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Bratain
英國(guó)
A Tory titan retires
一托利黨巨人退休
William, it was really nothing
威廉，真的沒關(guān)系
The Conservatives bid farewell to a talented parliamentarian
保守黨向一名才華橫溢的國(guó)會(huì)議員告別
THE high esteem in which William Hague is held was evident on March 26th even amid the Conservative leader of the House of Commons's shabby last act. To mark the end of the parliament, which also concluded his 26-year-long career as an MP, Mr Hague launched a surprise, failed, bid to oust the speaker, John Bercow, who many Tories dislike. It was typical of the Tories' bungling in Parliament; but, MPs tutted, also an unseemly exit for one of its best performers of modern times.
就算這位下議院保守黨領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人在3月26號(hào)的最后一舉顯得低劣，威廉·黑格享有的崇敬還是顯而易見的。為了標(biāo)記議會(huì)的結(jié)束，也將他26年的議員生涯畫上句號(hào)，黑格讓人們大吃一驚，他企圖將不受托利黨人歡迎的約翰·伯科趕下臺(tái)，但失敗了。這是托利黨人在議會(huì)拙劣之舉的典型，但對(duì)于近代演員之一的黑格來(lái)說，引得議員們噓聲一片，這也是一個(gè)不體面的退場(chǎng)。
托利黨巨人退休.jpg
They were wrong. Because the 54-year-old Yorkshireman was following party orders—and that, even more than his laconic drawl and brilliance at the dispatch box, epitomises his career. The episode was also typical of the sort of orders Mr Hague has often had to follow, as an absurdly young Welsh secretary under John Major, as his successor as party leader, and, between 2010 and 2014, as foreign secretary.
他們錯(cuò)了。因?yàn)檫@位54歲的約克郡人執(zhí)行的是黨的指令——這一舉甚至超越了他簡(jiǎn)潔、慢吞吞的調(diào)子和在政務(wù)上的傲人之處，成為了他政治生涯的標(biāo)志。這一插曲也是黑格經(jīng)常需要遵從的典型指令，無(wú)論是作為約翰·梅杰手下年輕得不可思議的威爾士事務(wù)大臣，或是梅杰的繼任黨派領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人，還是作為2010到2014年間的外事大臣，都是如此。
So what did he achieve? In an interview in his parliamentary office, Mr Hague names, without hesitation, a law he got passed in 1995 to outlaw discrimination against the disabled as his proudest legislative achievement. His spell as party leader (“I don't regret taking the leadership on, or giving it up; somebody had to do it”) is harder to enthuse about. After a stab at forging a kinder Conservatism—which remains elusive—he fell back on Euroscepticism, was humiliated in the 2001 election and resigned. That he remained an MP was an act of courage, which he burnished with dazzling speeches and unshakable loyalty to his successors. David Cameron, who took the helm in 2005, called him the Tories' deputy leader in all but name.
那他到底獲得了什么成果呢？在他的議員會(huì)議室里進(jìn)行的一次采訪里，黑格毫不猶豫地將1995年他推動(dòng)通過的一項(xiàng)禁止歧視殘疾人的法律視為他最值得驕傲的立法成就。他作為政黨領(lǐng)導(dǎo)的魅力（“我不后悔扛上領(lǐng)導(dǎo)的擔(dān)子，或者將它卸下來(lái)，總有人要做這件事”）更難籠絡(luò)人心。在試圖創(chuàng)造一個(gè)更為溫和的保守主義（仍令人難以捉摸）后，黑格又回到了歐洲懷疑主義，在2001年的選舉中顏面全失隨后辭職。他仍留任議員實(shí)屬勇氣之舉，他用言辭閃閃發(fā)光的演講和對(duì)繼任者不可動(dòng)搖的忠誠(chéng)來(lái)修飾了這一行為。2005年掌權(quán)的大衛(wèi)·卡梅倫稱其為托利黨非名義上的實(shí)際代理領(lǐng)導(dǎo)。
This made Mr Hague the most powerful foreign secretary since Tony Blair, a globe-trotting prime minister, emasculated the job. Even in a time of cuts—which Mr Hague ensured were lighter at the Foreign Office than they might have been—he had an opportunity to strengthen his office (“the best job in the world”) and Britain's place in the world. He did not really take it.
