跟着《经济学人》学英语 ▏之六(4)——聚光灯从德国转向法国
休假了一周,中间还参加了一次英国公共服务口译证书辅导班的入学测试,终于回来继续翻译了。今天搞定上周的社论,争取明天开始更新本周的社论。
本期《跟着<经济学人>学英语》选取本周《经济学人》(2017年9月30日)的社论文章,中英双语对照并讲解生词。因为社论篇幅较长,将分为四篇文章以便阅读。本篇是本周系列的第三篇。译者水平不到之处,欢迎大家批评指点。
本周系列各篇的链接如下:
(1)www.jianshu.com/p/e38e67658454
(2)www.jianshu.com/p/f74fcc97c4c5
(3)www.jianshu.com/p/af95c244391d
(4)www.jianshu.com/p/4e4322cd7b06
(接上篇。上篇的链接:跟着《经济学人》学英语 ▏之六(3))
In many ways, the 39-year-old Mr Macron is not yet well understood. Behind the haughty exterior, a leader is emerging who seems to be at once brave, disciplined and thoughtful. Brave, because labour reforms, as Germany and Spain know, take time to translate into job creation, and usually hand political rewards to the successors of those who do the thankless work of getting them through. Disciplined, because he laid out clearly before his election what he planned to do, and has stuck to his word. The unions were fully consulted, and two of the three biggest accepted the reform. Compare that with his predecessor, François Hollande, who tried reform by stealth and encountered only accusations of bad faith. Last, thoughtful: Mr Macron does not approach policy as an à la carte menu. He has grasped how digital technology is dislocating the world of work. His governing philosophy is to adapt France’s outdated system of rules and protections accordingly.
在很多方面,39岁的马克龙其实并没有很好的被理解。在他倨傲的外表之下,已经崭露头角的是一个看起来勇敢、靠谱且深思熟虑的领导者。说他勇敢,因为就像德国和西班牙都意识到的,劳工改革需要经过一段时间才能真正创造工作机会,这会使努力贯彻改革工作的领导者得不到任何感激,却常常将政治上的回报双手奉送给他的继任者。说他靠谱,因为他在选举之前就很清楚的陈述了自己的计划,此后也完全遵守了自己的诺言。工会的意见经过详细的咨询,三个最大的工会中的两个表示接受改革。将马克龙与他的前任弗朗索瓦·奥朗德相比,后者试图暗中进行改革,结果只是遭受各种不守信用的控诉。最后,说他深思熟虑,因为他并没有把施行的政策当成一项项可以单点的菜单。他抓住数码科技如何使整个劳工世界陷入混乱的现状。而他的管理哲学是根据这一现状调整法国过时的法律系统和保护措施。
单词:
haughty: 形容词,傲慢的,目中无人的。
stealth: 名词,秘密,鬼祟。
dislocate: 动词,扰乱,破坏。
词组:
lay out: 展示,摆放。
à la carte: 法语,意思是单点的菜单,与套餐相对。
Drumroll
Over the past few years, an enfeebled France has been a chronically weak partner for Germany, pushing Mrs Merkel into a solo role that she neither sought nor relished. If he is to change that dynamic, Mr Macron needs to move swiftly to match his labour law with an overhaul of France’s inefficient training budget, increase the number of apprenticeships and renovate the state’s sleepy employment services. He also needs to explain with a less contemptuous tone why his plans for tax cuts, including to France’s wealth tax and corporate tax, are not designed simply to benefit business and the better-off. In Europe he needs to reassure the northern, more open economies that he is not trying to put up walls.
鼓声隆隆
在过去的数年里,衰落的法国对德国来说一直都是一个疲弱的伙伴,这将默克尔推入了一个她从未寻求也并不享受的独角戏角色中。如果马克龙想要改变这一节奏,他必须在他的新劳动法之外尽快全面改革法国效率低下的培训预算,增加见习岗位的数量,更新国家政府昏昏欲睡的就业服务。他还需要以一种不让人觉得居高临下的基调,来解释为什么他所计划的对法国的财富税和公司税的削减,并非仅仅是为企业和有钱人服务。在欧洲,他需要使北部更开放的经济体相信,他并非在试图建立壁垒。
单词:
drumroll: 名词,击鼓声。
enfeebled: 分词作形容词,衰弱的,无力的。
chronically: 副词,长期地,慢性地,习惯性地。
relish: 动词,喜爱,享受。
overhaul: 名词,全面改革,彻底检修。
contemptuous: 形容词,轻蔑的,傲慢的,鄙视的。
Of course, Mr Macron’s first steps in the spotlight may falter. The odds on any leader reforming France are never high. He will struggle to convince Germany to embrace his vision of euro-zone reform. But, if this year has shown anything, it is that it is a mistake to bet against the formidable Mr Macron.
当然,马克龙迈向聚光灯的脚步最初也许会是蹒跚的。任何一个领导者想要在法国进行改革,成功的几率都不会太高。马克龙想说服德国支持他对欧元区改革的设想也需要付出很多努力。然而,如果说今年发生的一切告诉了我们什么,那就是质疑强大到可怕的马克龙绝对是一个错误。
单词:
falter: 动词,摇晃,蹒跚,踉跄。
formidable: 形容词,强大的,令人敬畏的。
(本周系列更新完毕。)
译者注:本文译自《经济学人》杂志2017年9月30日的社论。《经济学人》杂志上的所有文章均不署名。
原文链接:
https://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21729743-dynamic-emmanuel-macron-and-diminished-angela-merkel-point-new-order-europe
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