经济学人149:无望的日本政治

 　　Japan’s hopeless politics

　　无望的日本政治

　　Nuclear options

　　核的选择

　　The uncanny stickability of Japan’s prime minister

　　日本首相超长的忍耐力

　　Jul 30th 2011 | TOKYO| from the print edition

　　ALREADY enduring its sixth prime minister in five years, Japan is overdue¹ a seventh. Naoto Kan, the man at present on the inside of the revolving² door, only stayed there by promising³ at the beginning of June to step down soon, in return for a stay of execution at a parliamentary no-confidence vote. For both the opposition⁴ Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and his comrades in the ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) the way he is lingering over his departure is exasperating⁵.

　　尽管五年之内日本经历了六位首相，但是任然期待新首相的上任。现任首相菅直人在处在旋转门之间，之所以还在位，是因为六月初称其在不久就会下台，以换取国会终止不信任的投票。无论是反对党自民党还是同僚的民主党，都对他这种迟迟不愿卸任的方式感到愤怒。

　　For rival politicians (a category that includes virtually all of them), it is also rather frightening. As Japan struggles to cope with the disaster at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear-power plant, Mr Kan has nailed his colours to the anti-nuclear mast, arguing that Japan needs to reduce its dependence⁶ on atomic energy. Oddly he later watered this down, by saying he was only expressing a personal view not a government policy. But other politicians fear that, rather than quit, he may call an election, campaign on the future of the nuclear industry and (such is the popular hostility⁷ to it) win. Goshi Hosono, an avowedly⁸ pro-nuclear DPJ technocrat⁹ whom Mr Kan appointed as minister in charge of the nuclear mess, says it is “not a good idea” to test the public on this issue.

　　对于对手（事实上包括所有人）来说，这十分可怕。日本正在全力应对福岛第一核电站泄漏灾害，菅直人坚持反核的立场，表示日本应减少对核依赖。随后又弱化其态度，称仅代表个人观点，而非政府的政策。但是其他的政客们则担心他不会弃权，而会继续参选，借反对核工业发展（大家都反对这点）而获胜。菅直人任命的公开拥核的民主党技术官员Goshi Hosono称，用核问题测试民众态度，这个想法的确不怎么样。

　　This week Mr Kan said he had no intention of dissolving parliament early, arguing that the public would not like it and that it would be better to wait until 2013. Even that did not entirely¹⁰ quash rumours¹¹ that he may use the anniversary on August 6th of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima to make a dramatic anti-nuclear gesture.

　　本周，菅直人谈到他无意提早解散议会，公众也不希望这样，最好能维持到2013年。而对于流言，仍未平息，菅直人可能会在8月6日广岛核爆纪念日上表明自己反核的态度。

　　A snap election would seem out of character. But Mr Kan has still not set a date for his departure. At the end of June he listed three conditions he wanted met before standing¹² down. One was fulfilled this week, with the passage of a ?2 trillion ($26 billion) supplementary¹³ budget to help pay for recovery from the devastating¹⁴ earthquake and tsunami¹⁵ in March. There is also some progress on the second condition, a law covering the setting of feed-in tariffs¹⁶ for electricity, to encourage the development of renewable energy.

　　提前大选，让人出乎意料。但是菅直人依然没有宣布下台时间。六月底，他向国会提出了下台的三个要求。第一，本周内需完成2万亿日元（260亿美元）的追加预算，用于三月份发生的破坏性地震和海啸的重建。第二，通过电网回购法律，以鼓励新型能源的发展。

　　The third, passage of legislation enabling the government to borrow to finance its deficit¹⁷, may be trickier¹⁸. In an echo of the showdown in Washington, DC, the LDP wants Mr Kan to drop some of the DPJ’s spending promises—such as an allowance for raising children, and the abolition¹⁹ of expressway tolls²⁰ and tuition fees for public high schools.

　　第三个要求实施起来相对复杂，是通过立法允许政府借债以弥补赤字。而美国两党也在为债务问题进行博弈，自民党希望菅直人能放弃民主党在一些问题上的开支——提供孩子的抚养津贴，取消高速公路收费和公立学校的学费。

　　Even if that dispute is resolved, Mr Kan may still try to hang on after the end of this parliamentary session on August 31st. This seems remarkable²¹. The political class loathes²² him; the press relentlessly²³ reviles²⁴ him; business despises him; and voters want him to go. His approval rating has plummeted²⁵ to below 20%.

