英国新首的对华立场 对于北部振兴计划不是好兆头

 　　The decision by Theresa May, the new UK prime minister, to postpone¹ approval for Hinkley Point nuclear power station, apparently² because of security concerns about Chinese investors³ involved in the project, raises questions about another of her predecessors⁴’ flagships: George Osborne’s “Northern Powerhouse”.

　　英国新首相特里萨?梅(Theresa May)推迟批准欣克利角(Hinkley Point)核电站项目，显然是因为中国投资者参与该项目而对安全方面感到担忧。她的这个决定使人对上届政府的另一个旗舰项目产生疑问：英国前财政大臣乔治?奥斯本(George Osborne)的“北部振兴计划”(Northern powerhouse)。

　　Wooing Chinese investment was central to the former chancellor⁵ of the exchequer’s plan to harness the collective strength of northern England’s cities and so to rebalance the economy and devolve powers from Whitehall. If Hinkley is cancelled and a promised “golden era” of UK-China commercial relations comes to nought⁶, the Powerhouse will look underfunded.

　　对于奥斯本这一旨在利用英格兰北部城市的集体力量、推动经济再平衡和政府权力下放的计划来说，吸引中国投资是关键所在。如果欣克利角项目被取消，同时承诺的中英商业关系“黄金时代”无果而终，“北部振兴计划”看上去将陷入资金不足的局面。

　　Jim O’Neill, Treasury⁷ minister and former Goldman Sachs chief economist⁸, a driving force behind the Northern Powerhouse, is considering quitting the government over Mrs May’s approach to China.

　　鉴于梅的对华姿态，英国财政部商务大臣、高盛(Goldman Sachs)前首席经济学家吉姆?奥尼尔(Jim O'Neill)正考虑辞去政府职务。他是推动“北部振兴计划”的人士之一。

　　Before the Hinkley announcement, Mrs May had reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the Powerhouse and spoke⁹ of a “gaping chasm” between London and the rest of the country. However, she sees the project a bit differently from her predecessors. She pledged to help “not one or even two of our great regional cities, but every single one of them” — an implied rebuke¹⁰ to Mr Osborne’s focus on Manchester and its near neighbours, such as(notably¹¹ Leeds andincluding Sheffield.

　　在宣布推迟评估欣克利角核电站协议之前，梅重申了政府对“北部振兴计划”的承诺，并谈到伦敦与国内其他地区“日益扩大的差距”。不过，她对“北部振兴计划”的看法与上届政府官员有些不同。她承诺要帮助的“不是一两个大型地区性城市，而是每一个城市”，言外之意是不苟同奥斯本对曼彻斯特及邻近城市的关注，例如谢菲尔德。

　　The UK’s Brexit vote has added political urgency to the issue. The greatest support for leaving the EU was in predominantly working-class areas of the north and Midlands, where many felt let down by the political establishment. We should not be surprised. Even in the 1975 referendum, when the UK voted by two to one to stay in the European Economic Community, the leave vote was particularly strong in south Yorkshire and the north-east. This timeMore than two-thirds of voters in towns such as Hartlepool, Doncaster, Barnsley and Blackpool voted to leave.

　　英国的退欧公投给这个问题增加了政治紧迫性。支持退欧的最大力量来自英格兰北部和米德兰地区以工人阶级为主的地区，在这些地区，很多人对政治当局感到失望。对此我们不应感到意外。在1975年英国以2:1的投票结果支持留在欧洲经济共同体(European Economic Community)的公投中，约克郡南部和英格兰东北部支持退出的投票尤其踊跃。这一次，在哈特尔浦、唐卡斯特、贝恩斯利和布莱克浦等地，超过三分之二的投票者支持退欧。

　　Parts of the north, notably city centres, have recovered from deindustrialisation, but the region’s economic output per head remains¹² about 25 per cent below the average for the rest of England. The north lags behind in health, life expectancy¹³, employment, earnings¹⁴ and productivity.

　　英格兰北部的部分地区（特别是中心城市）已从去工业化中复苏，但该地区的人均经济产出仍较英格兰其他地区的平均水平低25%左右。在健康状况、预期寿命、就业、收入和生产率方面，北部地区处于落后地位。

　　The Brexit vote highlighted a criticism of the Northern Powerhouse: that it benefits cities more than small towns and rural areas. Mr Osborne’s aim was to improve transport links and research collaboration¹⁵ between cities such as Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds and Newcastle, areas thatwere among the few in the north that voted to stay in the EU. People elsewhere in the north fear being left even further behind.

　　退欧公投突显出针对“北部振兴计划”的批评：比起小城镇和乡村地区，城市地区受益更大。奥斯本的目标是改善利物浦、曼彻斯特、利兹和纽卡斯尔等城市之间的交通联系和研究协作——这些城市是英格兰北部少数几个支持留在欧盟的地区。北部其他地区的人们担心自己所在地区以后会落后得更多。

　　Understandable as those concerns may be, it would be wrong to backpedal on the Northern Powerhouse or its equivalent, the “Midlands Engine”. These regions have suffered too often abortive¹⁶ plans. There is substantial business support for the schemes involved and crucial infrastructure¹⁷ decisions, notably on a trans-Pennine fast rail link and road tunnel are yet to be made.