這使得黑格成為了最有權(quán)威的外事大臣，因?yàn)橥心帷げ既R爾這位游歷世界的總理無(wú)法勝任這份工作。即使在預(yù)算削減的時(shí)期（黑格保證外事辦公室的削減程度比想象中輕），他仍有機(jī)會(huì)加強(qiáng)辦公室的力量（“世上的工作”）并提升英國(guó)在世界上的地位。他并沒有把握住這個(gè)機(jī)會(huì)。
He did some excellent things—restoring confidence to a department he found to be “shockingly” demoralised, including through a renewed emphasis on learning languages and other lapsed skills. He also expanded its operations, opening 20 missions, especially in India and China, the focus of a commercial push. He was also bold, early on, supporting Mr Cameron's championing of the Arab spring, including the intervention in Libya in 2011. Mr Hague describes their failure to win parliamentary support for strikes on Syria's regime in 2013 as one of his “worst experiences”.
他做了一些了不起的事：重塑這個(gè)他發(fā)現(xiàn)道德”驚人“淪喪的部門的信譽(yù)，包括重新強(qiáng)調(diào)學(xué)習(xí)語(yǔ)言和其他失效技能的重要性。他還擴(kuò)大了部門的運(yùn)作范圍，新派出了20個(gè)駐外使團(tuán)，特別是在印度和中國(guó)這些商業(yè)動(dòng)力的中心。早些時(shí)候，他也十分大膽地支持卡梅倫對(duì)阿拉伯之春的擁護(hù)，還包括2011年對(duì)利比亞的干預(yù)。黑格認(rèn)為他們?cè)?013年沒能贏得議會(huì)對(duì)敘利亞統(tǒng)治下罷工的支持是他”最糟的體驗(yàn)“之一。
But after that setback Mr Cameron seemed to lose interest in the world. And Mr Hague did nothing obvious to fill the gap. He did not demur when Mr Cameron ordered a pullout from Afghanistan more abrupt than Britain's allies wanted. “We would have been there for decades” otherwise, he says; NATO only wanted Britain to stay, with a tiny force, for a year or two.
但那次挫折之后，卡梅倫似乎對(duì)全球事務(wù)失去了興趣。黑格也沒有做什么明顯的事來(lái)填補(bǔ)空白。當(dāng)卡梅倫以超乎英國(guó)盟友期望的速度突然命令從阿富汗撤軍時(shí)，黑格并沒有提出異議。他說，不然“我們本可以在那兒呆上幾十年”。NATO希望英國(guó)僅在那兒保留少量武力一到兩年。
Mr Hague's absence from the early Franco-German efforts to end the Ukraine crisis seemed similarly indicative of shrunken ambition. “You can't be everywhere”, he protests. But when it comes to tackling the continent's biggest security threats, Britain should always be with its main European allies. That Mr Hague was meanwhile more prominent in campaigning against rape in war, often alongside the film star Angelina Jolie, seemed a bit odd. The cause was important, but there was little in the history of such campaigns to suggest it would succeed, and the foreign secretary was required elsewhere.
在早期法德希望結(jié)束烏克蘭危機(jī)的努力中，黑格的缺席似乎同樣是其野心縮減的暗示。他*道：“你不可能無(wú)處不在?！钡舻搅颂幚磉@片大陸安全威脅的關(guān)頭，英國(guó)應(yīng)該始終與主要的歐洲同盟站在一條線上。黑格在反對(duì)戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)強(qiáng)*方面似乎更為聞名，他經(jīng)常與電影明星安吉麗娜·朱莉一起參加相關(guān)活動(dòng)，這看起來(lái)有一點(diǎn)奇怪。原因很重要，但歷史證明這種活動(dòng)鮮有成功，其他地方更需要外事大臣操心。
He retires to a pile in Wales and the 18th century, about which he writes fine books. It has been a thoroughly commendable political career; but, especially when set against Mr Hague's gifts, not a great one.
他在威爾士衣錦而歸，還寫了一些關(guān)于18世紀(jì)的好書。這是一段完全值得贊賞的政治生涯，但與黑格的天分相比，這又略顯遜色。 1.give up 放棄；投降
They'll have to give up completely on certain of their studies.
他們將不得不徹底放棄某些研究。
His wife would love him to give up his job.
他妻子很樂意他辭去工作。
2.seem to 似乎
Financial markets seem to agree.
金融市場(chǎng)似乎也證實(shí)了這一點(diǎn)。
Investors seem to have noticed.
