NPR News:伦敦前市长鲍里斯临阵脱逃 宣布不参加英国首相竞选

One of the key architects of the United Kingdom's push to leave the European Union gave a speech today about the country's future. Then instead of saying he wanted to lead the country into that future as prime minister, Boris Johnson, the former London mayor, stunned everyone by saying this.
今天，英国退出欧盟的主要缔造者就英国的未来发表演讲。前伦敦市长鲍里斯·约翰逊并没有表示他希望以首相的身份来引领英国的未来，而是用下面的发言让所有人大吃一惊。

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BORIS JOHNSON: Well, I must tell you, my friends, you who have waited faithfully for the punchline of this speech, that having consulted colleagues and in view of the circumstances in Parliament, I have concluded that person cannot be me.
鲍里斯·约翰逊：我必须告诉大家，一直等待这个演讲笑点的朋友们，我已经咨询过同僚意见，从目前国会的情况来看，我断言那个人不会是我。

MCEVERS: We'll hear more about Boris Johnson in a moment. But first NPR's Frank Langfitt reports on where Johnson's announcement leaves Britain.
麦克弗斯：我们稍后将了解更多鲍里斯·约翰逊的演讲内容。首先，NPR新闻的弗兰克·兰菲特将报道英国对约翰逊演讲的态度。

FRANK LANGFITT, BYLINE: On the streets of the city today, reaction to Johnson's decision to abandon his bid for prime minister ranged from cynicism to discouragement.
弗兰克·兰菲特连线：今天，我们在伦敦街头就民众对约翰逊不参加首相竞选的决定进行了采访，民众的态度有冷嘲热讽也有沮丧。

ELLA KELLY: It's just a joke, really, and I think he's probably realized that he can't do it. He's all bluff, and he just — he can't back it up.
埃拉·凯莉：这就是个玩笑，我认为他可能意识到他做不了首相。他一直在虚张声势，他根本做不到。

MADELYN REED: I'm not very surprised because I think he just wanted to win, but he didn't really have a follow-through plan.
玛德琳·里德：我对此并不感到惊讶，因为我认为他只是想要获胜，但是他并没有后续计划。

ANGUS BEGG: I think that he's reacted very well to the knowledge that he's been passed a poison chalice.
安格斯·贝格：他发现“有毒的圣杯”传到了他这里，我认为他的应对非常不错。

LANGFITT: That was Ella Kelly, Madelyn Reed and Angus Begg. They spoke around lunchtime today in central London. Johnson's U-turn on the prime minister's job came just hours after another surprise announcement.
Justice Secretary Michael Gove who had vowed to run as part of Johnson's team announced that he thought Johnson was incapable of leading the Conservative Party and that he — Gove — wanted the prime minister's job for himself. Nigel Ramsey, who also stopped to chat on the street today, said Johnson knew he was finished.
兰菲特：以上分别是埃拉·凯莉、玛德琳·里德和安格斯·贝格的看法。今天午饭时间，他们在伦敦中部地区接受了采访。在约翰逊竞选首相的态度发生180度大转变的几个小时以前，还有一份令人惊讶的声明。
曾是约翰逊团队成员的英国司法大臣迈克尔·戈夫宣布，他认为约翰逊没有领导保守党的能力，而他本人将竞选首相一职。尼格尔·拉姆齐今天也在街头接受了采访，他认为约翰逊知道他已经完了。

NIGEL RAMSEY: He made the right decision when he was the victim of a Michael Gove stabbing.
尼格尔·拉姆齐：他在被迈克尔·戈夫背叛后，做出了正确的决定。

LANGFITT: Beyond today's palace intrigue, there was also disappointment that Johnson had helped put the United Kingdom on what most see as a perilous path but was not willing to manage the country's tricky exit from the EU, the 28-nation trading bloc.
兰菲特：今天除了宫廷阴谋以外，人们也表达了他们的失望，大部分人认为约翰逊让英国走上了一条危险的道路，但是他却不愿意应对英国退出欧盟这一棘手事件，欧盟是拥有28个成员国的贸易集团。