　　那些担忧或许可以理解，但在“北部振兴计划”上变卦将是错误的。相关项目获得了企业的大力支持，而关键的基础设施决定迄今仍未做出。

　　The challenge is this: can the initiative develop in a way that benefits the whole area? Better transport links between and within city regions will help give more people access to jobs in cities. And what is needed in addition is a stronger drive to improve skills and education across the north, which has too few high-skilled workers and too many low-skilled ones. According to think-tank ResPublica, the north’s proportion of residents with higher-level qualifications (31 per cent) is below the national average (36 per cent) and significantly behind London (49 per cent).

　　挑战在于，“北部振兴计划”能以让整个地区受益的方式来推进吗？城市区域之间以及城市内部的交通改善将有助于让更多的人在城市工作。此外我们还需要加大努力提高整个北部地区的技能和教育水平——北部地区的高技能工人太少，而低技能工人太多。智库ResPublica的数据显示，北部地区拥有中高级资格证书的居民比例为31%，低于全国平均水平的36%，更是远远落后于伦敦的49%。

　　Skills are harder for politicians to influence than trains and roads, but the north will not catch up without this. The northIt struggles to attract high-calibre teachers: a pay premium¹⁸ for teachers teachers those in poorer areas would help. Northern Its secondary schools have, on average, funding of ￡1,300 less per pupil than those in London, according to the IPPR North think-tank.

　　对政客们来说，比起火车和道路，要在技能上施加影响更加困难，但缺乏技术，北部地区就无法追赶其他地区。北部地区很难吸引高水准的教师：提高较贫困地区的教师薪资将会有所帮助。智库IPPR North的数据显示，北部地区中学在每位学生身上平均所花经费比伦敦少1300英镑。

　　School standards need a concerted focus by mayors, council leaders and headteachers. That requires restoring local democratic influence over independent state-funded academies: it makes little sense to devolve powers over transport, health, skills and planning while centralising control of schools. The north’s revival¹⁹ cannot be fashioned in Whitehall.

　　提高学校水平需要市长、市议会领导人和校长的共同关注。这需要恢复地方民主对独立的政府拨款的学术机构的影响：移交交通、医疗、技能和规划方面的权力同时集中控制着学校谈不上明智。北部地区的复兴不可能由白厅来完成。

 

1 postpone   

v.延期，推迟

参考例句：

• I shall postpone making a decision till I learn full particulars.在未获悉详情之前我得从缓作出决定。
• She decided to postpone the converastion for that evening.她决定当天晚上把谈话搁一搁。

2 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

3 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

4 predecessors   

n.前任( predecessor的名词复数 )；前辈；（被取代的）原有事物；前身

参考例句：

• The new government set about dismantling their predecessors' legislation. 新政府正着手废除其前任所制定的法律。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Will new plan be any more acceptable than its predecessors? 新计划比原先的计划更能令人满意吗？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 chancellor   

n.(英)大臣；法官；(德、奥)总理；大学校长

参考例句：

• They submitted their reports to the Chancellor yesterday.他们昨天向财政大臣递交了报告。
• He was regarded as the most successful Chancellor of modern times.他被认为是现代最成功的财政大臣。

6 nought   

n.／adj.无，零

参考例句：

• We must bring their schemes to nought.我们必须使他们的阴谋彻底破产。
• One minus one leaves nought.一减一等于零。

7 treasury   

n.宝库；国库，金库；文库

参考例句：

• The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
• This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。

8 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

9 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

10 rebuke   

v.指责，非难，斥责 [反]praise

参考例句：

• He had to put up with a smart rebuke from the teacher.他不得不忍受老师的严厉指责。
• Even one minute's lateness would earn a stern rebuke.哪怕迟到一分钟也将受到严厉的斥责。

11 notably   

adv.值得注意地，显著地，尤其地，特别地

参考例句：

• Many students were absent,notably the monitor.许多学生缺席，特别是连班长也没来。
• A notably short,silver-haired man,he plays basketball with his staff several times a week.他个子明显较为矮小，一头银发，每周都会和他的员工一起打几次篮球。

12 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

13 expectancy   

n.期望，预期，（根据概率统计求得）预期数额

参考例句：

• Japanese people have a very high life expectancy.日本人的平均寿命非常长。
• The atomosphere of tense expectancy sobered everyone.这种期望的紧张气氛使每个人变得严肃起来。

14 earnings   

n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得

参考例句：

• That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
• Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。

15 collaboration   

n.合作，协作；勾结

参考例句：

• The two companies are working in close collaboration each other.这两家公司密切合作。
• He was shot for collaboration with the enemy.他因通敌而被枪毙了。

16 abortive   

adj.不成功的，发育不全的

参考例句：

• We had to abandon our abortive attempts.我们的尝试没有成功，不得不放弃。
• Somehow the whole abortive affair got into the FBI files.这件早已夭折的案子不知怎么就进了联邦调查局的档案。

17 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

18 premium   

n.加付款；赠品；adj.高级的；售价高的

参考例句：

• You have to pay a premium for express delivery.寄快递你得付额外费用。
• Fresh water was at a premium after the reservoir was contaminated.在水库被污染之后，清水便因稀而贵了。

19 revival   

n.复兴，复苏，（精力、活力等的）重振

参考例句：

• The period saw a great revival in the wine trade.这一时期葡萄酒业出现了很大的复苏。
• He claimed the housing market was showing signs of a revival.他指出房地产市场正出现复苏的迹象。