经济学人:英欧离婚,结婚不容易,分手更麻烦
英欧离婚|《经济学人》:走到一起不容易,分起手来更麻烦,且行且珍惜2016-12-20 从余启 我与我们的世界http://mmbiz.qpic.cn/mmbiz_jpg/77KduJBYs9Yibp7xJxJibUUabzvYNPnlAyauzMbETRxZEqDaVCdlv5Vr88NL6e9kuBsnCiaBAHE4zZb1eBqGwicZvg/0?wx_fmt=jpeg
欢迎打开“我与我们的世界”,从此,让我们一起“纵览世界之风云变幻、洞察社会之脉搏律动、感受个体之生活命运、挖掘自然之点滴奥妙”。我与我们的世界,既是一个“奋斗”的世界,也是一个“思考”的世界。奋而不思则罔,思而不奋则殆。这个世界,你大,它就大;你小,它就小。欢迎通过上方公众号名称打开公众号“查看历史信息”来挖掘往期文章,因为,每期都能让你“走近”不一样的世界、带给你不一样的精彩。
本期导读:马上就要接近尾声的2016年,对于小小的地球村儿来说,是不平静的一年,从汩汩难民危机,到波波恐怖袭击,从全球蔓延的民粹潮流,到接连不断的黑天鹅事件,都一次又一次地在全球搅动着或大或小的波浪,惊慌带来了愤怒,激情又孕育着希望。而其中,英国脱欧,肯定算是一只大个儿“黑天鹅”。
特朗普将要入主白宫,是另一只大个儿“天黑鹅”,美国各界,也开始着手“让美国再次伟大”的各项具体工作,其中,美联储及其所掌握的美元,便是复兴美国最为重要的一个工具,各种迹象表明,美联储加息势在必行,特别是特朗普正式上任后。
美联储加息尽管不会大踏步前进,但即使是微乎其微的步伐,也绝不可小觑,20世纪70年代美国加息后发生拉美债务危机,1987年加息后日本房地产“泡沫破灭”,1994年加息后日本经济雪上加霜并衍生亚洲金融危机,1999年加息后美国互联网“泡沫”破灭,2004年加息4年后爆发全球金融危机。
“黑天鹅”事件这个说法,最早可追溯到17世纪的欧洲,当时人们普遍认为天鹅都是白色的,而当库克船长发现澳大利亚大陆之后,人们才知道原来有黑色的天鹅。“黑天鹅”代表着不可预测的重大稀有事件,它在意料之外,却又会瞬间改变一切。
下面,就让我们一起边吃瓜、边欣赏,最新一期《经济学人》对从天而降落在它自己身旁的“英国脱欧”这只“黑天鹅”是如何分析的吧。
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7:35 The sexiest job in Europe 来自我与我们的世界 Charlemagne新的“欧洲之父”将要降临?
