盡管與上世紀(jì)相比，英國(guó)在權(quán)力和影響力上長(zhǎng)期處于衰落狀態(tài)，很多英國(guó)人仍不愿接受這一新的現(xiàn)實(shí)，尤其是在老一輩英國(guó)人中。支持英國(guó)脫歐的民眾夢(mèng)想回到過去，回到那個(gè)幻想的大英帝國(guó)。但這只是一個(gè)謬論。

By Greg Fountain

Twenty years ago this month, Hong Kong was returned to China - an event that is often considered to mark the formal end of the British Empire.
20年前的7月，香港回歸中國(guó)。人們通常將這一事件視為大英帝國(guó)正式結(jié)束的標(biāo)志。

Yet there seems to be some reluctance, back home in the UK, to admit that the British hegemony of the 19th and early 20th centuries is now a thing of the past.
然而，很多英國(guó)民眾似乎不愿承認(rèn)英國(guó)19世紀(jì)和20世紀(jì)初建立的霸權(quán)現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)成為歷史。

Last year's European Union membership referendum provided ample evidence of this, with the so-called Brexit vote won, at least in part, because of a certain xenophobic nostalgia for the "good old days".
去年，關(guān)于歐盟成員國(guó)身份的公投為此提供了充足的證據(jù)，所謂的退歐公投取得勝利，至少有一部分是因?yàn)橐恍┡磐獾挠?guó)民眾還懷念“過去的美好時(shí)光”。

Despite the country's extended period of decline in power and influence over the past century, many Britons still refuse to accept this new reality. Fervent nationalism, embodied in such anachronistic "anthems" as Rule Britannia and expounded by certain elements of England's right-wing press, is rife - especially among the older generation.
盡管與上世紀(jì)相比，英國(guó)在權(quán)力和影響力上長(zhǎng)期處于衰落狀態(tài)，很多英國(guó)人仍不愿接受這一新的現(xiàn)實(shí)。過時(shí)的歌曲《不列顛萬歲》以及英國(guó)右翼報(bào)紙中宣揚(yáng)的狂熱的民族主義越來越盛行，尤其是在老一輩英國(guó)人中。

In the four years since I left, my homeland once synonymous with statecraft and stability now looks to be foundering.
四年前當(dāng)我離開英國(guó)時(shí)，英國(guó)還是一個(gè)治國(guó)有方、團(tuán)結(jié)穩(wěn)定的國(guó)家，而現(xiàn)在似乎已處于崩潰邊緣。

In addition to referendums, the British public has twice in as many years been asked to decide on who should run the country. Such a rash of polls hardly smacks of solidity, nor does it serve to inspire confidence in Western-style democracy.
除了脫歐公投，在過去的幾年里英國(guó)公眾兩次被要求選出國(guó)家治理者。如此草率的投票即不利于英國(guó)穩(wěn)定，又令英國(guó)民眾對(duì)西方民主失去信心。

Contrast that with China, which over the same period has taken on an ever greater role in world affairs with the Belt and Road Initiative and its commitment to combating climate change in the face of the United States' withdrawal.
相比之下，同一時(shí)間中國(guó)在世界事務(wù)中已經(jīng)發(fā)揮越來越大的作用，發(fā)起了“一帶一路”倡議，且在美國(guó)退出《巴黎協(xié)定》時(shí)做出承諾，全力應(yīng)對(duì)氣候變化。

The supposed leaders of the UK, meanwhile, keep calling election after election, vote after vote, each only really serving to make the country weaker.
與此同時(shí)，所謂的英國(guó)領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人們卻號(hào)召民眾一次又一次地參加選舉、投票，每次都使英國(guó)變得更脆弱。

Both the Brexit referendum and the latest election which wasn't due for another three years were called needlessly by Britain’s current party of government either in the hopes of healing internal rifts or tightening its grip on power. Neither plan worked. Instead, through such miscalculations and hubris, the future of the UK now looks to be in real doubt.
脫歐公投和提前三年舉行大選是執(zhí)政黨的多此一舉。他們希望彌合國(guó)內(nèi)裂痕或加強(qiáng)權(quán)力掌控，但是沒有實(shí)現(xiàn)預(yù)期效果。相反經(jīng)歷了判斷失誤和驕傲自大，現(xiàn)在看來英國(guó)的未來充滿不確定性。

In just two short years, Britain will exit the European Union. That's not a long time to negotiate all the various border, tariff, trade, citizenship, immigration and other issues that need to be sorted out.
在短短的兩年里，英國(guó)將退出歐盟。多方邊界問題、關(guān)稅、貿(mào)易、公民身份、移民問題都要通過談判解決，還要解決其它有爭(zhēng)議的問題，兩年的時(shí)間實(shí)在太短了。

If the country's newly enfeebled government fails to reach a deal in time, then it will go over what's been described as the "cliff edge" cut off from some of its most important allies and biggest economic partners.
如果英國(guó)新上任的衰弱的政府未能及時(shí)達(dá)成協(xié)議，屆時(shí)英國(guó)將處在“懸崖邊緣”，與一些最重要的盟友和最大的經(jīng)濟(jì)伙伴切斷聯(lián)系。

Proponents of Brexit hark back to an imagined past, conjuring up a romanticized view of an imperial Britain that traded with the world. But this is a fallacy.
支持英國(guó)脫歐的民眾夢(mèng)想回到過去，回到那個(gè)幻想的大英帝國(guó)，與全世界都有貿(mào)易往來。但這只是一個(gè)謬論。

As Danish finance minister Kristian Jensen noted last month: “There are two kinds of European nations - small nations and countries that have not yet realized they are small nations.”
丹麥財(cái)政部長(zhǎng)克里斯蒂安?延森上個(gè)月指出：“歐盟的成員國(guó)分為兩種：小成員國(guó)和還沒有意識(shí)到他們是小國(guó)的國(guó)家。”

And it was none other than Sir Henry Tizard, chief scientific adviser to the UK's ministry of defense, who said Britain is "not a great power, and never will be again".
英國(guó)國(guó)防部首席科學(xué)顧問亨利?蒂澤德爵士（Sir Henry Tizard）曾說過，英國(guó)“不再是強(qiáng)國(guó)，且永遠(yuǎn)也不會(huì)成為強(qiáng)國(guó)了”。

He wrote those words in 1949. Perhaps it's time his country heed them.
他在1949年寫下這句話。也許英國(guó)是時(shí)候該聽從這句忠告了。

英文來源：“CHINA DAILY”微信公眾號(hào)
翻譯：王坤
編審：丹妮 董靜
音頻編輯：焦?jié)?/p>

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Greg Fountain is a copy editor and occasional presenter for China Daily. Before moving to Beijing in January, 2016 he worked for newspapers in the Middle East and UK. He has an M.A in Print Journalism from the University of Sheffield, a B.A in English and History from the University of Reading.