2016考研英語(yǔ)經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)人：英國(guó)在伊拉克 卡梅倫的困惑

• 2025考研復(fù)試標(biāo)準(zhǔn)班
• 26考研全科上岸規(guī)劃營(yíng)「擇校▪規(guī)劃▪備考」
• 2026考研專(zhuān)業(yè)課復(fù)習(xí)資料「真題▪筆記▪講義▪題庫(kù)」

Britain in Iraq

英國(guó)，在伊拉克

Cameron's confusions

卡梅倫的困惑

The government flip-flops between belligerenceand caution

政府在交戰(zhàn)和警告間猶豫不決

HOW seriously does the British government take thethreat from Islamic State (IS), an extremist group which has taken over swathes of Iraq andSyria? Despite a flurry of pronouncements from the prime minister and from Michael Fallon,Britain's defence secretary, it is growing increasingly hard to judge.

英國(guó)政府究竟對(duì)來(lái)自伊斯蘭國(guó)(IS)這一占領(lǐng)了伊拉克和敘利亞的極端組織的威脅有多認(rèn)真?盡管有首相和英國(guó)國(guó)防部長(zhǎng)邁克爾·法倫的一系列聲明，這一事態(tài)還是變得越來(lái)越難以琢磨了。

Writing in a newspaper on August 17th, David Cameron warned that Britain faces a“generational struggle” against a “poisonous ideology”. Striking a Churchillian tone, the primeminister argued that Britain's very security depended on the country using all its resources,aid, diplomacy and “military prowess” to vanquish this enemy. Tough stuff—perhaps thetoughest from any Western leader so far.

大衛(wèi)·卡梅倫于8月17日在報(bào)上撰文警告說(shuō)，英國(guó)面臨著“代際斗爭(zhēng)”和“有毒思想”的抗衡。這位首相帶著驚人的丘吉爾語(yǔ)氣爭(zhēng)論說(shuō)英國(guó)的安全取決于國(guó)家能否使用全部的資源、援助、外交和“軍事力量”來(lái)?yè)魸�敵人。手段�?qiáng)硬—這可能是到目前為止西方領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人中最強(qiáng)硬的了。

Yet before leaving on holiday the following day Mr Cameron assured journalists that this fieryrhetoric did not mean Britain was returning to war in Iraq, and that he had no intention to put“boots on the ground” against IS. That was before the release of a horrific video on August19th showing the beheading of a captured American journalist, James Foley, by an IS militantwho appeared to have a British accent. Mr Cameron rushed back from his break in Cornwall toconfer with ministers in London.

然而第二天，在外出度假前卡梅倫向記者保證說(shuō)這種激烈的言辭并不意味著英國(guó)要在伊拉克重燃起戰(zhàn)火，他并沒(méi)有“派兵”對(duì)抗IS的意圖。這是在8月19號(hào)美國(guó)記者詹姆斯·福利被一疑似有英國(guó)口音的IS成員斬首的恐怖錄像發(fā)布之前了。卡梅倫立即結(jié)束了在康沃爾的度假，返回與倫敦的大臣們協(xié)商。

Confusion already surrounds the work Britain's armed forces are presently performing in Iraq.Tornado bombers, helicopters, a spy plane, and some special forces are all operating in thenorth of the country—in particular near the city of Mosul. The government has said theseefforts are merely humanitarian, intended to help refugees besieged by IS fighters (seepicture). Yet on August 18th Mr Fallon was reported to have said that British forces wereperforming reconnaissance missions for Kurdish soldiers battling the jihadists. Some thinkBritain is also supplying the Kurds with communications equipment and training.

關(guān)于英國(guó)武裝力量目前在伊拉克的工作已招致了不少疑問(wèn)。旋風(fēng)式轟炸機(jī)、直升機(jī)、間諜機(jī)和一些特殊武力正在伊拉克北方—尤其在摩蘇爾附近—進(jìn)行操練。政府表示這些行為僅僅是人道主義的，目的是為了幫助被IS分子圍困的難民(見(jiàn)圖)。然而在8月18號(hào)，有報(bào)道稱(chēng)法倫曾表示英國(guó)武裝力量在幫助庫(kù)爾德士兵進(jìn)行偵察任務(wù)以對(duì)抗圣戰(zhàn)者。一些人認(rèn)為英國(guó)也在為庫(kù)爾德人提供通訊設(shè)備和訓(xùn)練。

What explains this prevarication? Mr Cameron is doubtless eager to avoid a repeat of thefiasco last year, when the House of Commons voted against his urging that British forcesintervene against the murderous regime of Syria's President Assad. As well as shatteringWestern resolve, the episode was a personal humiliation for the prime minister. If thegovernment sounds too bellicose pressure will grow to recall parliament, currently in itssummer recess, for a full debate.