The EU’s Brexit negotiators prepare for disaster脱欧谈判,欧方已万事俱备,只待英方出招Still, it’s the sexiest job in Brussels谁任欧方代表,谁就最抢眼
“BREXIT is so fascinating!” exclaims a French official. Few Europeans wanted Britain to quit the European Union. But now that it is happening, foreign ministries and policy units across the EU are relishing the task ahead. As an intellectual exercise, managing the multifaceted complexities of Britain’s departure from the EU offers the kind of satisfaction rarely found in policy work. As a historic negotiation without precedent—no country has left the EU before, let alone one of Britain’s size and stature—it is a wonderful CV-builder. In Brussels, where the talks will take place, officials are scrambling to involve themselves with what one calls “the sexiest file in town”.“英国脱欧,令人心醉!”一位法国官员如是感慨。没有哪个欧洲人,想要英国脱离欧盟。但是,脱欧现在已成定局,欧盟的外交系统和政策部门,也都正为脱欧做着各项准备。英国脱欧涉及多个层面,牵涉很多复杂难题,处理起来自然需要智慧、需要勇气,也因此,谁能搞定这项工作,自然会得到莫大的成就感和政治声誉,这是诸如处理特定政策领域问题的工作无法比拟的。之前,没有哪个成员国脱离欧盟,更别说像英国这么大块头的了。脱欧谈判,史上头一遭,没有先例,因此,对于政界人士来说,便是一个提高政治声望的难得机遇。脱欧谈判将于欧盟总部布鲁塞尔上演,布鲁塞尔的官员们也都正使出浑身解数,想方设法让自己能参与到这项被称为“史上最抢眼的工作”之中。
1.Charlemagne [ˈʃɑːləˌmeɪn]查理大帝(742年-814年),因建立了囊括西欧大部分地区的庞大帝国而被后世尊称为“欧洲之父”2.fascinating ['fæsɪneɪtɪŋ] adj. 迷人的;吸引人的;使人神魂颠倒的;v. 使…着迷;使…陶醉(fascinate的ing形式)3.exclaim [ɪk'skleɪm]vi. 呼喊,惊叫;大声叫嚷;vt. 大声说出4.relish['relɪʃ] n. 滋味;风味;食欲;开胃小菜;含义;调味品;vt. 盼望;期待;享受; 品味;喜爱;给…加佐料;vi. 有特定意味;味道可口5.multifaceted adj. 多层面的6.complexity n. 复杂,复杂性;复杂错综的事物7.stature ['stætʃə] n. 身高,身材;(精神、道德等的)高度8.scramble ['skræmb(ə)l] vt. 攀登;使混杂,仓促凑成;扰乱;n. 抢夺,争夺;混乱,混乱的一团;爬行,攀登;vi. 爬行,攀登;不规则地生长;仓促行动
The preparations for Brexit on either side of the English Channel offer a Homeric parable of chaos and order. In Britain Theresa May, the prime minister, exudes swanlike calm, restricting her utterances on Brexit to warm banalities. But below the surface her government is paddling furiously to avoid being submerged by the awesome bureaucratic task bequeathed to it by Britain’s voters. One leaked note from a consultancy portrays a flailing government that needs up to 30,000 more civil servants to manage Brexit. Mrs May says she will notify the EU of Britain’s intention to leave under Article 50 of the EU treaty by the end of March 2017. That leaves barely three months to settle basic questions such as whether Britain should aim to stay in the EU’s customs union.英吉利海峡的两边,都在为脱欧谈判摩拳擦掌,不过,英国这边混乱不堪,欧盟那边却步调井然。英国首相梅姨表现得犹如天鹅般优雅淡定,有关脱欧方面的语气用词总是不温不火、中规中矩。但波澜不惊的表象之下,英国政府却在为收拾国民公投带来的这个烂摊子所需的人手而焦头烂额。一份从某家咨询公司泄露出来的信息显示,业已事务缠身的英国政府,可能需要再雇佣30000名人员来处理脱欧事宜。梅姨说,她会于2017年3月底之前就启动欧盟条约第50条,并向欧方告知英国的脱欧意向,因此,要决定诸如英国是否应留在欧盟关税同盟等系列基本问题,仅剩三个月的时间。
