新冠肺炎疫情的處理損害了其聲譽。除此之外，經濟方面，英國最近的表現一直不佳，脫歐將進一步阻礙經濟增長；政治方面，人們對英國脫歐的失望再次激起蘇格蘭獨立和愛爾蘭統一的呼聲。如果英國在國內分崩離析，那麼其在國外就不會受到重視。

 

■單詞釋義

daunting /ˈdɔːntɪŋ/

【adj.】Something that is daunting makes you feel slightly afraid or worried about dealing with it. 使人畏縮的

 

punch/pʌntʃ/

【v.】If you punch someone or something, you hit them hard with your fist.用拳猛擊

 

■積累

live up to不辜負；做到；實踐

fall apart 瓦解

 

Britain also needs to develop the political culture to make hard choices and stand by them. These arise because it has to withstand the temptation of trying to do too much. It is easy to draw up a long to-do list, far trickier to decide what not to do.

英國還需要發展政治文化，以便做出艱難的選擇並堅持下去。之所以會出現這些問題，是因為它必須抵擋住試圖做得太多的誘惑。制定一份長長的任務清單很容易，但決定不做什麼就難多了。

 

■單詞釋義

tricky/ˈtrɪkɪ/

【adj.】If you describe a task or problem as tricky, you mean that it isdifficult to do or deal with. 難對付的

 

■積累

stand by支持

withstand the temptation of經得起…的誘惑

 

中英文的三大差異

要想做好中英文翻譯，我們就需要了解中英文的差異，一下是中英文的三大差異。

一、中英文句式的差異：中文善於用短句且用標點符號；英文善於用長句，不注重標點的使用。因此，在英譯漢時，要多用短句；漢譯英時，則多用長句。

二、中英文動靜的差異：中文是動態性語言，善於用動詞；英文是靜態性語言，善於用名詞；中文善用名詞或省略，英文善用代詞。因此，英譯漢時，多用動詞，漢譯英時，多用名詞。

三、中文是意合語言，英文是形合語言：英譯漢要省略適當連詞，漢譯英要加適當連詞。因此，英漢互譯時要注意這些語言上的差別。

 

ALP英語

2020.01.07

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