VOA慢速英语2019 英国议员通过动议阻止约翰逊无协议脱欧（在线收听）

British Lawmakers Deal Another Blow to Johnson’s EU Plan

British lawmakers Wednesday denied Prime Minister Boris Johnson's call for a general election on October 15. They also approved a bill that could prevent Johnson from withdrawing the country from the European Union (EU) next month.

英国议员周三否决了英国首相鲍里斯·约翰逊提出的10月15日举行大选的呼吁。他们还批准了一项可以阻止约翰逊下个月带领该国退出欧盟的议案。

Britain's House of Commons voted 329 to 300 to support the bill Wednesday. It now goes to parliament's upper house, the House of Lords, for consideration.

英国下议院周三以329对300票通过了这项议案。它现在交由了上议院审议。

Both votes were a major defeat for the prime minister.

这两项投票是约翰逊首相的一次重大失败。

Johnson says his country must leave the EU on October 31, with or without an agreement between the two sides.

约翰逊称，无论双方是否达成协议，英国都会在10月31日退出欧盟。

His promise to withdraw from the 28-member organization has Britain's parliament in an uproar. Many fear leaving the EU without a deal in place could create severe economic problems. The dispute is the worst political turmoil since Britain voted in 2016 to leave the European Union. Politicians and the media have been using the name Brexit for the proposed withdrawal.

他承诺退出这个由28个成员国组成的组织，这让英国议会一片哗然。很多人担心无协议脱欧会造成严重的经济问题。这起争端是英国2016年公投脱欧以来最严重的政治动荡。政客和媒体都将英国退出欧盟称之为脱欧。

The Labour Party and some rebel members of Johnson's own Conservative Party joined Wednesday to delay Brexit.

约翰逊所在保守党的一些背叛成员周三联手工党以推迟脱欧。

"To deliver Brexit like this is to create a poison pill which for 40 years will divide this country straight down the middle," former Conservative Party leadership candidate Rory Stewart told the BBC. "If you are going to deliver Brexit at all, try to do it legally, constitutionally and with consent."

前保守党党魁候选人罗里·斯图尔特对英国广播公司表示：“这样脱欧就像是制造一颗毒丸，40年后会将英国一分为二。如果你打算彻底脱欧，请确保合法、合宪并获得许可。”

On Wednesday, Johnson said the possible new law would destroy "any chance" his government would successfully negotiate a new deal with the EU by October 31.

约翰逊周三表示，这项可能的法案会摧毁他领导的政府同欧盟在10月31日前成功达成新协议的“任何机会。”

However, the EU says Johnson's government has not given them any real new ideas about an agreement.

然而欧盟表示，约翰逊政府并未向他们提供任何达成协议的新想法。

The British Parliament rejected the deal former Prime Minister Teresa May reached with the EU, forcing her to resign in June.

英国议会否决了前首相特雷莎·梅与欧盟达成的协议，迫使她在6月份辞职。

It is unclear whether Johnson will have the votes to call an election later, after the bill is approved by the House of Lords. An election vote needs the approval of two-thirds of the 650 House of Commons lawmakers.

目前尚不清楚约翰逊是否会在上议院批准该法案后，在议会获得足够票数随后举行大选。举行大选需要获得下议院650名议员中三分之二人数的同意。

The Labour Party had said it would not agree to an election until a law is in place to stop a no-deal Brexit. It also said it does not trust Johnson to deliver an election before the Brexit date.

工党已经表示在制定法律阻止无协议脱欧之前不会同意举行大选。该党还表示，他并不相信约翰逊会在英国脱欧日之前举行大选。

Johnson needs the support of a few Labour members to get enough votes to hold an election because some members of his own party have turned against him.

约翰逊需要一些工党成员支持才能获得足够票数举行大选，因为他所在党派的一些党员已经倒戈相向。

The Labour Party's spokesman on Brexit issues, Keir Starmer, said Johnson had violated the trust of the House of Commons with his decision to suspend Parliament for several weeks in September and October before the Brexit deadline. Many critics have called this move anti-democractic.

工党英国脱欧问题发言人凯尔·斯塔莫称，约翰逊决定在英国脱欧截止日前的9月和10月暂停议会数周，这亵渎了议会的信任。许多评论人士称此举是反民主的。

Tuesday, Johnson lost his first vote in Parliament since becoming Prime Minister in July.

周二，约翰逊输掉了7月成为首相以来的首次议会投票。

Against his wishes, lawmakers passed a motion that would permit them to push for the law that banned a no-deal Brexit.

议员们逆着他的意愿通过了一项动议，从而允许他们推动禁止无协议脱欧的法律。

Johnson's government lost its majority when one Conservative lawmaker joined the Labour party and more than 20 other Conservatives voted with Labour.

当时一名保守党加入了工党，还有另外20多名保守党党员投票支持工党，约翰逊政府在议会中便失去了多数席位。

Johnson answered that by expelling them from the Conservative Party, leaving them as independent lawmakers. Among those removed were Stewart; Nicholas Soames, the grandson of Winston Churchill; and Kenneth Clarke, the longest-serving member of the House of Commons.

作为回应，约翰逊将他们逐出了保守党，使其成为了无党派独立议员。在这些被逐的人士当中就有斯图尔特、温斯顿·丘吉尔的孙子尼古拉斯·索姆斯，以及在下议院任职时间最长的肯尼斯·克拉克。

Johnson received some help on Wednesday when a Scottish court refused to stop his decision to suspend Parliament. A Scottish judge ruled that it was a decision for lawmakers and not for the courts.

约翰逊周三得到了一些帮助，一家苏格兰法庭拒绝阻止他暂停议会的决定。一名苏格兰法官裁定，这是针对议员的决定，而不是针对法院的。

Most experts believe a general election must take place in the near future to find a path out of the political turmoil.

大多数专家认为，必须在不久的将来举行大选，以找到摆脱政治动荡的途径。

Words in this Story

uproar – n. a situation in which many people are upset, angry, or disturbed by something

turmoil – n. a state of confusion or disorder

pill – n. a small, rounded object that you swallow and that contains medicine, vitamins

consent – n. agreement

motion – n. a measure put forward in a decision-making body such as a committee or a parliament