1.Homeric adj. 荷马时代的;荷马式的;荷马的2.parable ['pærəb(ə)l] n. 寓言,比喻;隐晦或谜般的格言3.exude [ɪg'zjuːd] vt. 散发;流出;使渗出;vi. 流出;渗出;发散4.utterance ['ʌt(ə)r(ə)ns] n. 表达;说话;说话方式5.banality n. 平凡;陈腐;陈词滥调6.paddle ['pæd(ə)l] n. 划桨;明轮翼;vt. 拌;搅;用桨划;vi. 划桨;戏水;涉水7.bequeath vt. 遗赠;把…遗赠给;把…传下去8.flail vt. 打;用连枷打,用力地胡乱挥动; 用力地胡乱摆动;vi. 打;用连枷打;n. 连枷(打谷物用的工具)
The contrast with the EU’s institutions, and the larger capitals, is striking. The 27 remaining EU countries quickly established a common line towards Britain on matters like the indivisibility of the EU’s single market. At a summit on December 15th, as The Economist went to press, they were due to issue a formal declaration outlining the format for the talks to come. The Brussels institutions have largely established their respective roles, bar a wobble from the European Parliament, and now spend their days in quasi-academic contemplation of trade models or security co-operation protocols as they wait for the games to begin. Officials everywhere insist that their priority will be preserving the interests of the EU, not keeping Britain happy. “This is a negotiation where we have to defend Europe, not undo it,” says Guy Verhofstadt, the European Parliament’s Brexit point-man.比较来看,欧方的组织机构,同时在各方面也是块头更大的一方,准备工作却是另一番景象。剩下的27个欧盟成员国,很快就诸如欧盟单一市场的不可分割性等系列问题,针对英国形成了统一战线。就在《经济学人》即将付印的12月15日,欧方举行了一场峰会,准备就脱欧谈判的框架发布一份正式声明。欧盟的各组织机构,都已确定好各自的角色,没有受到欧洲议会态度摇摆不定的影响,目前正就贸易模式以及安全合作进行着堪具学术深度的思考,就等着英方出招启动脱欧谈判了。欧盟各成员国官员都坚持,首要任务是保全欧盟的权益,而非让英国满意。负责英国脱欧事务的欧洲议会代表费尔霍夫施塔特也表示:“脱欧谈判中,我们得保卫欧洲,而不是让它更分裂。”
1.indivisibility [,ɪndə,vɪzə'bɪləti] n. 不可分割;除不尽2.wobble ['wɒb(ə)l] vi. 摇晃;摇摆;游移不定;n. 摆动;摇晃;不稳定;vt. 使摇摆;使颤动;摇动3.quasi [ˈkweɪzaɪ ˈkwɑːzi] adj. 准的;类似的;外表的;adv. 似是;有如4.contemplation [,kɒntem'pleɪʃ(ə)n]n. 沉思;注视;意图5.point man先头侦察兵;主力队员;领头人物;重要人物
European officials have refused to engage with Britain until Mrs May triggers Article 50. But they observe goggle-eyed the spectacle unfolding across the Channel. Some British ministers appear to believe that the entire relationship can be recast, rather than merely the divorce settlement finalised, in the two-year period Article 50 allows. European negotiators who think it is essential to act as one are staggered to hear some ministers cling to the delusion that Germany’s need to sell cars to British motorists will ensure that Mrs May secures a good deal.欧方官员拒绝与英国进行交涉,直至梅姨启动第50条。不过,欧方也在目不转睛地观察着英吉利海峡两边的风吹草动。英国有些部长貌似已确信,在启动第50条后的两年间,整个英欧关系将会彻底改变,而不会像是签署一份离婚协议那么简单。欧方谈判代表们认为应拧成一股绳,团结一致,也因此,当听到有些英国部长到目前依然抱持着幻想,德国汽车对英国市场的需要,将能使梅姨签署一份对英国有利的协议,感到甚是吃惊。
1.goggle-eyed ['ɡɔɡlaid] adj. 突眼的;眼珠突出的2.spectacle ['spektək(ə)l] n. 景象;场面;奇观;壮观;公开展示;表相,假相 n.(复)眼镜3.recast vt. 重铸;彻底改动;n. 重铸;重做的事物4.stagger ['stægə] vt. 蹒跚;使交错;使犹豫;使震惊vi. 蹒跚;犹豫;n. 蹒跚;交错安排;adj. 交错的;错开的5.cling vi. 坚持,墨守;紧贴;附着6.delusion n. 迷惑,欺骗;错觉;幻想