這種搪塞該如何解釋?卡梅倫毫無(wú)疑問(wèn)急于避免重復(fù)去年的慘敗，當(dāng)時(shí)眾議院投票反對(duì)他催促英國(guó)軍方介入敘利亞總統(tǒng)阿薩德恐怖統(tǒng)治的要求。正如粉碎西方的決心一樣，這一插曲是對(duì)首相的個(gè)人羞辱。如果政府看起來(lái)過(guò)于好戰(zhàn)，那么過(guò)大的壓力會(huì)召回目前正處于夏季休會(huì)的議會(huì)成員來(lái)進(jìn)行一次完整的辯論。

Another risk is that Mr Cameron's pronouncements outstrip America's eagerness to act,leaving Britain isolated should the Obama administration commit itself no further. And theprime minister also has a war-weary public to contend with. Polls suggest that a largeminority of Britons would support taking some limited action against IS, such as arming theKurds. But winning public support for a larger scale conflict, however worthy the cause, looksalmost impossible at present.

另一風(fēng)險(xiǎn)是卡梅倫的聲明超過(guò)了美國(guó)作戰(zhàn)的熱情，若奧巴馬政府不愿進(jìn)一步行動(dòng)，便會(huì)使英國(guó)處于孤立地位。卡梅倫還需應(yīng)對(duì)厭戰(zhàn)的公眾。投票顯示大部分英國(guó)人支持對(duì)IS采取有限的行動(dòng)，比如說(shuō)為庫(kù)爾德人提供武裝。但無(wú)論理由看起來(lái)多么值得，要贏得公眾支持大規(guī)模戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)在目前看起來(lái)幾乎還是不可能。

Mr Foley's murder may change this. His hooded killer's London accent has focused attention onthe thousands of European—and particularly British—Muslims which IS has drawn to itsbanner. Thomas Hegghammer of the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment argues thatthis represents the “largest European Muslim foreign fighter contingent” that has gone to anyconflict in modern history. As many as 500 of them are thought to be British. The clear risk isthat these callow, inexperienced volunteers will return home as hardened and skilful jihadists,ready, as Mr Cameron puts it, to “target us on the streets of Britain”.

福利的謀殺一事可能改變這一情況。這位帶有頭罩的殺手的倫敦口音引起了成千歐洲—尤其是英國(guó)—穆斯林的注意，這些穆斯林已被IS招至旗下。挪威國(guó)防研究院的托馬斯·黑哥海默稱(chēng)這代表著“最大的歐洲穆斯林國(guó)外戰(zhàn)斗隊(duì)伍”已參與現(xiàn)代史中的每一次沖突。其中多達(dá)500人被認(rèn)為是英國(guó)人。很明顯的風(fēng)險(xiǎn)是這些初出茅廬、毫無(wú)經(jīng)驗(yàn)的志愿者們將成長(zhǎng)為久經(jīng)沙場(chǎng)、技巧純熟的圣戰(zhàn)者歸來(lái)，如卡梅倫所說(shuō)，這些人已做好準(zhǔn)備“在英國(guó)大街上對(duì)我們開(kāi)槍”。

Experts disagree on the scale of that threat. But even a very small number of returningextremists could cause considerable harm. After haring back to Whitehall, the prime ministersaid authorities would redouble efforts to track down British jihadists, and that the grisly videowould not lead Britain to ramp up its involvement in the conflict. There is a limit to how longMr Cameron can keep his options open.

專(zhuān)家對(duì)這一威脅的規(guī)模持有異議。但即便歸來(lái)的極端主義者 數(shù)目非常小，也能造成嚴(yán)重的傷害。在急忙趕回白廳后，卡梅倫表示當(dāng)局將付出雙倍努力搜查圣戰(zhàn)者，這一可怕的錄像也不會(huì)使英國(guó)進(jìn)一步介入沖突之中。卡梅倫能保持選擇權(quán)多久是有限度的。

【重點(diǎn)解析】

1.take over 奪取;接管;接收;接任

例句:Prime candidate to take over his job isMargaret Ramsay.

接替他工作的首要人選是瑪格麗特·拉姆齊。

2.between and 之間

例句:The difference between who you are and whoyou want to be is what you do.

你是什么樣的人和你想成為什么樣的之間的差距就是，你做了什么。

3.depend on 依賴(lài);依靠;憑借

例句:Whether such properties are a good deal will depend on individual situations.

這樣的地產(chǎn)是否可獲得大筆收益還要視具體情形而定。

4.appear to 似乎;好像

例句:By all accounts, Rodger would appear to be a fine fellow.

據(jù)說(shuō)，羅杰是個(gè)好小伙。