高级口译：刘晓明南海仲裁案是一场政治闹剧

 　　South China Sea Arbitration¹ Is a Political Farce²

　　南海仲裁案是一场政治闹剧

　　Liu Xiaoming, Chinese Ambassador to London

　　中国驻英国大使 刘晓明

　　23 July 2016

　　2016年7月23日

　　The so-called award made by the South China Sea arbitral tribunal attracted wide attention. Media coverage³ here in the UK generally shared the same logic⁴: this ruling represents the international law and China’s non-acceptance of this ruling is in violation⁵ of international law. But is this true?

　　南海仲裁案仲裁庭近日出台了所谓裁决结果，引发广泛关注。英国媒体的报道林林总总，但大体意思不外乎一句话：仲裁庭的裁决代表了国际法，中国不接受仲裁就是不遵守国际法。事实果真如此吗?

　　It is common sense that a legitimate⁶ arbitration needs to meet certain conditions. First, the tribunal shall have jurisdiction⁷ over the subject matter. Second, the arbitrators shall be impartial⁸ and authoritative⁹. Third, the procedure must be reasonable. Fourth, the ruling on the substantive¹⁰ issues should help resolve disputes.Does the South China Sea arbitration meet any of these conditions? The answer is no.

　　常识告诉我们，一场合法的仲裁至少要满足几个条件：一是在仲裁事项上确有管辖权;二是仲裁员本身要公正、权威;三是整个仲裁程序要合乎常理;四是对实体问题的裁决要达到化解矛盾的效果。南海仲裁满足这些条件吗?答案显然是否定的。

　　First and foremost, the tribunal does not have jurisdiction. The subject matter of the arbitration initiated¹¹ by the Philippines, and the real intention behind it, is in essence related to territorial¹² sovereignty and maritime¹³ delimitation. Issues of territorial sovereignty are clearly beyond the scope of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and issues of maritime delimitation have been excluded by the declaration that China made years ago in accordance with UNCLOS. The arbitral tribunal in fact expanded its power into areas outside of its jurisdiction.

　　先看管辖权。菲律宾单方面提起仲裁的有关事项，背后的本质和真正目的都指向领土主权和海洋划界问题，领土主权问题《联合国海洋法公约》根本管不着，海洋划界问题也早已被中国根据《公约》规定而作的声明所排除。仲裁庭实际上是在自己无权管辖的领域扩权、滥权。

　　Second, the composition of the tribunal – an ad hoc body having nothing to do with the International Court of Justice – is questionable¹⁴. None of the five arbitrators is from Asia or has much knowledge of Asian history and culture. Most inconceivable in the arbitration process was that two arbitrators totally abandoned the opinions that they used to hold. This only increases doubts about the impartiality¹⁵, representativeness and the authoritativeness¹⁶ of the tribunal.

　　再看仲裁庭的构成。仲裁庭并非国际法院，只是一个临时组建的机构。五名仲裁员中没有一位来自亚洲，不了解东亚文化和历史。更令人匪夷所思的是，有两位仲裁员还在仲裁过程中完全背弃了原来坚持的观点。这样一个仲裁庭有多少公正性、代表性和权威性，不能不让人怀疑。

　　Third, the procedure of the arbitration went against normal practice. According to the dispute settlement system of the Convention, bilateral¹⁷ channels between state parties comes before arbitration. However, disregarding prior bilateral agreements between China and the Philippines to resolve the disputes through negotiations¹⁹ and consultations²¹, the tribunal forced ahead with the arbitration proceedings²². Such procedure is utterly²³ unreasonable²⁴ and it contravenes²⁵ the general practice of international arbitration under the Convention.