PETER CATERALL: Democracy is not just about voting. It's also about being responsible.
彼得·卡特拉尔：民主不仅仅是投票。民主也是负责任。

LANGFITT: That's professor Peter Caterall who teaches history at the University of Westminster.
兰菲特：彼得·卡特拉尔在威斯敏斯特大学教授历史。

CATERALL: And what's happening now? The man who is most responsible for getting Britain into the situation it is now has just walked away from taking anymore part in dealing with the mess that he has created.
卡特拉尔：现在会发生什么？应该为让英国陷入这一处境负责的人却退出了，不再参与解决他制造的混乱局面。

LANGFITT: With Johnson out of the leadership picture at least for now, Theresa May, the home secretary, is considered the leading candidate to preside over a fractured party even though May actually supported remaining in the EU. Caterall says it's a high-risk job that Johnson probably realized was too dangerous to take on.
兰菲特：目前来看，约翰逊退出首相竞选以后，英国内政大臣特蕾莎·梅掌管分裂的保守党的呼声最高，不过梅支持留在欧盟。卡特拉尔表示，这是一份风险很高的工作，约翰逊可能意识到了危险，所以放弃了竞选。

CATERALL: Whoever becomes leader in the autumn will be coming to the post in possibly the most difficult circumstances of any prime minister, any Tory prime minister since perhaps Harold MacMillan.
卡特拉尔：无论是谁在秋季当选，在就职时面临的困境都将是历任首相之最，是自哈罗德·麦克米伦以来，历任保守党首相面临的最困难形势。

LANGFITT: And that was nearly 60 years ago. Brian Klaas says the new prime minister will not only have to unify the Conservative Party but also the nation. Klaas is a fellow in comparative politics at the London School of Economics. He spoke with us over Skype.
兰菲特：那是近60年前的事情了。布莱恩·克拉斯表示，新任首相不仅要团结保守党，而且要团结整个国家。克拉斯是伦敦经济学院比较政治学研究员。他通过Skype和我们进行了连线。

BRIAN KLAAS: Seventeen million people voted to leave the European Union, and they want that divorce to happen. But 16 million people have voted to stay in the European Union, and they're hugely disappointed and passionately upset. You need to have national unity at a time where you can't even build party unity, and that's the big challenge for whoever takes the helm of British politics going forward.
布莱恩·克拉斯：1700万民众投票支持脱欧，他们希望英国同欧盟离婚。而投票支持留欧的人数是1600万人，他们感到非常失望和沮丧。在需要国家团结的时候，甚至都不能使政党团结，这是领导英国前行的领导人面临的重大挑战。

LANGFITT: And Klaas says the stakes couldn't be any higher.
兰菲特：克拉斯表示，风险实在是太大了。

KLAAS: Because this is not a question about party politics anymore. This is a question about Britain's economic vitality. It's a question about the United Kingdom staying together, and it's a question about Britain's future place in the world. And somebody needs to rise to the challenge.
克拉斯：因为这已经不再是政党政治的问题了。这是有关英国经济活力的问题。是有关英国团结和英国未来在世界上的地位的问题。需要有人来迎接挑战。

LANGFITT: Altogether there are five candidates to replace Prime Minister David Cameron who announced his resignation after losing last week's referendum. Conservative MPs will begin voting next week to winnow the field, and party members will choose from among the top two in early September. Frank Langfitt, NPR News, London.
兰菲特：目前一共有五位候选人竞选接替戴维·卡梅伦的人选，英国首相戴维·卡梅伦在上周退欧公投失利后，宣布辞职。保守党议员将从下周开始投票，保守党成员将于九月初选出两名最终候选人。NPR新闻，弗兰克·兰菲特伦敦报道。