　　即使该条件得以满足，8月31日的国会议会结束时，菅直人仍然不会下台。这看起来似乎不太寻常。政客们不喜欢他，媒体不遗余力的指责他，企业界看不起他，选民们也希望他下台，而他的支持率已经下降到20%。

　　One of his advisers²⁶, however, points out that most other politicians score even lower in the polls. Mr Kan’s unpopularity is a symptom of a deeper problem: a loss of faith in politics generally. Partisan²⁷ and intra-party bickering²⁸ at a time of national emergency has further battered²⁹ politics’ reputation. Mr Kan’s government is widely seen as having been inept³⁰ in disaster-management, and its standing will sink deeper if, as many expect, scares about nuclear-tainted food worsen.

　　然而，他的一位顾问就指出，其他大多数政客的支持率比他还低。菅直人不受欢迎的现象反映出一个深层次的问题：公众普遍对政府失去信心。在全国紧要关头，党派及各党内部的争斗损坏了政府的信誉。菅直人的政府被公众指责为救灾不力，很多人担心，若食物遭核辐射，他的支持率会再下降。

　　Japan badly needs effective government. The clean-up from the tsunami and earthquake has been impressive. But rebuilding has yet to begin, because big and urgent decisions about what to rebuild where have yet to be taken. Mr Kan’s team hardly seems up to the job. But few believe a replacement³¹ would be much better.

　　日本迫切需要效率高的政府。海啸和地震的善后处理让民众记忆深刻。但是震后重建工作还未启动，因为政府还没有对怎么重建，在哪重建做出重大和迫切的决定。菅直人的政府似乎很难胜任这个工作。但几乎没有人认为换一批人能比他做的好。

　　Desperate to get rid of him, some of his colleagues are whispering of their own weapon of mass destruction: the collective resignation of the cabinet and DPJ hierarchy³². That might do the trick in ousting³³ Mr Kan. But it would not lift the contempt in which the political class is held.

　　菅直人的同僚们也迫切希望其下台，正在私下动用杀手锏：内阁与民主党层集体辞职。这或许会让菅直人下台。但是依然无法改变民众对政府的蔑视。

1 overdue   

adj.过期的，到期未付的；早该有的，迟到的

参考例句：

• The plane is overdue and has been delayed by the bad weather.飞机晚点了，被坏天气耽搁了。
• The landlady is angry because the rent is overdue.女房东生气了，因为房租过期未付。

2 revolving   

adj.旋转的，轮转式的；循环的v.（使）旋转( revolve的现在分词 )；细想

参考例句：

• The theatre has a revolving stage. 剧院有一个旋转舞台。
• The company became a revolving-door workplace. 这家公司成了工作的中转站。

3 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

4 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

5 exasperating   

adj. 激怒的 动词exasperate的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• Our team's failure is very exasperating. 我们队失败了，真是气死人。
• It is really exasperating that he has not turned up when the train is about to leave. 火车快开了， 他还不来，实在急人。

6 dependence   

n.依靠，依赖；信任，信赖；隶属

参考例句：

• Doctors keep trying to break her dependence of the drug.医生们尽力使她戒除毒瘾。
• He was freed from financial dependence on his parents.他在经济上摆脱了对父母的依赖。

7 hostility   

n.敌对，敌意；抵制［pl.］交战，战争

参考例句：

• There is open hostility between the two leaders.两位领导人表现出公开的敌意。
• His hostility to your plan is well known.他对你的计划所持的敌意是众所周知的。

8 avowedly   

adv.公然地

参考例句：

• He was avowedly in the wrong. 他自认错了。 来自辞典例句
• Their policy has been avowedly marxist. 他们的政策被公开地宣称为马克思主义政策。 来自互联网

9 technocrat   

n.技术人员，技术官僚

参考例句：

• He is a distant technocrat who is unable to connect with ordinary voters.作为一个冷淡的技术官僚，他不能做到与普通选民息息相通。
• Jack Lew,the new budget director,is the quintessential technocrat.新预算主管杰克·卢就是一个典型的技术官僚。

10 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

11 rumours   

n.传闻( rumour的名词复数 )；风闻；谣言；谣传

参考例句：

• The rumours were completely baseless. 那些谣传毫无根据。
• Rumours of job losses were later confirmed. 裁员的传言后来得到了证实。

12 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

13 supplementary   

adj.补充的，附加的

参考例句：

• There is a supplementary water supply in case the rain supply fails.万一主水源断了，我们另外有供水的地方。
• A supplementary volume has been published containing the index.附有索引的增补卷已经出版。

14 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

15 tsunami   

n.海啸

参考例句：

• Powerful quake sparks tsunami warning in Japan.大地震触发了日本的海啸预警。
• Coastlines all around the Indian Ocean inundated by a huge tsunami.大海啸把印度洋沿岸地区都淹没了。