投資者似乎也注意到了。
Bratain
英國(guó)
A Tory titan retires
一托利黨巨人退休
William, it was really nothing
威廉，真的沒關(guān)系
The Conservatives bid farewell to a talented parliamentarian
保守黨向一名才華橫溢的國(guó)會(huì)議員告別
THE high esteem in which William Hague is held was evident on March 26th even amid the Conservative leader of the House of Commons's shabby last act. To mark the end of the parliament, which also concluded his 26-year-long career as an MP, Mr Hague launched a surprise, failed, bid to oust the speaker, John Bercow, who many Tories dislike. It was typical of the Tories' bungling in Parliament; but, MPs tutted, also an unseemly exit for one of its best performers of modern times.
就算這位下議院保守黨領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人在3月26號(hào)的最后一舉顯得低劣，威廉·黑格享有的崇敬還是顯而易見的。為了標(biāo)記議會(huì)的結(jié)束，也將他26年的議員生涯畫上句號(hào)，黑格讓人們大吃一驚，他企圖將不受托利黨人歡迎的約翰·伯科趕下臺(tái)，但失敗了。這是托利黨人在議會(huì)拙劣之舉的典型，但對(duì)于近代演員之一的黑格來(lái)說，引得議員們噓聲一片，這也是一個(gè)不體面的退場(chǎng)。
托利黨巨人退休.jpg
They were wrong. Because the 54-year-old Yorkshireman was following party orders—and that, even more than his laconic drawl and brilliance at the dispatch box, epitomises his career. The episode was also typical of the sort of orders Mr Hague has often had to follow, as an absurdly young Welsh secretary under John Major, as his successor as party leader, and, between 2010 and 2014, as foreign secretary.
他們錯(cuò)了。因?yàn)檫@位54歲的約克郡人執(zhí)行的是黨的指令——這一舉甚至超越了他簡(jiǎn)潔、慢吞吞的調(diào)子和在政務(wù)上的傲人之處，成為了他政治生涯的標(biāo)志。這一插曲也是黑格經(jīng)常需要遵從的典型指令，無(wú)論是作為約翰·梅杰手下年輕得不可思議的威爾士事務(wù)大臣，或是梅杰的繼任黨派領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人，還是作為2010到2014年間的外事大臣，都是如此。
So what did he achieve? In an interview in his parliamentary office, Mr Hague names, without hesitation, a law he got passed in 1995 to outlaw discrimination against the disabled as his proudest legislative achievement. His spell as party leader (“I don't regret taking the leadership on, or giving it up; somebody had to do it”) is harder to enthuse about. After a stab at forging a kinder Conservatism—which remains elusive—he fell back on Euroscepticism, was humiliated in the 2001 election and resigned. That he remained an MP was an act of courage, which he burnished with dazzling speeches and unshakable loyalty to his successors. David Cameron, who took the helm in 2005, called him the Tories' deputy leader in all but name.
那他到底獲得了什么成果呢？在他的議員會(huì)議室里進(jìn)行的一次采訪里，黑格毫不猶豫地將1995年他推動(dòng)通過的一項(xiàng)禁止歧視殘疾人的法律視為他最值得驕傲的立法成就。他作為政黨領(lǐng)導(dǎo)的魅力（“我不后悔扛上領(lǐng)導(dǎo)的擔(dān)子，或者將它卸下來(lái)，總有人要做這件事”）更難籠絡(luò)人心。在試圖創(chuàng)造一個(gè)更為溫和的保守主義（仍令人難以捉摸）后，黑格又回到了歐洲懷疑主義，在2001年的選舉中顏面全失隨后辭職。他仍留任議員實(shí)屬勇氣之舉，他用言辭閃閃發(fā)光的演講和對(duì)繼任者不可動(dòng)搖的忠誠(chéng)來(lái)修飾了這一行為。2005年掌權(quán)的大衛(wèi)·卡梅倫稱其為托利黨非名義上的實(shí)際代理領(lǐng)導(dǎo)。
This made Mr Hague the most powerful foreign secretary since Tony Blair, a globe-trotting prime minister, emasculated the job. Even in a time of cuts—which Mr Hague ensured were lighter at the Foreign Office than they might have been—he had an opportunity to strengthen his office (“the best job in the world”) and Britain's place in the world. He did not really take it.