　　再看仲裁程序。在《公约》设计的争端解决机制中，缔约国通过双边渠道解决争议应予以优先适用，但仲裁庭却反其道而行之，在中菲早已选择通过谈判协商解决争端的情况下，仍优先选择强制仲裁,强行审理。这种做法不合常理，违反《公约》的一般实践。

　　Fourth is the ultimate effect of the ruling. The UNCLOS dispute settlement is designed to resolve problems and disputes in a just way. But the tribunal’s ruling is anything but. “There’s no free lunch”. This sums up the actions of the tribunal, paid with Philippine money. To cater²⁶ to the Philippines’ claim, the tribunal shrank the Taiping Island into a rock and was denounced by all Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. To save the Philippines from breaching²⁷ its own commitment to bilateral negotiations, the tribunal belittled²⁸ and nullified the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) reached between China and ASEAN countries. To deny China’s legitimate rights and interests, the tribunal turned a blind eye to China’s sovereign rights, which are inherited from past generations and are protected by the UN Charter. Such a recklessly partial tribunal creates more problems than it solves, and intensifies²⁹ rather than solves disputes. No wonder a former FCO legal advisor³⁰ Chris Whomersley believes that the tribunal is potentially destabilising the overall stability of international relations.

　　最后看裁决效果。《公约》诞生的初衷是公正地解决问题、化解矛盾，仲裁庭的做法却与此背道而驰。中国有句俗话：“吃人家的嘴软，拿人家的手短”，用来形容这个由菲律宾出钱组建的仲裁庭再合适不过。为了最大程度迎合菲律宾的主张，仲裁庭竟把太平岛硬称为“岩礁”，遭到海峡两岸中国同胞一致谴责;为了给菲律宾违反通过双边谈判解决争议的承诺开脱，它不惜贬低中国与东盟十国达成的《南海各方行为宣言》，否定其法律地位;为了否定中国的合法权利，它竟能把中国祖祖辈辈传承下来、受《联合国宪章》保护的主权权益一笔勾销。这种毫无顾忌的偏袒不是在解决问题，而是在制造问题;不是在化解矛盾，而是在激化矛盾。难怪英国前外交部法律顾问霍默斯雷先生会在研究报告中提出担忧：仲裁庭的有关做法将撼动国际关系的整体稳定。

　　Anyone who is fair-minded will have by now come to a conclusion: a temporary body with insufficient³¹ representation went beyond its jurisdiction and violated the reasonable procedures to successfully intensify³² disputes rather than solve problems. The impressive-looking arbitration is in essence a political farce under the cloak of law. Pretty words about protecting the law cannot gloss³³ over the illegal essence and practice of the tribunal.Throughout this farce, the law has been a victim of politics. If such a farce were regarded as international law, and if international disputes were to be “settled” in this way, the authority of international law and the peace between nations would be compromised. By not accepting or recognising the ruling, China is not violating but upholding the authority and dignity of international law.

　　从以上种种，任何不抱偏见的人都能得出结论：一个缺乏代表性的临时机构，强行插手它本不该管的事，经过不合常理的程序，最后不仅没有解决问题，反而激化了矛盾。这场仲裁看似冠冕堂皇，实质却是一场披着法律外衣的政治闹剧。完全是打着合法的招牌，干着非法的勾当;打着护法的旗号，从事违法的活动。在这场闹剧中，法律成了政治的牺牲品。如果这样的闹剧能代表国际法，如果国际上的争议都靠这种模式“解决”，那么法律的严肃性将荡然无存，世界将永无安宁之日。因此，中国不接受、不承认这场仲裁，不但不是不遵守国际法，而是在捍卫国际法的权威和尊严。

　　History has told us mortal beings time and again that solutions to disputes will come only when countries concerned sit down face to face for equal and friendly consultation²⁰. It is China’s consistent position to resolve issues of territorial sovereignty and maritime delimitation through peaceful negotiations. We welcome the new Philippine government’s recent statement about its willingness to re-open consultation and dialogue with China on the South China Sea issue. We hope this positive gesture will be followed by real actions and that the Philippines will return to the track of negotiation¹⁸ at an early date, work with China to properly manage differences and jointly³⁴ maintain the peace and stability of the South China Sea.