Gloom is thus descending on the European side. The EU will probably insist on settling the terms of Britain’s withdrawal before discussing future arrangements, and each is ripe for the fiercest of rows. Top of the list is the departure bill that the European Commission, which will lead the talks on behalf of the EU, will place before Britain. The commission puts the sum at up to €60bn ($64bn), roughly equivalent to three-quarters of Britain’s projected budget deficit for 2016-17. Brexiteer diehards, and their allies in the pit-bull press, will transfer their fury from the domestic “Remoaners” they accuse of holding up Brexit to perfidious Europeans making outrageous demands. One EU official puts the chances of Britain walking out of the talks next year at 50%.这样看来,欧方定会强硬。欧盟很可能坚持,在确定脱欧条件之后,才开始就未来安排进行谈判,而且对英国来讲,每项安排都将会一个比一个惨烈。首要的事项,就是由代表欧盟进行谈判的欧盟委员会开出的脱欧费用,高达600亿欧元(约合640亿美元),相当于英国2016-2017年度预算赤字的四分之三。脱欧死硬派,以及那些总爱煽风点火的媒体,将会把他们的怒火,从“之前闹着要脱欧现在又后悔脱欧并因此而拖慢脱欧进程的抱怨者”,转向胡乱要价不讲义气的欧洲人。有位欧盟官员就猜测,明年脱欧谈判中,英方代表愤而离场的概率高达50%。
1.gloom n. 昏暗;阴暗2.diehard ['daɪhɑːd] n. 顽固分子;死不屈从者;倔强的人3.pit-bull斗牛㹴狗(作警卫狗豢养);斗牛㹴狗式卫士,铁杆派卫士(肆无忌惮、好逞强的人)4.moan vi. 抱怨,悲叹;呻吟;n. 呻吟;悲叹;vt. 抱怨;呻吟5.perfidious adj. 背信弃义的;不忠的6.outrageous adj. 粗暴的;可恶的;令人吃惊的
Even if catastrophe can be averted, the negotiations will offer endless opportunities for rancour. Take the question of what to do with the 2.8m EU citizens living in Britain and the 1.2m Britons in the rest of the EU. At first blush it seems simple: both sides agree to guarantee the ongoing rights of citizens who arrived before a given date—perhaps the notification of Article 50. Indeed, Mrs May has sought to strike such a deal before beginning the formal withdrawal talks (concerned that she was seeking to play divide-and-rule, her European counterparts rebuffed her).即使最终结果没那么糟,脱欧谈判本身,也会在英欧之间埋下仇恨的种子。如何处理280万在英生活的欧洲公民以及120万在欧盟生活的英国公民,就是一个非常棘手的问题。乍一看,这个问题很容易处理,双方只要同意确保特定日期之前到达的那些公民的权益即可,或许可以启动第50条之日为界。确实,梅姨也曾努力在正式开始脱欧之前达成这么一份协议,但欧方因担心被梅姨分而治之而对此断然拒绝。
1.rancour ['ræŋkɚ] n. 深仇;敌意2.rebuff n. 断然拒绝;回绝;漠不关心;vt. 断然拒绝
But closer inspection reveals a never-ending string of complexities. Do governments have the administrative wherewithal to process applications for permanent residence? Will the children of EU citizens have the right to cheap university tuition? What about accrued pensions or other benefits? None of these questions is intractable. But each requires detailed negotiations and technical work. The same goes for other matters to be tackled in the withdrawal talks, from the pensions of British Eurocrats to the management of safety at Britain’s nuclear plants. Untangling a 43-year-old relationship, it turns out, is devilishly complicated.但若细看的话,各种复杂的问题会一桩接一桩,永无止境。政府能否筹集足够的资源来处理脱欧后洪水般的永久居留申请?欧盟公民的孩子会否享有大学学费优惠的权益?已经缴付的养老金或其他福利将如何处理?所有这些问题,都非常棘手。但每一个问题,也都需进行深入谈判,并都需要相应配套的技术性工作。脱欧谈判中的其他问题,从欧盟中英国官员的养老金问题,到英国核电设施的安全管理,都同样棘手。要解除长达43年之久的紧密关系,其复杂之程度,难以形容。
