紐時賞析／英國經濟危機嚴重 開始後悔脫歐

In Slumping U.K., Feelings Of ‘Bregret’ Toward Brexit

英國經濟危機嚴重 開始後悔脫歐

Six and a half years after voting to leave the European Union, three years after the formal departure, two years after signing a post-Brexit trade deal with Brussels and one month after installing its fourth prime minister since the 2016 referendum, Britain is caught in — what else? — another debate over Brexit.

公投脫歐6年半後、正式脫歐3年後、與布魯塞爾簽署脫歐後貿易協議2年後，以及任命2016年公投以來第四任首相滿月後，英國正陷入，還會有別的嗎？另一場關於英國脫歐的辯論。

Brexit may be in the history books, but “Bregret,” as the British newspapers have called it, is back in the air.

英國脫歐可能已載入史冊，但英國報紙所說的「後悔脫歐」又重新浮上水面。

The cause of the remorse is clear: Britain’s economic crisis, which is the gravest in a generation and worse than those of its European neighbors. Not all — or even most — of the problems are because of Brexit, but Britain’s vexed trade relationship with the rest of Europe indisputably plays a role. That makes it a ripe target for an anxious public casting about for something to blame.

後悔的原因很明顯是英國的經濟危機，這是一個世代以來最嚴重的一次，比歐洲鄰國情況還要糟。並非所有問題都因為英國脫歐，甚至大部分問題都不是，但英國跟歐洲其他國家之間棘手的貿易關係，無疑發揮了一定作用。這讓它成為焦慮民眾追究責任的現成目標。

The latest eruption of this never-ending drama began last week with an opinion poll that showed support for Brexit had fallen to its lowest level yet. Only 32% of those surveyed in the poll, by the firm YouGov, said that they thought leaving the European Union was a good idea; 56% said it was a mistake.

這場永無止盡的鬧劇最近一次上演是在上星期，一項民調顯示英國脫歐支持率已降至最低水位。根據YouGov公司民調，僅32%受訪者認為離開歐盟是個好主意，56%的人則稱這是個錯誤。

The Brexit second-guessing grew louder this week, after The Sunday Times of London published a report that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was considering pursuing a closer arrangement with the European Union, modeled on that of Switzerland. The Swiss have access to the single market and fewer border checks, in return for paying into the bloc’s coffers and accepting some of its rules.

質疑英國脫歐的聲浪本周變得更大，因為倫敦的《周日泰晤士報》刊出報導稱英相蘇納克正考慮仿效瑞士，跟歐盟建立更緊密關係。瑞士能進入歐洲單一市場和享有較少邊境檢查，代價是必須付款給歐盟並接受歐盟一些規範。

Sunak quickly shot down the report, which was attributed to “senior government sources.”

蘇納克迅速駁斥這篇宣稱來自「政府高層消息人士」的報導。

“Under my leadership,” Sunak told business executives Monday, “the United Kingdom will not pursue any relationship with Europe that relies on alignment with EU laws.”

蘇納克周一告訴企業主管表示：「在我的領導下，英國不會尋求與歐洲建立任何仰賴於遵守歐盟法律的關係。」

“I voted for Brexit, I believe in Brexit,” Sunak added. “I know that Brexit can deliver, and is already delivering, enormous benefits and opportunities for the country.”

蘇納克還說：「我投票支持英國脫歐，我相信脫歐。我知道英國脫歐能夠實現，且已在為我國帶來巨大利益和機會。」

While nobody is predicting that Britain will seek to rejoin the European Union, political analysts said that the Sunday Times report, on top of the dismal economic data and growing popular sentiment against Brexit, would open a fresh chapter in Britain’s search for a new relationship with the rest of Europe. Where that would lead, they cautioned, was impossible to predict.

雖然沒人預測英國將尋求重新加入歐盟，但政治分析人士表示，《周日泰晤士報》的報導，加上黯淡經濟數據及日益高漲的反對脫歐民眾情緒，將為英國開啟尋求與歐洲其他國家建立新關係的篇章。他們提醒說，這將導致什麼結果無法預測。

文／Mark Landler　譯／陳韋廷

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【張佑生】

作者在導言連用四個after來幫英國脫離歐盟算帳，有話說從頭的意思，結束前插入一句what else?（有完沒完啊），本文調性昭然若揭。

「經濟活動決定上層建築」，以前首相強生帶頭的脫歐派所承諾的脫歐紅利迄今無一兌現，悔不當初的情緒開始發酵，媒體造出英國（Britain）結合regret的Bregret一詞。作者說英國脫歐或已「名垂青史」，in the history books的用法通常有誇張或反諷的味道。

咬文嚼字，英國已故首相邱吉爾堪稱20世紀國際政壇的「金句王」，更獲諾貝爾文學獎的認證。本版次題談俄烏戰爭，引用邱翁1942年的演說，原句是："Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning."

邱翁此言發表在同盟國在二戰歐洲戰區的首勝之後，故稱the end of the beginning，但還看不到盡頭的勝利。易言之，反敗為勝的轉捩點已出現，只是仍有長路要走。