　　无数事实已经证明，只有让当事国自己坐下来进行平等友好的协商，才能最终解决争议。中国一贯主张在尊重历史事实的基础上通过谈判和平解决领土和海洋划界争议。我们欢迎菲律宾新政府最近表示愿同中国就南海问题恢复协商对话。我们期待菲律宾新政府将这一积极表态变为实际行动，与中方相向而行，尽早回到谈判解决问题的轨道，妥善管控分歧，共同维护南海地区的和平与安宁。

1 arbitration   

n.调停，仲裁

参考例句：

• The wage disagreement is under arbitration.工资纠纷正在仲裁中。
• Both sides have agreed that the arbitration will be binding.双方都赞同仲裁具有约束力。

2 farce   

n.闹剧，笑剧，滑稽戏；胡闹

参考例句：

• They played a shameful role in this farce.他们在这场闹剧中扮演了可耻的角色。
• The audience roared at the farce.闹剧使观众哄堂大笑。

3 coverage   

n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖

参考例句：

• There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
• This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。

4 logic   

n.逻辑(学)；逻辑性

参考例句：

• What sort of logic is that?这是什么逻辑？
• I don't follow the logic of your argument.我不明白你的论点逻辑性何在。

5 violation   

n.违反(行为)，违背(行为)，侵犯

参考例句：

• He roared that was a violation of the rules.他大声说，那是违反规则的。
• He was fined 200 dollars for violation of traffic regulation.他因违反交通规则被罚款200美元。

6 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。

7 jurisdiction   

n.司法权，审判权，管辖权，控制权

参考例句：

• It doesn't lie within my jurisdiction to set you free.我无权将你释放。
• Changzhou is under the jurisdiction of Jiangsu Province.常州隶属江苏省。

8 impartial   

adj.(in,to)公正的，无偏见的

参考例句：

• He gave an impartial view of the state of affairs in Ireland.他对爱尔兰的事态发表了公正的看法。
• Careers officers offer impartial advice to all pupils.就业指导员向所有学生提供公正无私的建议。

9 authoritative   

adj.有权威的，可相信的；命令式的；官方的

参考例句：

• David speaks in an authoritative tone.大卫以命令的口吻说话。
• Her smile was warm but authoritative.她的笑容很和蔼，同时又透着威严。

10 substantive   

adj.表示实在的；本质的、实质性的；独立的；n.实词，实名词；独立存在的实体

参考例句：

• They plan to meet again in Rome very soon to begin substantive negotiations.他们计划不久在罗马再次会晤以开始实质性的谈判。
• A president needs substantive advice,but he also requires emotional succor. 一个总统需要实质性的建议，但也需要感情上的支持。

11 initiated   

n. 创始人 adj. 新加入的 vt. 开始，创始，启蒙，介绍加入

参考例句：

• He has not yet been thoroughly initiated into the mysteries of computers. 他对计算机的奥秘尚未入门。
• The artist initiated the girl into the art world in France. 这个艺术家介绍这个女孩加入巴黎艺术界。

12 territorial   

adj.领土的，领地的

参考例句：

• The country is fighting to preserve its territorial integrity.该国在为保持领土的完整而进行斗争。
• They were not allowed to fish in our territorial waters.不允许他们在我国领海捕鱼。

13 maritime   

adj.海的，海事的，航海的，近海的，沿海的

参考例句：

• Many maritime people are fishermen.许多居于海滨的人是渔夫。
• The temperature change in winter is less in maritime areas.冬季沿海的温差较小。

14 questionable   

adj.可疑的，有问题的

参考例句：

• There are still a few questionable points in the case.这个案件还有几个疑点。
• Your argument is based on a set of questionable assumptions.你的论证建立在一套有问题的假设上。

15 impartiality   

n. 公平, 无私, 不偏

参考例句：

• He shows impartiality and detachment. 他表现得不偏不倚，超然事外。
• Impartiality is essential to a judge. 公平是当法官所必需的。

16 authoritativeness   

[法]权威

参考例句：

• In the tourist zone, should emphasize the authoritativeness of planning. 在旅游区，应强调规划的权威性。
• Urgency, danger, authoritativeness, human itarianism and systematicness are the five basic characteristics of public crisis management. 公共危机管理具有紧迫性、危险性、权威性、人本性和系统性五个基本特征。