16 tariffs   

关税制度； 关税( tariff的名词复数 )； 关税表； （旅馆或饭店等的）收费表； 量刑标准

参考例句：

• British industry was sheltered from foreign competition by protective tariffs. 保护性关税使英国工业免受国际竞争影响。
• The new tariffs have put a stranglehold on trade. 新的关税制对开展贸易极为不利。

17 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

18 trickier   

adj.狡猾的( tricky的比较级 )；（形势、工作等）复杂的；机警的；微妙的

参考例句：

• This is the general rule, but some cases are trickier than others. 以上是一般规则，但某些案例会比别的案例更为棘手。 来自互联网
• The lower the numbers go, the trickier the problems get. 武器的数量越低，问题就越复杂。 来自互联网

19 abolition   

n.废除，取消

参考例句：

• They declared for the abolition of slavery.他们声明赞成废除奴隶制度。
• The abolition of the monarchy was part of their price.废除君主制是他们的其中一部分条件。

20 tolls   

（缓慢而有规律的）钟声( toll的名词复数 )； 通行费； 损耗； （战争、灾难等造成的）毁坏

参考例句：

• A man collected tolls at the gateway. 一个人在大门口收通行费。
• The long-distance call tolls amount to quite a sum. 长途电话费数目相当可观。

21 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

22 loathes   

v.憎恨，厌恶( loathe的第三人称单数 )；极不喜欢

参考例句：

• He loathes the sight of crabs. 他看到蟹就恶心。 来自辞典例句
• Loathes this continually air all to bring the false society. 厌恶这连空气都带着虚伪的社会。 来自互联网

23 relentlessly   

adv.不屈不挠地；残酷地；不间断

参考例句：

• The African sun beat relentlessly down on his aching head. 非洲的太阳无情地照射在他那发痛的头上。
• He pursued her relentlessly, refusing to take 'no' for an answer. 他锲而不舍地追求她，拒不接受“不”的回答。

24 reviles   

v.辱骂，痛斥( revile的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• He boasts of the cravings of his heart; he blesses the greedy and reviles the LORD. 因为恶人以心愿自夸。贪财的背弃耶和华，并且轻慢他（或作他祝福贪财的，却轻慢耶和华）。 来自互联网

25 plummeted   

v.垂直落下，骤然跌落( plummet的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Share prices plummeted to an all-time low. 股票价格暴跌到历史最低点。
• A plane plummeted to earth. 一架飞机一头栽向地面。 来自《简明英汉词典》

26 advisers   

顾问，劝告者( adviser的名词复数 )； （指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授

参考例句：

• a member of the President's favoured circle of advisers 总统宠爱的顾问班子中的一员
• She withdrew to confer with her advisers before announcing a decision. 她先去请教顾问然后再宣布决定。

27 partisan   

adj.党派性的；游击队的；n.游击队员；党徒

参考例句：

• In their anger they forget all the partisan quarrels.愤怒之中，他们忘掉一切党派之争。
• The numerous newly created partisan detachments began working slowly towards that region.许多新建的游击队都开始慢慢地向那里移动。

28 bickering   

v.争吵( bicker的现在分词 )；口角；（水等）作潺潺声；闪烁

参考例句：

• The children are always bickering about something or other. 孩子们有事没事总是在争吵。
• The two children were always bickering with each other over small matters. 这两个孩子总是为些小事斗嘴。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

29 battered   

adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损

参考例句：

• He drove up in a battered old car.他开着一辆又老又破的旧车。
• The world was brutally battered but it survived.这个世界遭受了惨重的创伤,但它还是生存下来了。

30 inept   

adj.不恰当的，荒谬的，拙劣的

参考例句：

• Whan an inept remark to make on such a formal occasion.在如此正式的场合，怎么说这样不恰当的话。
• He's quite inept at tennis.他打网球太笨。

31 replacement   

n.取代，替换，交换；替代品，代用品

参考例句：

• We are hard put to find a replacement for our assistant.我们很难找到一个人来代替我们的助手。
• They put all the students through the replacement examination.他们让所有的学生参加分班考试。

32 hierarchy   

n.等级制度；统治集团，领导层

参考例句：

• There is a rigid hierarchy of power in that country.那个国家有一套严密的权力等级制度。
• She's high up in the management hierarchy.她在管理阶层中地位很高。

33 ousting   

驱逐( oust的现在分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• The resulting financial chaos led to the ousting of Bristol-Myers' s boss. 随后引发的财政混乱导致了百时美施贵宝的总裁下台。
• The ousting of the president has drawn widespread criticism across Latin America and the wider world. 洪都拉斯总统被驱逐时间引起拉丁美洲甚至全世界的广泛批评。