美国国家公共电台 NPR--Switzerland's parliament is considering a retooling of Swiss neutrality

Switzerland's parliament is considering a retooling¹ of Swiss neutrality

Transcript²

Switzerland is considering allowing its military hardware to be given to Ukraine. It would be a big change in policy for the traditionally neutral country.

A MART?NEZ, HOST:

Switzerland's parliament today will consider something that was once unthinkable, a retooling of Swiss neutrality. As NPR's Eleanor Beardsley reports, the reason is Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

ELEANOR BEARDSLEY, BYLINE³: Geneva is surrounded by the snowcapped Alps. Boats ply⁴ the gentle waters of its Lac Leman. Over the last century, this tranquil⁵ city has been the setting for peace talks and arms treaties. It's where the Red Cross was born and the Geneva Conventions penned. Switzerland has played an outsized role in resolving world conflicts because of its neutrality.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: (Speaking French).

CLAUDE BUCHWALDER: (Speaking French).

BEARDSLEY: The Buchwalders are strolling along the lake. Ninety-year-old Claude Buchwalder remembers his country's neutrality in World War II. This time it's joined EU economic sanctions against Russia.

BUCHWALDER: I don't any longer believe in the neutrality because we are on one side. You see?

BEARDSLEY: Is this good or bad?

BUCHWALDER: It's both.

BEARDSLEY: Switzerland has denied permission to Germany, Spain and Denmark to reexport Swiss-made weapons to Ukraine. But the Swiss parliament could vote to waive⁶ those reexport restrictions⁷ in its spring session, which convenes⁸ today. I meet Swiss Socialist⁹ parliamentarian Laurence Fehlmann Rielle in a Geneva cafe. She'll be part of the intense debate. She says her country backed economic sanctions because neutrality doesn't mean indifference¹⁰. But allowing Swiss-made weapons onto the battlefield is another matter.

LAURENCE FEHLMANN RIELLE: It's a more touchy¹¹ problem. We are Socialists¹² who are normally on the pacifist side. That's the problem, is that - should we make an exception because Ukraine has been attacked? Or that we must be very strict and say no.

CENNI NAJY: A sanction is a political decision, but clearly, it's an important political decision.

BEARDSLEY: Cenni Najy specializes in foreign policy at the University of Geneva. He says Switzerland can technically¹³ remain neutral under international law while applying sanctions or dropping reexport bans, though it may not be perceived that way.

NAJY: If you decide to align¹⁴ on these EU and U.S. sanctions regime, you are basically seen as an aligned¹⁵ country in the eyes of Russia, in the eyes of China.

BEARDSLEY: Swiss neutrality dates back to the 1815 Congress of Vienna, which ended the Napoleonic wars in Europe. It was further defined in the Hague Convention of 1907, which says a neutral state can't directly export weapons to a country at war.

YVES NIDEGGER: So we are neutral or we are not. There's not a little bit of neutrality.

BEARDSLEY: Yves Nidegger is a parliamentarian with the conservative Swiss People's Party, the largest in parliament. He says neutrality is an integral part of Swiss identity and should not be whittled¹⁶ away. His party wants to hold a referendum to inscribe¹⁷ a clear definition of neutrality in the Swiss constitution.

NIDEGGER: In my opinion, we would lose a lot because this tiny, almost insignificant¹⁸ country on the Alps has this tremendously strong soft power and influence over the world.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELLS RINGING)

BEARDSLEY: In Geneva's old city, parents watch their children ride a merry-go-round. Mother Alice Denoyer is among the 55% of Swiss who think third countries should be allowed to send Swiss weapons to Ukraine.

ALICE DENOYER: (Speaking French).

BEARDSLEY: "Being neutral doesn't mean you're for peace," she says. "I would like Switzerland to be more courageous¹⁹."

MARCO SASSOLI: Hello. How are you?

BEARDSLEY: But Marco Sassoli says, in the end, it doesn't really matter what the Swiss think. He's a professor of international law at the University of Geneva.

SASSOLI: What counts is not whether you believe you're neutral but whether the others believe. And both President Biden and President Putin declared Switzerland is no longer neutral.

BEARDSLEY: Biden was happy, and Putin was angry, he says, but they agreed. Eleanor Beardsley, NPR News, Geneva.

