经济学人08:亚历山大·黑格 Alexander Haig

 　　Obituary;Alexander Haig

　　讣告;亚历山大·黑格

　　Alexander Meigs Haig, soldier and public servant, died on February 20th, aged¹ 85

　　军人、公仆亚历山大·梅格斯·黑格于2月20号逝世，享年85岁

　　Grant and Eisenhower aside, America is uneasy about handing civil power to soldiers; and from the very start of the Reagan administration, in 1981, there was nothing Al Haig could do to erase³ the impression that he wished to take over the country. At his confirmation⁴ hearings for the post of secretary of state he rode roughshod over his interrogators (“No one has a monopoly on virtue⁵, not even you, senator”). He let slip that he wanted to be the “vicar” of foreign policy, a word with pope-size pretensions⁶. The press pinned on him the word “arrogant”, and never removed it. His picture appeared on the cover of Time, chin high and arms akimbo, above the words “Taking Command”.

　　除了格兰特和艾森豪威尔，美国不放心把公民权交到其他军人手里；从1981年里根政府上任伊始，阿尔·黑格就没有摆脱希望接管国家大权的印象。在就任国务卿的听证会上，他对质询者出言不逊（“谁也不能独占伦理道德，连你也办不到，参议员”）。他无意中说想当外交政策的“主教”，这个称号真是自命不凡。新闻界始终如一地讥讽他“盛气凌人”。他的照片登上过《时代》杂志的封面，仰着下巴、双手叉腰，上面写着“由我做主”。

　　This portrayal⁷ was not without foundation. It was well known that in 1973-74, as Richard Nixon crumbled⁸ under the weight of Watergate, General Haig, then chief of staff in succession to the disgraced H.R. Haldeman, kept the administration functioning. He advised Nixon how to deal with his enemies, and when to resign; he suggested to Gerald Ford⁹ that he should pardon his predecessor¹⁰. His power was such that when Nixon appeared to ask him for a way out of his turmoil¹¹, “a pistol in the drawer”, he immediately ordered the president's doctors to take away his pills.

　　这种形象不是毫无根据。众所周知，1973到1974年间，理查德·尼克松受到水门事件的影响，黑格将军接替声名狼藉的霍尔德曼任白宫办公厅主任，维持政府正常运作。他劝尼克松对付政敌、及时隐退；他建议杰拉德·福特特赦尼克松。他位高权重，尼克松求他找出路摆脱谣言时说“抽屉里有把枪”，黑格立即吩咐医生把总统的药拿走。

　　Most of the time, however, though ambition burned through him like a fire, he had no interest in the office of the presidency¹². A disastrous¹³ foray in 1988, flaring¹⁴ out before New Hampshire, was as far as he went in that direction. He had no politicians' sleazy graces, and was proud of that. The brusque attitude and tone had been instilled¹⁵ at West Point, together with the gimlet stare and the preference for dealing¹⁶ with America's adversaries¹⁷, whether Cubans, Palestinians or leftist Nicaraguans, with a bombing run or an invasion. His duties at the White House, on Henry Kissinger's National Security Council and for Nixon, had been carried out while still under military orders and earned him a dizzy ascent¹⁸, from colonel to four-star general in four years. His scar tissue came from battles both actual and political.

　　尽管他心中涌动雄心壮志，大多数时候却对总统办公室毫无兴趣。1988年，他在新罕布什尔州投票前退出党内初选，就此远离政坛。他没有政治家的龌龊嘴脸，并为此自豪。他在西点军校养成了态度鲁莽、谈吐直率的品质，目光犀利，一向以轰炸进攻来对付美国敌手，不管是古巴、巴基斯坦还是左派支持的尼加拉瓜。他曾在白宫担任亨利·基辛格的国家安全顾问，四年间从上校升至四星上将。他在军事战斗和政治斗争中都伤痕累累。

　　As a soldier, he believed in certain rules of behaviour. First, the need to keep secrets and not go leaking to the newspapers, for soldiers died when secrets came into the enemy's possession. And second, to follow the chain of command. Foreign policy in particular required a single source, one clear voice speaking for America. The greatest danger in those cold-war years was to show the Soviet¹⁹ enemy a soft, disunited front. The Soviets²⁰ would surge through then, expanding their troublemaking²¹ and missile-rattling round the globe, just as the Chinese and North Koreans had driven through the “foolishly divided” front at the Yalu river in 1950, leaving 12,000 Americans dead or wounded in the ice, when he was a young lieutenant²².

