??脱欧独孤断肠剑｜经济学人英文精读｜公投在即: 选票长啥样？

导语

本篇发布于2016年6月23日午间，北京时间今天下午，英国将开始脱欧公投，6月24日午前应该就会出结果了。本篇的话题可为炙热。

同时推荐超燃: B字仇杀队!｜10星推荐｜经济学人精读 和 公投会掀翻民主的小船?｜经济学人英文精读 两篇话题相关的文章，尤其前者。读完本篇后拉至文章底部可以找到链接入口。先读一下《经济学人》公投前的这一期的文章：本文节选自2016年6月18日《经济学人》的leaders社论板块。标题的Divided We Fall充分表明了《经济学人》的态度，“英独”将意味着英国和欧洲大陆的“两败俱伤”。标题取自这句“United, we stand; divided, we fall.” “团结起来，我们将屹立不倒；一旦分裂，我们将沉沦跌倒。”（通常认为出处是伊索寓言中一位希腊奴隶的呼声。）不过这个标题没有文中的小标题Singapore on steroids来的有趣，稍后会讲到。

公投选票长啥样？

之前跟大家介绍过，西方选票或其他地方勾选确认时常用?，这次这个选票当然也是一样。看看JK罗琳的《偶发空缺》原版和译本的封面有何不同？

我分享过苏格兰公投选票还有澳洲议会选举的科普视频等，里面都能看到他们填表格用“×”表示“选中”。中文版封面将“×”变成“√”，看似篡改实则传达了原意，避免了传递误导信息，可谓“信达”的“图形翻译”。

阅读原文文摘

重点理解加粗部分，不理解不要紧，下面有解析点拨（浅色文字语言不难，为表意的完整性而保留）。本文乍看不难，逻辑里自有玄机，要多读、背诵，品出其间的逻辑，比如说，那个有“新加坡”的小标题，是什么意思？又在发挥什么作用？

Divided we fall

The peevishness of the campaigning has obscured the importance of what is at stake. A vote to quit the European Union on June 23rd, which polls say is a growing possibility, would do grave and lasting harm to the politics and economy of Britain. The loss of one of the EU’s biggest members would gouge a deep wound in the rest of Europe. And, with the likes of Donald Trump and Marine Le Pen fuelling economic nationalism and xenophobia, it would mark a defeat for the liberal order that has underpinned the West’s prosperity. 

That, clearly, is not the argument of the voices calling to leave. As with Eurosceptics across the EU, their story is about liberation and history. Quitting the sclerotic, undemocratic EU, the Brexiteers say, would set Britain free to reclaim its sovereign destiny as an outward-looking power. Many of these people claim the mantle of liberalism—the creed that this newspaper has long championed.

Singapore on steroids 

The liberal Leavers are peddling an illusion. On contact with the reality of Brexit, their plans will fall apart. If Britain leaves the EU, it is likely to end up poorer, less open and less innovative. Far from reclaiming its global outlook, it will become less influential and more parochial. And without Britain, all of Europe would be worse off.

有没读懂的地方没关系，解析马上开始：

开读吧

第一部分解析

The peevishness of the campaigning has obscured the importance of what is at stake. A vote to quit the European Union on June 23rd, which polls say is a growing possibility, would do grave and lasting harm to the politics and economy of Britain. The loss of one of the EU’s biggest members would gouge a deep wound in the rest of Europe. And, with the likes of Donald Trump and Marine Le Pen fuelling economic nationalism and xenophobia, it would mark a defeat for the liberal order that has underpinned the West’s prosperity. 

The peevishness of the campaigning has obscured the importance of what is at stake.

这句话当真是母语范儿十足，属于看得懂也未必写得出的那一类，建议摘抄。先把小词儿罗列：

peevish 易怒的；脾气坏的。

obscure 这里用的是动词用法，使模糊；使隐晦。

be at stake 有风险；成败难料；得失不定。

双方拉票造势的乍惊乍怒，已经让人们忽视了真正的大得大失。

灰色部分比较简单，稍后一起翻译。

The loss of one of the EU’s biggest members would gouge a deep wound in the rest of Europe.

gouge a wound 抓出一道深深的伤口

The lion's claws had gouged a wound in the horse's side.

