【卫报】英语在欧洲的地位正逐步衰退丨第90期

The English language is losing importance in Europe, the president of the European commission has said amid simmering tensions over the Brexit negotiations. Speaking to an audience of European diplomats and experts in Florence, Jean-Claude Juncker also described the UK's decision to leave the EU as a tragedy.

欧盟委员会主席表示，在英国脱欧谈判这场蓄势已久的紧张局势中，英语在欧洲的地位正逐渐衰退。 （欧盟主席）让·克洛德·容克在面对一群观众为佛罗伦萨的的欧洲外交官和专家的演讲中，也将英国的脱欧决定视为一场灾难。

• Simmer  vi. 煨；（争吵或暴力）即将爆发

"Slowly but surely English is losing importance in Europe," Juncker said, to applause from his audience. "The French will have elections on Sunday and I would like them to understand what I am saying." After these opening remarks in English, he switched to French for the rest of the speech.

“即便缓慢但英语确确实实正在欧洲失去其重要性” 容克说，赢得了其听众的掌声。“本周日法国将举行选举，我希望他们能明白我所讲述的内容”。在这些以英语进行的开场白后，他将演讲的剩余部分转换为了法语进行。

Making a stout defence of the EU, Juncker said the UK had voted to leave the project despite historic successes and a recent uptick in economic growth. "Our British friends decided to leave the EU, which is a tragedy," he said. Juncker promised to negotiate with the UK in full transparency but added that "there should be no doubt whatsoever that it is not the EU which is abandoning the UK, they are abandoning the European Union and this is a difference which will be felt over the next few years".

容克对欧盟进行了坚决的辩护，尽管取得了历史性的成功且最近的经济增长出现了回升，英国最终仍投票离开了。“我们的英国朋友决定离开欧盟，这是一场悲剧”，他说。 容克保证将以全透明的方式同英国进行谈判，但是也补充说“无论情况如何，毫无疑问，事实就是英国在放弃欧盟，而非欧盟放弃英国，而这其中的差别是我们在几年后将会感受到的。

• Transparency  n. 透明，透明度；幻灯片；有图案的玻璃

His speech follows an intervention on Thursday by the president of the European council, Donald Tusk, who called on Theresa May to show "moderation and respect" in the negotiations. On Wednesday the British prime minister had delivered an unexpected broadside against the EU, claiming the European commission and unnamed officials had been trying through various means to meddle in the UK general election campaign.

他的演讲紧随在周四欧洲理事会主席唐纳德·图斯克介入之后，唐纳德·图斯克呼吁特蕾莎·梅在谈判中展现“温和与尊重”。周三，英国首相对欧盟进行了一场出人意料的猛烈抨击，声称欧盟委员会和未知名官员一直在尝试通过各种手段来干预英国的常规竞选活动。

• Meddle  vi. 管闲事，干预他人之事

"These negotiations are difficult enough as they are," he said. "If we start arguing before they even begin, they will become impossible. The stakes are too high to let our emotions get out of hand because at stake are the daily lives and interests of millions of people on both sides of the Channel."

“事实上这些谈判十分困难”他说。“如果我们在它们开始前就开始争论，谈判就将不可能了。这些赌注太高，以至于我们的情绪不能因此失控，因为赌注所涉及的都是海峡两岸的几百万人的日常生活和利益。

May's meddling charge highlights the gulf in perceptions between Downing Street and Europe. Most EU figures think a win for the Conservatives would help May keep her Eurosceptic backbenchers in line, raising the chances of a Brexit deal. Antonio Tajani, the president of the European parliament, argued that an election soon after Brexit would complicate the chances of an agreement.

梅的干预指控突出了英国政府和欧洲间在观念上存在的矛盾。大部分欧盟成员认为保守党的胜利将推动梅保持那些支持她反对欧洲一体化议员们的稳定，增加英国脱欧谈判成功的可能性。 欧洲议会主席安东尼奥·塔贾尼认为若在英国脱欧后马上就举办竞选将使得这份协定通过的可能性复杂化。

• The Conservatives  保守党

• Eurosceptic  n. 欧洲怀疑论者，指反对欧洲一体化者

"I think for us it is better, much better, to have a new government without an election campaign problem," he told the Guardian. "It is much better to have an election behind, rather than in front, because for us it is much better to achieve an agreement."Had May not called the snap election, the UK would have gone to the polls in 2020, sharpening the electoral calculations in Brexit talks for the prime minister.

“我认为对于我们来说，一个没有任何选举运动问题的新政府才是更好的，且会比之前好得多。”他告诉《卫报》，“在脱欧结束之后进行选举会比在之前进行好得多，因为只有这样我们才能更好地实现谈判成功的愿望。” 如果梅不提出提前选举，英国将在2020年进行投票，这可以增加在脱欧会谈中支持英国首相的选举票量。

• Poll  n. 民意调查；投票；投票模块

Tajani played down concerns - voiced privately by some EU officials - that May's recent rhetoric