　　身为军人，他坚信某些行为准则。首先，要保守秘密，不消息泄露给报刊，对军人而言，至死也不能让秘密落到敌人手里。其次，服从指挥。外交政策尤其需要单一来源，让一个清晰明白的声音代表美国讲话。冷战岁月中最大的危险，是向劲敌苏联暴露出软弱分裂的一面。苏联会趁机崛起，不断制造麻烦，让导弹恐慌遍布全球，如同1950年中国和朝鲜迅速突破“愚蠢划分”的鸭绿江前线，抛下了冰雪中死伤的1.2万名美军，当时黑格还是年轻的陆军中尉。

　　The greatest frustration²³ of high politics, for General Haig, was lack of that one voice. Nixon's White House, besieged²⁴ by enemies, was mostly undermined by “Deep Throat” leaking to the Washington Post—and though the general had no truck with Watergate, the strong rumour²⁵ that he himself was Deep Throat offended all his notions of right conduct. Despite his liking²⁶ for phrases such as “terminological inexactitude”, he was not a dissembler. He was in the more straightforward²⁷ business of transmitting orders to fire prosecutors²⁸, and tapping journalists' phones.

　　对黑格将军而言，身居高位的最大挫败就是没有这个声音。尼克松时代的白宫四面为敌，打击最重的是“深喉”向《华盛顿邮报》爆料，虽然黑格将军与水门事件毫无瓜葛，却有谣言说他自己就是深喉，这有违他的道德准则。尽管他爱用“谎话连篇”这种词，却绝不是伪君子。他做得更多的是传达命令解雇检察官、窃听记者电话这些直截了当的事情。

　　The ghost ship

　　幽灵船

　　He went to Reagan's White House, fresh from a five-year stint²⁹ as NATO's supreme³⁰ commander, with, he supposed, a guarantee from the ever genial³¹ president that he would be the spokesman on foreign policy (“I'll look to you, Al”). It lasted no longer than his first encounter with James Baker³², Michael Deaver and Ed Meese, the president's staffers. Meese put the vital Haig directive for the organisation³³ of foreign policy in his briefcase³⁴, where it stayed.

　　他担任北约盟军最高司令官5年后，进入里根时代的白宫，本以为能从和蔼可亲的总统得到保证，担任外交政策发言人（“我就靠你了，阿尔”）。好景不长，他首次遇到了总统幕僚詹姆斯·贝克、米歇尔·迪沃、爱德·米斯。米斯对至关重要的黑格发号施令，独揽外交政策机构大权。

　　There followed Haig explosions right and left over appointments, or statements of policy, which he had not authorised: fearsome times when the general turned purple, pounded the table and roared his displeasure. Turf wars blazed with the NSC and the Pentagon. Eighteen months of this, though punctuated³⁵ by hard work on arms control and a valiant³⁶ bout² of shuttle diplomacy³⁷, in 1982, to try to avert³⁸ the Falklands war, were more than enough.

　　接下来更令黑格满腔怒火，虽有职务在身、政策说明，他却毫无实权：将军往往气得面红耳赤、敲打桌子、大声咆哮，让人胆战心惊。美国国家安全委员会和五角大楼的争斗愈演愈烈。这18个月真是受够了，他不时要投入军控的繁重工作、多轮穿梭外交，1982年还要避免爆发马岛战争。

　　The moment for which he was best remembered came on March 30th 1981, when Reagan was shot. Sweating and intense, his hands shaking, General Haig declared to the press that “As of now, I am in control here, in the White House, pending³⁹ return of the vice-president.” Hedged words; but he never lived them down.

　　他被人铭记于心的时刻是1981年3月30日，当天里根被刺。黑格将军大汗淋漓、感情起伏、双手颤抖，向媒体记者宣布：“副总统回来前，目前白宫由我掌控。”这句话让人安心，也从未让人忘记。

　　Some thought he had become unmanageable, and he could give that appearance. But the nub of the matter, as he described it in a calmly lyrical passage of his book, “Caveat”, was this:

　　有人认为他桀骜不驯，他看起来的确如此。至于问题的核心所在，他在平静抒情的著作《告诫》中这般描述：

　　The [Reagan] White House was as mysterious as a ghost ship; you heard the creak of the rigging and the groan⁴⁰ of the timbers and sometimes even glimpsed the crew on deck. But which of the crew had the helm?…It was impossible to know…

　　里根时代的白宫像幽灵船一样神秘莫测；你能听到帆缆咯咯作响，船骨吱嘎吱嘎，有时还瞥见甲板上的水手。可是谁在掌舵呢？…根本不可能知道…

　　If someone evidently had the helm, General Haig saluted⁴¹. If not, rather than let drift and uncertainty⁴² give any comfort to America's enemies, he had acquired the habit of seizing the wheel himself.