17 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。

18 negotiation   

n.谈判，协商

参考例句：

• They closed the deal in sugar after a week of negotiation.经过一星期的谈判，他们的食糖生意成交了。
• The negotiation dragged on until July.谈判一直拖到7月份。

19 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

20 consultation   

n.咨询；商量；商议；会议

参考例句：

• The company has promised wide consultation on its expansion plans.该公司允诺就其扩展计划广泛征求意见。
• The scheme was developed in close consultation with the local community.该计划是在同当地社区密切磋商中逐渐形成的。

21 consultations   

n.磋商（会议）( consultation的名词复数 )；商讨会；协商会；查找

参考例句：

• Consultations can be arranged at other times by appointment. 磋商可以通过预约安排在其他时间。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Consultations are under way. 正在进行磋商。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

22 proceedings   

n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼

23 utterly   

adv.完全地，绝对地

参考例句：

• Utterly devoted to the people,he gave his life in saving his patients.他忠于人民，把毕生精力用于挽救患者的生命。
• I was utterly ravished by the way she smiled.她的微笑使我完全陶醉了。

24 unreasonable   

adj.不讲道理的，不合情理的，过度的

参考例句：

• I know that they made the most unreasonable demands on you.我知道他们对你提出了最不合理的要求。
• They spend an unreasonable amount of money on clothes.他们花在衣服上的钱太多了。

25 contravenes   

v.取消，违反( contravene的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• This fence contravenes our common right to pasturage. 这道栅栏侵害了我们牧场的共有权。 来自辞典例句
• This evidence contravenes our theory. 这个证据跟我们的理论不相符。 来自辞典例句

26 cater   

vi.(for/to)满足，迎合；(for)提供饮食及服务

参考例句：

• I expect he will be able to cater for your particular needs.我预计他能满足你的特殊需要。
• Most schools cater for children of different abilities.大多数学校能够满足具有不同天资的儿童的需要。

27 breaching   

攻破( breach的过去式 )； 破坏，违反

参考例句：

• The company was prosecuted for breaching the Health and Safety Act. 这家公司被控违反《卫生安全条例》。
• Third, an agency can abuse its discretion by breaching certain principles of judge-made law. 第三，行政机关会因违反某些法官制定的法律原则而构成滥用自由裁量权。

28 belittled   

使显得微小，轻视，贬低( belittle的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She felt her husband constantly belittled her achievements. 她觉得她的丈夫时常贬低她的成就。
• A poor but honest man is not to be belittled. 穷而诚实的人是不该让人小看的。

29 intensifies   

n.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的名词复数 )v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• A clear atmosphere intensifies the blue of the sky. 纯净的空气使天空变得更蓝。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Blowing on fire intensifies the heat. 吹火使热度加强。 来自《简明英汉词典》

30 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

31 insufficient   

adj.(for，of)不足的，不够的

参考例句：

• There was insufficient evidence to convict him.没有足够证据给他定罪。
• In their day scientific knowledge was insufficient to settle the matter.在他们的时代，科学知识还不能足以解决这些问题。

32 intensify   

vt.加强；变强；加剧

参考例句：

• We must intensify our educational work among our own troops.我们必须加强自己部队的教育工作。
• They were ordered to intensify their patrols to protect our air space.他们奉命加强巡逻，保卫我国的领空。

33 gloss   

n.光泽，光滑；虚饰；注释；vt.加光泽于；掩饰

参考例句：

• John tried in vain to gloss over his faults.约翰极力想掩饰自己的缺点，但是没有用。
• She rubbed up the silver plates to a high gloss.她把银盘擦得很亮。

34 jointly   

ad.联合地，共同地

参考例句：

• Tenants are jointly and severally liable for payment of the rent. 租金由承租人共同且分别承担。
• She owns the house jointly with her husband. 她和丈夫共同拥有这所房子。