欧盟失去最重要的成员国之一，将会使欧洲其他国家都遭受重创。

为什么说the rest of Europe？因为前一句刚说完会对Britain造成的harm，这句话说对the rest of Europe给造成的wound。

And, with the likes of Donald Trump and Marine Le Pen fuelling economic nationalism and xenophobia, it would mark a defeat for the liberal order that has underpinned the West’s prosperity. 

the likes of sb/sth 一类人、一类事物

Donald Trump和经常和法国的Marine Le Pen拿来做类比，他们都被媒体称为demagogue（通过蛊惑煽动民意而获利的政客），也就是说the likes of Donald Trump and Marine Le Pen在这篇文章里起到的作用，只是躺枪，实则是用来讽刺脱欧派政客，如伦敦前市长Boris Johnson、英国独立党UKIP一些大员等等。

And, with the likes of Donald Trump and Marine Le Pen fuelling economic nationalism and xenophobia, it would mark a defeat for the liberal order that has underpinned the West’s prosperity. 

fuel 做动词用在这里就是加剧、煽动。（加ed、ing时用fueling或fuelling都可以）

xenophobia 在 美国大选: 滴血的棋盘 一文中才讲过，“仇外情绪”

mark在这里意思是“是...的迹象”、“成为...的征兆”

underpin 巩固，支撑，支持

而且，随着川普/勒庞式的蛊惑型政客煽动经济民族主义和仇外情绪，这也将意味着支撑着西方式繁荣的自由秩序将遭遇挫败。

The peevishness of the campaigning has obscured the importance of what is at stake. A vote to quit the European Union on June 23rd, which polls say is a growing possibility, would do grave and lasting harm to the politics and economy of Britain. The loss of one of the EU’s biggest members would gouge a deep wound in the rest of Europe. And, with the likes of Donald Trump and Marine Le Pen fuelling economic nationalism and xenophobia, it would mark a defeat for the liberal order that has underpinned the West’s prosperity. 

大意：

双方拉票造势的乍惊乍怒，已经让人们忽视了真正的大得大失。6月23日英国将投票表决是否脱欧，据民调显示脱欧可能性正在增加，它将给英国的政治和经济造成严重的、持续的伤害。欧盟失去最重要的成员国之一，将会使欧洲其他国家都遭受重创。而且，随着川普/勒庞式的蛊惑型政客煽动经济民族主义和仇外情绪，这也将意味着支撑着西方式繁荣的自由秩序将遭遇挫败。

第二部分解析

That, clearly, is not the argument of the voices calling to leave. As with Eurosceptics across the EU, their story is about liberation and history.Quitting the sclerotic, undemocratic EU, the Brexiteers say, would set Britain free to reclaim its sovereign destiny as an outward-looking power. Many of these people claim the mantle of liberalism—the creed that this newspaper has long championed.

看懂这一段的作用是什么吗？分析后再说。

这两句话也要理清指代关系：

That, clearly, is not the argument of the voices calling to leave. As with Eurosceptics across the EU, their story is about liberation and history.

as with 作为搭配，是正如，就像。

例子：

As with all new ideas it met with resistance.

像所有的新观念一样，它收到了抵制。

显然那并不是（英国）脱欧派的论点。就如欧盟各国的疑欧派一样，他们也在宣扬摆脱束缚和历史传统。

所以接下来，就该说，如果上一段最后提到的那些糟糕的事情不是脱欧派的论点的话，他们的论点该是什么？

Quitting the sclerotic, undemocratic EU, the Brexiteers say, would set Britain free to reclaim its sovereign destiny as an outward-looking power.

sclerosis 学医的朋友应该很熟悉：硬化；硬化症。sclerotic是其形容词，在这里比喻“僵化”。

reclaim its sovereign destiny 重新掌握其主权命运

an outward-looking power 一个外向型强国

英国脱欧派们认为，脱离制度僵化专横的欧盟将会解放英国，让它重新掌握其主权命运，缔造一个外向型强国。

（《太阳报》：女王力挺脱欧）

Many of these people claim the mantle of liberalism—the creed that this newspaper has long championed.

the mentle of sth

（可以继承的）责任、职责、衣钵。

champion做动词是 捍卫 声援 为...而奋斗

脱欧派很多人都宣称继承自由主义衣钵——而自由主义也正是本报长久以来捍卫的信条。

《经济学人》杂志总是自诩“本报”以显示其继承的衣钵之久远，以前的文章介绍过，参见 [修订版] 首相卡梅伦的遗产｜经济学人精读｜你对《经济学人》的误解｜卡相的王室血统｜英国政治小百科 （本文底也会附上链接，不用现在跳转）。

读到这儿相信有的读者可能会略微迷惑：哎？怎么脱欧派又和“本报”是一个阵营的了？

非也。这一段的作用是体现理性、中立、客观。《经济学人》在此事上的立场已经很清晰了，标题里也得也很清楚。这一段，是在说，这些脱欧派也并不是像第一段里最后说的希望造成那些结果，很多脱欧派的论点并不是单纯的民族主义，而是反感欧盟的僵化的互相绑架的大锅饭规矩，他们只是在宣扬自由主义，包括真正的全球自由贸易（而不必受欧盟的规矩制约）等等，这一点上，《经济学人》承认，也与它一直捍卫的立场相似。

不过，接下来它就要说了，这种观点，在这件事儿上，有些脱离实际。

That, clearly, is not the argument of the voices calling to leave. As with Eurosceptics across the EU, their story is about liberation and history.Quitting the sclerotic, undemocratic EU, the Brexiteers say, would set Britain free to reclaim its sovereign destiny as an outward-looking power. Many of these people claim the mantle of liberalism—the creed that this newspaper has long championed.

