VOA新闻杂志2023--Scotland’s Orkney Islands Voted to Explore Other Models of Governance

Scotland’s Orkney Islands Voted to Explore Other Models of Governance

Officials on the Orkney Islands, a part of Scotland, recently voted to explore ways of seeking more self-governance — or even independence — from United Kingdom governments.

Reporters from around the world watched remotely as Orkney Islands Council voted to study other "models of governance" for the island group, which has a population of 22,000 people.

The proposal from local government leader James Stockan got international attention with its mention of possibly restoring Orkney's "Nordic connections." Orkney was under Norwegian and Danish control for centuries until 1472. In that year, the islands were taken by the Scottish crown as part of Margaret of Denmark's wedding gift, or dowry, to King James III of Scotland.

Stockan said his proposal "is not about us joining Norway," but about dealing¹ with the "discrimination that we've had against this community" from the Scottish and U.K. governments.

"I say, ‘Enough,'" Stockan said. He added, "I say it is time for government to take us seriously, and it is time for us to look at all the options we've got."

Long a poor area that depends on the unpredictable fishing industry, Orkney became wealthier after large reserves of oil were discovered offshore² in the 1960s. The islands, about 16 kilometers north of mainland Scotland, also have a growing wind-power industry and a growing tourism business.

But Stockan said Orkney gets less support from the Scottish government than other island communities in Shetland or the Hebrides. He said that Orkney needs new boats to keep its many islands connected.

Duncan Tullock, another local leader, said Orkney was "living off crumbs³." Living off crumbs means getting or earning very little.

Tullock added, "I've never been more disillusioned⁴ in my life with both the Scottish and the U.K. governments... We have had promise upon promise upon promise, every single one of them empty."

A report that went with Stockan's motion suggested Orkney should investigate choices including a situation like the Faeroe Islands. It is a self-governing dependency of Denmark that lies between Scotland and Iceland. Another choice is to copy Britain's Crown Dependencies such as the Channel Islands of Jersey⁵ and Guernsey.

Any major constitutional change will be difficult, likely requiring voting and lawmaking by the Scottish and British governments. The two governments themselves disagree over Scotland's desire for independence after Brexit.

The British government said there was "no mechanism⁶" to change the status of Orkney. And the Norwegian government said the debate was "a domestic and constitutional British matter" on which it had no view.

David Dawson, a member of Orkney's local government, also criticized some of the ideas being proposed for the island as "daydreams⁷." He said Britain's rocky departure from the European Union served as a warning about the risks of going alone.

"Let me caution you with one word," he said. "Brexit."

Words in This Story

option – n. a choice or possibility

tourism -- n. the business of providing hotels, restaurants, etc., for people who are traveling

disillusioned – adj. having lost trust in something

mechanism – n. a process that is used to produce a particular result

domestic -- adj. of, relating to, or made in your own country

caution -- n. care taken to avoid danger or risk

1 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。

2 offshore   

adj.海面的，吹向海面的；adv.向海面

参考例句：

• A big program of oil exploration has begun offshore.一个大规模的石油勘探计划正在近海展开。
• A gentle current carried them slowly offshore.和缓的潮流慢慢地把他们带离了海岸。

3 crumbs   

int. (表示惊讶)哎呀 n. 碎屑 名词crumb的复数形式

参考例句：

• She stood up and brushed the crumbs from her sweater. 她站起身掸掉了毛衣上的面包屑。
• Oh crumbs! Is that the time? 啊，天哪！都这会儿啦？

4 disillusioned   

a.不再抱幻想的，大失所望的，幻想破灭的

参考例句：

• I soon became disillusioned with the job. 我不久便对这个工作不再抱幻想了。
• Many people who are disillusioned in reality assimilate life to a dream. 许多对现实失望的人把人生比作一场梦。

5 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

6 mechanism   

n.机械装置；机构，结构

参考例句：

• The bones and muscles are parts of the mechanism of the body.骨骼和肌肉是人体的组成部件。
• The mechanism of the machine is very complicated.这台机器的结构是非常复杂的。

7 daydreams   

n.白日梦( daydream的名词复数 )v.想入非非，空想( daydream的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Often they gave themselves up to daydreams of escape. 他们常沉溺进这种逃避现实的白日梦。 来自英汉文学
• I would become disgusted with my futile daydreams. 我就讨厌自己那种虚无的梦想。 来自辞典例句