這使得黑格成為了最有權(quán)威的外事大臣，因?yàn)橥心帷げ既R爾這位游歷世界的總理無(wú)法勝任這份工作。即使在預(yù)算削減的時(shí)期（黑格保證外事辦公室的削減程度比想象中輕），他仍有機(jī)會(huì)加強(qiáng)辦公室的力量（“世上的工作”）并提升英國(guó)在世界上的地位。他并沒有把握住這個(gè)機(jī)會(huì)。
He did some excellent things—restoring confidence to a department he found to be “shockingly” demoralised, including through a renewed emphasis on learning languages and other lapsed skills. He also expanded its operations, opening 20 missions, especially in India and China, the focus of a commercial push. He was also bold, early on, supporting Mr Cameron's championing of the Arab spring, including the intervention in Libya in 2011. Mr Hague describes their failure to win parliamentary support for strikes on Syria's regime in 2013 as one of his “worst experiences”.
他做了一些了不起的事：重塑這個(gè)他發(fā)現(xiàn)道德”驚人“淪喪的部門的信譽(yù)，包括重新強(qiáng)調(diào)學(xué)習(xí)語(yǔ)言和其他失效技能的重要性。他還擴(kuò)大了部門的運(yùn)作范圍，新派出了20個(gè)駐外使團(tuán)，特別是在印度和中國(guó)這些商業(yè)動(dòng)力的中心。早些時(shí)候，他也十分大膽地支持卡梅倫對(duì)阿拉伯之春的擁護(hù)，還包括2011年對(duì)利比亞的干預(yù)。黑格認(rèn)為他們?cè)?013年沒能贏得議會(huì)對(duì)敘利亞統(tǒng)治下罷工的支持是他”最糟的體驗(yàn)“之一。
But after that setback Mr Cameron seemed to lose interest in the world. And Mr Hague did nothing obvious to fill the gap. He did not demur when Mr Cameron ordered a pullout from Afghanistan more abrupt than Britain's allies wanted. “We would have been there for decades” otherwise, he says; NATO only wanted Britain to stay, with a tiny force, for a year or two.
但那次挫折之后，卡梅倫似乎對(duì)全球事務(wù)失去了興趣。黑格也沒有做什么明顯的事來(lái)填補(bǔ)空白。當(dāng)卡梅倫以超乎英國(guó)盟友期望的速度突然命令從阿富汗撤軍時(shí)，黑格并沒有提出異議。他說，不然“我們本可以在那兒呆上幾十年”。NATO希望英國(guó)僅在那兒保留少量武力一到兩年。
Mr Hague's absence from the early Franco-German efforts to end the Ukraine crisis seemed similarly indicative of shrunken ambition. “You can't be everywhere”, he protests. But when it comes to tackling the continent's biggest security threats, Britain should always be with its main European allies. That Mr Hague was meanwhile more prominent in campaigning against rape in war, often alongside the film star Angelina Jolie, seemed a bit odd. The cause was important, but there was little in the history of such campaigns to suggest it would succeed, and the foreign secretary was required elsewhere.
在早期法德希望結(jié)束烏克蘭危機(jī)的努力中，黑格的缺席似乎同樣是其野心縮減的暗示。他*道：“你不可能無(wú)處不在?！钡舻搅颂幚磉@片大陸安全威脅的關(guān)頭，英國(guó)應(yīng)該始終與主要的歐洲同盟站在一條線上。黑格在反對(duì)戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)強(qiáng)*方面似乎更為聞名，他經(jīng)常與電影明星安吉麗娜·朱莉一起參加相關(guān)活動(dòng)，這看起來(lái)有一點(diǎn)奇怪。原因很重要，但歷史證明這種活動(dòng)鮮有成功，其他地方更需要外事大臣操心。
He retires to a pile in Wales and the 18th century, about which he writes fine books. It has been a thoroughly commendable political career; but, especially when set against Mr Hague's gifts, not a great one.
他在威爾士衣錦而歸，還寫了一些關(guān)于18世紀(jì)的好書。這是一段完全值得贊賞的政治生涯，但與黑格的天分相比，這又略顯遜色。 1.give up 放棄；投降
They'll have to give up completely on certain of their studies.
他們將不得不徹底放棄某些研究。
His wife would love him to give up his job.
他妻子很樂意他辭去工作。
2.seem to 似乎
Financial markets seem to agree.
金融市場(chǎng)似乎也證實(shí)了這一點(diǎn)。
Investors seem to have noticed.
投資者似乎也注意到了。