大意：

显然那并不是（英国）脱欧派的论点。就如欧盟各国的疑欧派一样，他们也在宣扬摆脱束缚和历史传统。英国脱欧派们认为，脱离制度僵化专横的欧盟将会解放英国，让它重新掌握其主权命运，缔造一个外向型强国。脱欧派很多人都宣称继承自由主义衣钵——而自由主义也正是本报长久以来捍卫的信条。

第三部分解析

Singapore on steroids 

The liberal Leavers are peddling an illusion. On contact with the reality of Brexit, their plans will fall apart. If Britain leaves the EU, it is likely to end up poorer, less open and less innovative. Far from reclaiming its global outlook, it will become less influential and more parochial. And without Britain, all of Europe would be worse off.

首先是小标题：

Singapore on steroids 

虽然公投在今年，但是脱欧派的努力可是很久远了。也有很多“愿景”。比如脱欧后英国的生存方式更像哪些国家？脱欧派给出过一些描述，比如瑞士、比如挪威、比如新加坡。而这里面就有一个出处已经不可考证的提法，说英国脱欧后将成为“Singapore on steroids”，steroid类固醇，新闻里看到它多数与兴奋剂相关，虽然它是人体自然状态下就可以产生的物质，也可以被用来合法治疗疾病。说某运动员on steroids，就是说他用药了。也就是脱欧派有人主张英国从欧盟独立出来，会像当年新加坡从马来西亚联邦中独立出来一样风生水起，而且不是正常版新加坡，而是“打了兴奋剂的新加坡”，“打了鸡血的新加坡”。

UKIP议员Douglas Carswell被认为与这个提法的关系最密切，但是他也表示自己不确定是不是这么说过，他说自己并不喜欢新加坡的政治制度，但是他认为新加坡的外向型全球化贸易模式、庞大的金融体系、低税收、互联网化的民主体制等等，都与他对英国未来的愿景相契合。

这个小标题是有暗示作用的。因为这个“新加坡”愿景实际上是被大家认为最不“英国”的，被认为与现实最不相符。

所以，在这个小标题的下面，紧跟的就是这两句：

The liberal Leavers are peddling an illusion. On contact with the reality of Brexit, their plans will fall apart.

peddle 兜售（可指宣传）

On contact with 一接触到

自由主义脱欧派是在给大家画饼。一接触到脱欧后的现实问题，他们的计划便会土崩瓦解。

灰色的部分要讲一个词：

parochial 与parish（教会的教区）相关，比如parochial school，教区的学校。另外，它也指：只关心本地区的，地方观念的，地域性思维狭隘的。

灰色的部分直接在里面翻译了：

Singapore on steroids 

The liberal Leavers are peddling an illusion. On contact with the reality of Brexit, their plans will fall apart. If Britain leaves the EU, it is likely to end up poorer, less open and less innovative. Far from reclaiming its global outlook, it will become less influential and more parochial. And without Britain, all of Europe would be worse off.

大意：

打鸡血的新加坡 

自由主义脱欧派是在给大家画饼。一接触到脱欧后的现实问题，他们的计划便会土崩瓦解。 如果英国脱离欧盟，可能会同时损失财富、开放性和创新能力。光复大英全球观的大吉泡汤，反而会丧失原有的影响力，变得越来越封闭狭隘。同时，失去英国，欧洲在整体上也会走衰。

通篇悦读

开始享受成就感吧：

Divided we fall

The peevishness of the campaigning has obscured the importance of what is at stake. A vote to quit the European Union on June 23rd, which polls say is a growing possibility, would do grave and lasting harm to the politics and economy of Britain. The loss of one of the EU’s biggest members would gouge a deep wound in the rest of Europe. And, with the likes of Donald Trump and Marine Le Pen fuelling economic nationalism and xenophobia, it would mark a defeat for the liberal order that has underpinned the West’s prosperity. 

That, clearly, is not the argument of the voices calling to leave. As with Eurosceptics across the EU, their story is about liberation and history. Quitting the sclerotic, undemocratic EU, the Brexiteers say, would set Britain free to reclaim its sovereign destiny as an outward-looking power. Many of these people claim the mantle of liberalism—the creed that this newspaper has long championed.

Singapore on steroids 

The liberal Leavers are peddling an illusion. On contact with the reality of Brexit, their plans will fall apart. If Britain leaves the EU, it is likely to end up poorer, less open and less innovative. Far from reclaiming its global outlook, it will become less influential and more parochial. And without Britain, all of Europe would be worse off.