　　如果的确有过舵手，黑格将军会向他致敬。如果没有舵手，他自己会一把抢过舵轮，而不会改变航向、游移不定，让美国的敌人安心。

1 aged   

adj.年老的，陈年的

参考例句：

• He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了，也老点了。
• He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老，然而记忆力还好。

2 bout   

n.侵袭，发作；一次(阵，回)；拳击等比赛

参考例句：

• I was suffering with a bout of nerves.我感到一阵紧张。
• That bout of pneumonia enfeebled her.那次肺炎的发作使她虚弱了。

3 erase   

v.擦掉；消除某事物的痕迹

参考例句：

• He tried to erase the idea from his mind.他试图从头脑中抹掉这个想法。
• Please erase my name from the list.请把我的名字从名单上擦去。

4 confirmation   

n.证实，确认，批准

参考例句：

• We are waiting for confirmation of the news.我们正在等待证实那个消息。
• We need confirmation in writing before we can send your order out.给你们发送订购的货物之前，我们需要书面确认。

5 virtue   

n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力

参考例句：

• He was considered to be a paragon of virtue.他被认为是品德尽善尽美的典范。
• You need to decorate your mind with virtue.你应该用德行美化心灵。

6 pretensions   

自称( pretension的名词复数 )； 自命不凡； 要求； 权力

参考例句：

• The play mocks the pretensions of the new middle class. 这出戏讽刺了新中产阶级的装模作样。
• The city has unrealistic pretensions to world-class status. 这个城市不切实际地标榜自己为国际都市。

7 portrayal   

n.饰演；描画

参考例句：

• His novel is a vivid portrayal of life in a mining community.他的小说生动地描绘了矿区的生活。
• The portrayal of the characters in the novel is lifelike.该书中的人物写得有血有肉。

8 crumbled   

（把…）弄碎， （使）碎成细屑( crumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 衰落； 坍塌； 损坏

参考例句：

• He crumbled the bread in his fingers. 他用手指把面包捻碎。
• Our hopes crumbled when the business went bankrupt. 商行破产了，我们的希望也破灭了。

9 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
• If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。

10 predecessor   

n.前辈，前任

参考例句：

• It will share the fate of its predecessor.它将遭受与前者同样的命运。
• The new ambassador is more mature than his predecessor.新大使比他的前任更成熟一些。

11 turmoil   

n.骚乱，混乱，动乱

参考例句：

• His mind was in such a turmoil that he couldn't get to sleep.内心的纷扰使他无法入睡。
• The robbery put the village in a turmoil.抢劫使全村陷入混乱。

12 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

13 disastrous   

adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的

参考例句：

• The heavy rainstorm caused a disastrous flood.暴雨成灾。
• Her investment had disastrous consequences.She lost everything she owned.她的投资结果很惨，血本无归。

14 flaring   

a.火焰摇曳的，过份艳丽的

参考例句：

• A vulgar flaring paper adorned the walls. 墙壁上装饰着廉价的花纸。
• Goebbels was flaring up at me. 戈塔尔当时已对我面呈愠色。

15 instilled   

v.逐渐使某人获得（某种可取的品质），逐步灌输( instill的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Nature has instilled in our minds an insatiable desire to see truth. 自然给我们心灵注入了永无休止的发现真理的欲望。 来自辞典例句
• I instilled the need for kindness into my children. 我不断向孩子们灌输仁慈的必要。 来自辞典例句

16 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

17 adversaries   

n.对手，敌手( adversary的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• That would cause potential adversaries to recoil from a challenge. 这会迫使潜在的敌人在挑战面前退缩。 来自辞典例句
• Every adversaries are more comfortable with a predictable, coherent America. 就连敌人也会因有可以预料的，始终一致的美国而感到舒服得多。 来自辞典例句

18 ascent   

n.(声望或地位)提高；上升，升高；登高

参考例句：

• His rapid ascent in the social scale was surprising.他的社会地位提高之迅速令人吃惊。
• Burke pushed the button and the elevator began its slow ascent.伯克按动电钮，电梯开始缓慢上升。

