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英国下议院议长辞职 再也听不到他的“order”了

2019-09-11来源:和谐英语

当地时间9月9日,英国下议院议长约翰·伯考宣布将于10月31日之前辞职。自英国公投决定脱欧以来,持不同意见的各方在下议院进行了许多激烈的辩论,每当场面快要失控时,伯考总是大声反复喊着“order!(肃静!)”出面控场,并且讽刺又幽默地提醒议员们要遵守纪律。

John Bercow, the sharp-tongued speaker of the British House of Commons famed for yelling “Order! ORDER!,” announced his resignation Monday after a decade in the role.

英国下议院议长约翰·伯考言语尖锐,以大喊“肃静!肃静!”而闻名。在任职10年后,他于本周一(9月9日)宣布辞职。

John Bercow has announced that he will stand down as Speaker of the UK's House of Commons by October 31 -- the day Britain is set to leave the European Union.

约翰·伯考宣布,他将在10月31日前辞去英国下议院议长一职。10月31日是英国脱欧的截止日期。

stand down:退职,退出

It was the latest bombshell Brexit news and could have implications for Britain’s departure from the European Union.

这是英国脱欧的最新爆炸性新闻,可能会对英国脱欧产生影响。

bombshell ['bɒmʃel]:n.突发事件;引起震惊的人或事

Traditionally, the speaker of the House of Commons is not a household name. But Bercow is not a low-wattage character.

传统上,下议院议长并非家喻户晓。但是伯考的知名度却很高。

His colorful ties and even more colorful oratory helped him become a made-for-YouTube star, delighting fans around the world with his rhetorical flourishes. His memorable put-downs — telling lawmakers to “take up yoga” or go on “therapeutic training” courses — have gone viral. His best moments have inspired memes and mash-ups.

他五彩斑斓的领带和更加丰富多彩的演讲使他在Youtube上走红,他的华丽辞藻令全世界的粉丝们欣喜不已。他那令人难忘的奚落——告诉议员们去“练瑜伽”或参加“治疗培训”课程——已经在网上疯传。人们以他的经典举动为灵感,创造出了表情包和混搭主题包。

oratory ['ɒrət(ə)rɪ]:n.雄辩;演讲术 

He has also played a central role in the clash between the executive and the legislature at a pivotal time in Britain’s history — and the candidates running to replace him will have to indicate whether they intend to emulate or avoid his model.

在英国历史上这样一个关键时刻,他还在行政和立法机构之间的冲突中发挥了核心作用,而接替他的候选人将不得不表明,是打算效仿还是想要避免他的模式。

Bercow’s supporters say he is one of the most reforming speakers in modern times, and that his efforts have given backbench lawmakers a bigger voice.

伯考的支持者说,他是现代最有改革精神的议长之一,他的努力让后座议员有了更大的发言权。

backbench lawmaker:后座议员,英国议会下院中坐在后排议席的普通议员

“Throughout my time as speaker I have sought to increase the relative authority of this legislature for which I will make absolutely no apology to anyone, anywhere, at anytime,” Bercow said Monday in an emotional address, with his wife, Sally, looking on from the gallery.

“在我担任议长的这段时间里,我一直在寻求增加下议院的相对权威,对此不论何时何地,我都无愧于心,”本周一,伯考动情地说,妻子萨莉在走廊默默注视着他。

He had, he said, “sought to be the backbenchers backstop.”

他说,他曾“寻求成为后座议员的后盾”。

“Don’t tell me young man from a sedentary position what I can and cannot say,” he bellowedat one point. “Quite frankly, young man, you can like it or lump it.”

“什么都没做的年轻人,别告诉我我能说什么,不能说什么,”他一度吼道。“坦白地说,年轻人,你不喜欢也得忍着。”

like it or lump it:不喜欢也得忍着 

Johnson was set to suspend Parliament on Monday night for five weeks, a decision that Bercow previously called a “constitutional outrage.”

按照鲍里斯·约翰逊的安排,英国议会在本周一晚间起休会五周,伯考此前称这一决定“违反宪法”。

In an interview with The Washington Post in May, Bercow denied rumors that he would soon leave his post. “I think it would be rather curious to desert my post at a time like this,” he said.

伯考在今年5月接受《华盛顿邮报》采访时,否认了他即将离职的传言。他说:“我想,在这种时候辞职实在太离谱。”

But on Monday, he told the Commons that “at the 2017 election, I promised my wife and children that it would be my last. This is a pledge that I intend to keep.”

但在本周一,他告诉下议院,“在2017年的选举中,我向我的妻子和孩子们承诺,这将是我最后一次参选。我打算信守这一诺言”。

The fact that Bercow is a divisive figure was on stark display Monday, as many opposition lawmakers got up to applaud him for his service, while some of the hardcore Brexiteers stayed in their seats.

伯考是一个有争议的人物,这在本周一得到了鲜明的体现,许多反对派议员站起来为他的工作鼓掌,而一些铁杆脱欧派人士则无动于衷。

divisive[dɪ'vaɪsɪv]:adj.分裂的;区分的;造成不和的

Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the opposition Labour Party, said Bercow had been a “superb” speaker who had totally changed the way in which the job has been done.

反对党工党领袖杰里米•科尔宾表示,伯考是一位“出色的”议长,完全改变了议长的工作方式。

Brexit is hardly lacking in drama, but for those who tuned into parliamentary television to hear Bercow’s (often ignored) pleas for “Order!!!!,” it won’t be quite the same.

英国脱欧并不缺乏戏剧性,但对于那些收看议会辩论的人们来说,今后再也听不到伯考经常被无视的“肃静”请求了。