1.wherewithal ['weəwɪðɔːl] n. 必要的资金(或手段)2.accrued [ə'krʊd] adj. [会计] 应计的;增值的;权责已发生的;v. 积累(accrue的过去分词);形成3.intractable [ɪn'træktəb(ə)l] adj. 棘手的;难治的;倔强的;不听话的4.untangle [ʌn'tæŋg(ə)l] vt. 清理;整顿;解开…纠结5.devilish ['dev(ə)lɪʃ] adj. 邪恶的;精力旺盛的;魔鬼似的;adv. 非常;极度地
Triumph of the won’t?难道不脱就没事儿了?This in turn explains why concluding a separation deal within two years will not be easy. (In fact the months needed for procedural matters and ratification will cut the negotiation time to around 15 months.) The scale of the task, and the economic thump many Europeans think is heading Britain’s way—inflation, diverted investment and swooning public finances—mean some still harbour a hope Brexit may be averted. But that misreads the British mood. If things turn sour the blame will be heaped not on Brexit, but on the obstructionist EU.这反过来也表明,在两年内要完成这么一项复杂的分手协议,不会是件容易事。实际上,程序性事务以及立法机构批准生效也需要几个月,这样,给谈判工作留下的时间就仅剩15个月左右。脱欧这项任务的规模之巨,以及很多欧洲人认为脱欧正在给英国带来的各种经济问题,包括通胀蹿升、投资减少、公共开支攀升,让有些人依然对脱欧不会成功抱有幻想。但那只是对英国民众的误读。若脱欧出了问题,民众的怒火不会扑向英国政府,而将会烧向欧盟,说它蓄意搞破坏。
1.triumph ['traɪʌmf] n. 胜利,凯旋;欢欣;vi. 获得胜利,成功2.ratification [,rætəfə'keʃən] n. 批准;承认,认可3.thump [θʌmp] vt. 重击;用拳头打;砰地撞到;vi. 重击;狠打;砰然地响;n. 重打;重击声4.divert vt. 转移;使…欢娱;使…转向;vi. 转移5.swoon vi. 昏晕;惊讶;着迷;n. 昏晕;狂喜6.heap n. 堆;许多;累积;vt. 堆;堆积;vi. 堆起来7.obstructionist [əb'strʌkʃənɪst] n. 妨碍者;蓄意阻挠者;adj. 阻挠议事的;蓄意阻挠的
The ingredients for Brexit—a departing country confused about its leverage, a club distracted by other problems and determined to avoid more fractures, a procedure without precedent, a tight deadline—make a combustible mix. Yet both sides should feel the historic weight of these talks. Although Britain will be the first victim if things go wrong, a club assailed by crisis on all sides knows it cannot afford to oversee a Brexit debacle, however fascinating the exercise. For the EU, at least, that means placing hope in a British government that it fears may not warrant it. “From a rational point of view, we can’t fail,” says an official in Brussels. “But I’m not sure the rationality is there in the UK.”英国脱欧,牵涉对自身谈判筹码捉摸不定的英国,关乎受各种问题困扰并坚定信心避免更多分裂的欧盟,更需走完史无前例且时间又如此之紧的系列流程,这一切,稍不留神,就可能出问题。不过,双方也应对这些谈判所具有的重大历史意义有充分的认知。若出了问题,尽管首先受害的将是英国,但已经各种危机缠身的欧盟也知道,是承受不了脱欧再出什么岔子的,尽管脱欧进程是如此令人心醉。对于欧盟来讲,也至少意味着,若把希望寄托在英国政府身上,可能不会有什么结果。布鲁塞尔一位官员就表示:“从理性的角度讲,我们不能输,也不会输,但我不确定的是,英国会否保持足够的理性。”
1.combustible adj. 易燃的;易激动的;燃烧性的;n. 可燃物;易燃物2.assail [ə'seɪl] vt. 攻击;质问;着手解决3.oversee [əʊvə'siː] vt. 监督;审查;俯瞰;偷看到,无意中看到4.debacle n. 崩溃;灾害;解冻5.warrant ['wɒr(ə)nt] n. 根据;证明;正当理由;委任状;vt. 保证;担保;批准;辩解
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编译们 结婚,离婚,剪不断,理还乱。。。 好聚好散嘛 {:7_299:}{:7_299:}
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