特蕾莎梅接任英国首相公开演讲全文
I have just been to Buckingham Palace, where Her Majesty the Queen has asked me to form a new government, and I accepted.
我刚刚去了白金汉宫,女王陛下请我组建一个新政府,而我答应了。
【语言点解析】
Her Majesty和the Queen其实都是女王的意思,更多的情况下我们看到的是分开用,而连在一起用其实也是可以的,这样显得更正式、更尊敬,翻译的时候可以翻成“女王陛下”。
In David Cameron, I follow in the footsteps of a great, modern Prime Minister. Under David’s leadership, the government stabilized the economy, reduced the budget deficit, and helped more people into work than ever before.
作为大卫·卡梅伦的继任者,我追随的是一个伟大而开明的首相的脚步。在大卫的领导下,政府稳定了经济,削减了财政赤字,而且以前所未有的幅度增加了就业量。
【语言点解析】
首先注意开头的in David Cameron,这里的in其实没有办法直译到中文里,这个用法是用来强调一个人内在的品质,比如“I see a great hero in you.”并不是“我在你里面看到了个伟大的英雄”,而是“在我眼里你是个伟大的英雄”。
Modern一词在这的意思其实就是其本来的意思“现代的”,但是直接翻译成“现代的”肯定很奇怪,所以我们要理解演讲者这么讲是想表达什么。现代当然是和古板、老派对立的,那么强调这点当然是想说他思想进步,于是我们就将其翻译成开明。
Help people into work其实就是创造就业的意思,可以直接说create jobs。但是前面一种用法更亲民,而且有help这样一个带有情感色彩的词,所以她这里这样用是为了和人民套近乎。
But David’s true legacy is not about the economy but about social justice. From the introduction of same-sex marriage, to taking people on low wages out of income tax altogether; David Cameron has led a one-nation government, and it is in that spirit that I also plan to lead.
不过大卫真正的政治遗产并不是经济方面的而是社会正义方面的。无论是引入同性婚姻还是全面免除低收入人群的个人所得税,大卫·卡梅伦领导的政府让整个国家团结起来,而这也是我领导时打算秉持的精神。
【语言点解析】
Introduction除了“用语言介绍”的意思外,还有更广义的“介绍”的含义,比如这里的引入。
低收入人群是people on low wages,注意用的是on,因为人们live on wages。
英文中所谓的one-nation是指一个团结不分裂的国家,强调国家内各族群之间没有分歧。
Because not everybody knows this, but the full title of my party is the Conservative and Unionist Party, and that word ‘unionist’ is very important to me.
并不是所有人都知道,但我的政党全名是保守与统一党,而其中的“统一”二字对我来说非常重要。
It means we believe in the Union: the precious, precious bond between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. But it means something else that is just as important; it means we believe in a union not just between the nations of the United Kingdom but between all of our citizens, every one of us, whoever we are and wherever we’re from.
这两个字代表我们对“统一”的信念——英格兰、苏格兰、威尔士、北爱尔兰之间极其珍贵的统一。不过除此之外它还有更深一层的意思,而这层意思同样重要,那就是不仅在国家之间取得统一,还要在整个联合王国的所有人民之间取得统一,不管我们是谁、从哪来。
【语言点解析】
Precious, precious的意思是极其珍贵,像这样将一个形容词连用时口语中的一种强调方式。
Is just as adj. 的意思是同样……,比如你可以说:He is tall and you are just as tall. 他很高,而你也一样很高。
That means fighting against the burning injustice that, if you’re born poor, you will die on average 9 years earlier than others.
这也意味着我们要与社会上的不公做斗争,这些不公就是:如果你生而贫穷,你的平均寿命就比其他人少9年;
If you’re black, you’re treated more harshly by the criminal justice system than if you’re white.
如果你是黑人,那么你在刑事司法体系中受到的待遇会比白人严厉;
If you’re a white, working-class boy, you’re less likely than anybody else in Britain to go to university.
如果你个白人男孩,而且出自工薪阶层,那你上大学的几率就比别人少;
If you’re at a state school, you’re less likely to reach the top professions than if you’re educated privately.