1 retooling   

v.（给…）更换工具， （给…）更换机械设备( retool的现在分词 )；改组，革新

参考例句：

• The factory is retooling to start making the new line of cars. 工厂正在重新装备以便开始制造新系列车型。 来自辞典例句
• Among her suggestions: retooling factories to focus on rebuilding America's transportation system. 她的建议包括围绕重新建设美国交通系统这个重心来重组汽车工业。 来自互联网

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

4 ply   

v.(搬运工等)等候顾客，弯曲

参考例句：

• Taxis licensed to ply for hire at the railway station.许可计程车在火车站候客。
• Ferryboats ply across the English Channel.渡船定期往返于英吉利海峡。

5 tranquil   

adj. 安静的, 宁静的, 稳定的, 不变的

参考例句：

• The boy disturbed the tranquil surface of the pond with a stick. 那男孩用棍子打破了平静的池面。
• The tranquil beauty of the village scenery is unique. 这乡村景色的宁静是绝无仅有的。

6 waive   

vt.放弃，不坚持(规定、要求、权力等)

参考例句：

• I'll record to our habitat office waive our claim immediately.我立即写信给咱们的总公司提出放弃索赔。
• In view of the unusual circumstances,they agree to waive their requirement.鉴于特殊情况，他们同意放弃他们的要求。

7 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

8 convenes   

召开( convene的第三人称单数 )； 召集； （为正式会议而）聚集； 集合

参考例句：

• The Premier convenes and presides over the executive meetings and plenary meetings of the State Council. 总理召集和主持国务院常务会议和国务院全体会议。 来自汉英非文学 - 中国宪法
• Chinese woman tenth the National People Congress convenes grandly today in Beijing. 中国妇女第十次全国代表大会今天在北京隆重召开。

9 socialist   

n.社会主义者；adj.社会主义的

参考例句：

• China is a socialist country,and a developing country as well.中国是一个社会主义国家，也是一个发展中国家。
• His father was an ardent socialist.他父亲是一个热情的社会主义者。

10 indifference   

n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎

参考例句：

• I was disappointed by his indifference more than somewhat.他的漠不关心使我很失望。
• He feigned indifference to criticism of his work.他假装毫不在意别人批评他的作品。

11 touchy   

adj.易怒的；棘手的

参考例句：

• Be careful what you say because he's touchy.你说话小心，因为他容易生气。
• He's a little touchy about his weight.他对自己的体重感到有点儿苦恼。

12 socialists   

社会主义者( socialist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The socialists saw themselves as true heirs of the Enlightenment. 社会主义者认为自己是启蒙运动的真正继承者。
• The Socialists junked dogma when they came to office in 1982. 社会党人1982年上台执政后，就把其政治信条弃之不顾。

13 technically   

adv.专门地，技术上地

参考例句：

• Technically it is the most advanced equipment ever.从技术上说，这是最先进的设备。
• The tomato is technically a fruit,although it is eaten as a vegetable.严格地说，西红柿是一种水果，尽管它是当作蔬菜吃的。

14 align   

vt.使成一线，结盟，调节；vi.成一线，结盟

参考例句：

• Align the ruler and the middle of the paper.使尺子与纸张的中部成一条直线。
• There are signs that the prime minister is aligning himself with the liberals.有迹象表明首相正在与自由党人结盟。

15 aligned   

adj.对齐的，均衡的

参考例句：

• Make sure the shelf is aligned with the top of the cupboard.务必使搁架与橱柜顶端对齐。

16 whittled   

v.切，削（木头），使逐渐变小( whittle的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He whittled a simple toy from the piece of wood. 他把那块木头削成了一个简易的玩具。
• The government's majority has been whittled down to eight. 政府多数票减少到了八票。

17 inscribe   

v.刻；雕；题写；牢记

参考例句：

• Will you inscribe your name in the book?能否请你在这本书上签名？
• I told the jeweler to inscribe the ring with my name.我叫珠宝商把我的名字刻在那只戒指上。

18 insignificant   

adj.无关紧要的，可忽略的，无意义的

参考例句：

• In winter the effect was found to be insignificant.在冬季，这种作用是不明显的。
• This problem was insignificant compared to others she faced.这一问题与她面临的其他问题比较起来算不得什么。

19 courageous   

adj.勇敢的，有胆量的

参考例句：

• We all honour courageous people.我们都尊重勇敢的人。
• He was roused to action by courageous words.豪言壮语促使他奋起行动。