19 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

20 soviets   

苏维埃（Soviet的复数形式）

参考例句：

• A public challenge could provoke the Soviets to dig in. 公开挑战会促使苏联人一意孤行。
• The Soviets proposed the withdrawal of American ballistic-missile submarines from forward bases. 苏联人建议把美国的弹道导弹潜艇从前沿基地撤走。

21 troublemaking   

n.捣乱的行为

参考例句：

• But no, says Acheson, troublemaking will continue, and definitely so. 但是不，艾奇逊说，还是要捣乱的，并且确定地要捣乱。 来自互联网

22 lieutenant   

n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员

参考例句：

• He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
• He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官，递上了一张简短的便条进去。

23 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

24 besieged   

包围，围困，围攻( besiege的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Paris was besieged for four months and forced to surrender. 巴黎被围困了四个月后被迫投降。
• The community besieged the newspaper with letters about its recent editorial. 公众纷纷来信对报社新近发表的社论提出诘问，弄得报社应接不暇。

25 rumour   

n.谣言，谣传，传闻

参考例句：

• I should like to know who put that rumour about.我想知道是谁散布了那谣言。
• There has been a rumour mill on him for years.几年来，一直有谣言产生，对他进行中伤。

26 liking   

n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢

参考例句：

• The word palate also means taste or liking.Palate这个词也有“口味”或“嗜好”的意思。
• I must admit I have no liking for exaggeration.我必须承认我不喜欢夸大其词。

27 straightforward   

adj.正直的，坦率的；易懂的，简单的

参考例句：

• A straightforward talk is better than a flowery speech.巧言不如直说。
• I must insist on your giving me a straightforward answer.我一定要你给我一个直截了当的回答。

28 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。

29 stint   

v.节省，限制，停止；n.舍不得化，节约，限制；连续不断的一段时间从事某件事

参考例句：

• He lavished money on his children without stint.他在孩子们身上花钱毫不吝惜。
• We hope that you will not stint your criticism.我们希望您不吝指教。

30 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

31 genial   

adj.亲切的，和蔼的，愉快的，脾气好的

参考例句：

• Orlando is a genial man.奥兰多是一位和蔼可亲的人。
• He was a warm-hearted friend and genial host.他是个热心的朋友，也是友善待客的主人。

32 baker   

n.面包师

参考例句：

• The baker bakes his bread in the bakery.面包师在面包房内烤面包。
• The baker frosted the cake with a mixture of sugar and whites of eggs.面包师在蛋糕上撒了一层白糖和蛋清的混合料。

33 organisation   

n.组织，安排，团体，有机休

参考例句：

• The method of his organisation work is worth commending.他的组织工作的方法值得称道。
• His application for membership of the organisation was rejected.他想要加入该组织的申请遭到了拒绝。

34 briefcase   

n.手提箱，公事皮包

参考例句：

• He packed a briefcase with what might be required.他把所有可能需要的东西都装进公文包。
• He requested the old man to look after the briefcase.他请求那位老人照看这个公事包。

35 punctuated   

v.（在文字中）加标点符号，加标点( punctuate的过去式和过去分词 )；不时打断某事物

参考例句：

• Her speech was punctuated by bursts of applause. 她的讲演不时被阵阵掌声打断。
• The audience punctuated his speech by outbursts of applause. 听众不时以阵阵掌声打断他的讲话。 来自《简明英汉词典》

36 valiant   

adj.勇敢的，英勇的；n.勇士，勇敢的人

参考例句：

• He had the fame of being very valiant.他的勇敢是出名的。
• Despite valiant efforts by the finance minister,inflation rose to 36%.尽管财政部部长采取了一系列果决措施，通货膨胀率还是涨到了36%。

37 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

38 avert   

v.防止，避免；转移(目光、注意力等)

参考例句：

• He managed to avert suspicion.他设法避嫌。
• I would do what I could to avert it.我会尽力去避免发生这种情况。

39 pending   

prep.直到，等待…期间；adj.待定的；迫近的

参考例句：

• The lawsuit is still pending in the state court.这案子仍在州法庭等待定夺。
• He knew my examination was pending.他知道我就要考试了。

40 groan   

vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音

参考例句：

• The wounded man uttered a groan.那个受伤的人发出呻吟。
• The people groan under the burden of taxes.人民在重税下痛苦呻吟。

41 saluted   

v.欢迎，致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 )；赞扬，赞颂

参考例句：

• The sergeant stood to attention and saluted. 中士立正敬礼。
• He saluted his friends with a wave of the hand. 他挥手向他的朋友致意。 来自《简明英汉词典》

42 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。