如果你上的是公立学校,那你从事高端职业的几率就比上私立学校的人小。
【语言点解析】
Top profession的意思是高端职业,profession与job不同,它强调的是一种职业,而job强调的是一份特定的工作。
If you’re a woman, you will earn less than a man. If you suffer from mental health problems, there’s not enough help to hand.
如果你是女人,你受的教育会比男人少;如果你受心理健康问题所苦,你将得不到足够的帮助;
【语言点解析】
Hand在这里是名词而非动词,这里的to hand不是不定式,他的本意是“在触手可及的范围里能拿到”,这里他的意思是“可以得到”,是在修饰help。
If you’re young, you’ll find it harder than ever before to own your own home.
如果你是年轻人,你获得自己房产的难度将比以往都大。
【语言点解析】
这里又走煽情路线了,用“家”来指代房产,博取人民好感。
But the mission to make Britain a country that works for everyone means more than fighting these injustices. If you’re from an ordinary working class family, life is much harder than many people in Westminster realise. You have a job but you don’t always have job security. You have your own home, but you worry about paying a mortgage. You can just about manage but you worry about the cost of living and getting your kids into a good school.
不过,我们的任务是将英国建立为一个适合所有人的国家,这远远不止包括与这些不公做斗争。如果你来自一个工薪家庭,你的生活会比威斯敏斯特的许多人意识到的要艰难。你有工作,但你的工作并不稳定。你有自己的房产,但是你会被住房贷款所困扰。你能勉强收支平衡,但是你很担忧自己能否将孩子送进一所好学校。
【语言点解析】
Can just about manage的意思不光是“能勉强收支平衡”,它可以广义地表示“刚好能勉强搞好一件事”。比如:There are too much housework and I can just about manage. 家务活太多了,我勉强能干完。
If you’re one of those families, if you’re just managing, I want to address you directly.
如果你属于一个这样的家庭,你的生活会捉襟见肘,而我的话正是对你们讲的。
【语言点解析】
Address sb. 是一种比较正式的表达方式,意思是对谁讲正式的话,它的用法很广,比如女王给国会做演讲可以用它,一个人参加正式宴会的时候
与人初次交谈也可以用它。
I know you’re working around the clock, I know you’re doing your best, and I know that sometimes life can be a struggle. The government I lead will be driven not by the interests of the privileged few, but by yours.
我知道你们全天无休地工作,我知道你们已经尽了全力,而且我也知道有时候生活非常艰难。我所领导的政府,将不是被特权人士的利益所驱动的,而是被你们的利益所驱动的。
We will do everything we can to give you more control over your lives. When we take the big calls, we’ll think not of the powerful, but you. When we pass new laws, we’ll listen not to the mighty but to you. When it comes to taxes, we’ll prioritise not the wealthy, but you. When it comes to opportunity, we won’t entrench the advantages of the fortunate few. We will do everything we can to help anybody, whatever your background, to go as far as your talents will take you.
我们将尽一切所能让你们能对自己的生活掌握更大的控制权。当我们考虑重大问题的时候,我们所想的不会是权贵,而是你们。当我们通过新法案的时候,我们所听取的不是豪强的声音,而是你们的。当我们探讨税收问题的时候,我们将把你们而不是富人作为第一考虑对象。当我们处理机会问题的时候,我们不会为那极少数的巨富挖壕沟。我们将尽自己所能来帮助所有人,无论这个人的背景为何,我们都会帮他达到他的才能所能触及的极限。
We are living through an important moment in our country’s history. Following the referendum, we face a time of great national change.
我们正在经历这个国家历史上一个重要的时刻。在全民公投之后,我们的国家正在面临重大的变革。
And I know because we’re Great Britain, that we will rise to the challenge. As we leave the European Union, we will forge a bold new positive role for ourselves in the world, and we will make Britain a country that works not for a privileged few, but for every one of us.
而且我知道,因为我们是伟大的不列颠,所以我们定会直面挑战。在离开欧盟之后,我们会为自己在世界上塑造一个崭新而勇敢的积极形象,而且我们会将英国建立为一个所有人的国家(而非少数特权阶层的国家)。
That will be the mission of the government I lead, and together we will build a better Britain.
这将是我所领导的政府的人物,而我们将同心协力建设一个更好的英国。
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