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Yet the world has a vital interest in Saudi Arabia's fate.
但是沙特阿拉伯的命運和全球的重要利益攸關。
It is the biggest oil exporter, and home to Islam's two holiest sites.
沙特阿拉伯是最大的石油出口國，也是伊斯蘭教兩大圣地所在地。
It is central to the Gulf, the Arab region and the Islamic world.
還是海灣地區、阿拉伯地區和伊斯蘭世界的中心。
Successful reforms would help spread stability to a region in chaos, and dynamism to its economies.
成功的改革將有助于穩定處于混亂的地區，為其經濟注入活力。
A more normal Saudi Arabia should moderate the Islamic world,
一個更正常的沙特阿拉伯應該緩和伊斯蘭世界，
by example and because the flow of petro dollars to zealots would slow.
舉例說明原因就是購買石油的美元流向狂熱分子的速度會減慢。
Failure, by contrast, could spread turmoil to the Gulf,
相比之下，如果失敗，動蕩可能會蔓延至海灣地區，
which broadly avoided the upheaval of the Arab spring of 2011.
而該地區基本避免了2011年“阿拉伯之春”運動的影響。
It is thus worrying that Saudi Arabia faces such daunting problems.
因此，令人擔憂的是，沙特阿拉伯面臨著這些嚴峻的問題。
Volatile oil revenues make up more than 80% of government income, the IMF reckons.
國際貨幣基金組織估計，不穩定的石油收入占沙特政府收入的80%以上。
Even with rising crude prices, the country is grappling with a large budget deficit.
盡管原油價格不斷上漲，但是沙特仍面臨著巨額預算赤字。
Forall the gains in health and education, GDP per person has been flat for decades.
盡管在醫療和教育方面取得進步，但是人均GDP幾十年來一直保持原狀。
Saudis work mostly in cushy government jobs.
大部分沙特人主要在政府干一些輕松的工作。
Oil wealth has hidden a woefully unproductive economy,
石油財富掩蓋了極其低效的經濟，
and fuelled Islamic ultra-puritanism around the world.
并在世界各地助長了伊斯蘭極端清教主義。
To his credit, Prince Muhammad recognises that change is needed.
值得稱道的是，王儲穆罕默德認識到變革是必要的。
However, he is unnecessarily adding to his task.
然而，他給自己增加了不必要的任務。
Abroad, he has proved rash.
在國外，王儲穆罕默德已被證明是魯莽的。
His war against the Houthis, a Shiamilitia in Yemen,
與也門什葉派胡塞武裝組織的戰爭，
now centred on the battle for the port of Hodeida, has brought disease and hunger to Yemenis,
現在集中在荷臺達港的戰斗，給也門人帶來了疾病和饑餓，
a missilewar over Saudi cities and embarrassment to Western allies that provide weapons and other help.
給沙特城市帶來了導彈戰爭，也讓為其提供武器和其他幫助的西方盟友處于一個尷尬的境地。
Last year Saudi Arabia sullied itself by detaining the Lebanese prime minister, SaadHariri,
去年，沙特阿拉伯扣押黎巴嫩總理薩阿德·哈里里，從而玷污了自己的名聲，
releasing him only under international pressure.
最后迫于國際壓力才將其釋放。
With its main ally, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), it has led the way in isolating Qatar, a contrarian emirate,
沙特還與主要盟友阿拉伯聯合酋長國一道，帶頭孤立與其持相反觀點的酋長國卡塔爾，
by cutting land, sea and air links (the Saudis even want to dig a canal to make the place an island).
主要通過切斷陸地、海洋和空中運輸的方式，（沙特人甚至想開鑿一條運河，把這個地方變成一個島嶼）。
In doing so they have split the Gulf Co-operation Council, the club of oil monarchies.
通過這樣做，他們分裂了海灣合作委員會——石油君主國俱樂部。
As the Arab cold war spreads, Iran and other foes are gaining advantage.
而隨著阿拉伯冷戰的蔓延，伊朗和其他敵對國家正逐漸取得上風。
At home Prince Muhammad has developed a taste for repression.
在國內，王儲穆罕默德已經養成了鎮壓的習慣。
The number of executions has risen.
處以死刑的人數增加了。
More dissenters are in jail, among them, perversely, women who campaigned to drive.
越來越多的持不同意見的人被關進監獄，其中有些人是參與爭取駕駛權運動的女性。
Everything, it seems, must be a gift from the Al Sauds:
一切似乎都必須是來自阿爾沙特的饋贈：
the name of the country, the oil bounty and now the right to drive a car.
從國家的名字到豐富的石油，現在則是駕車權。
He has also adopted the view that all Islamists,even the non-violent off shoots of the Muslim Brotherhood,
王儲穆罕默德還采納了這樣的觀點：所有的伊斯蘭主義者，甚至是穆斯林兄弟會的非暴力分支，
are as grave a menace as Sunni jihadists and Shia militias.
都和遜尼派圣戰分子和什葉派民兵一樣，構成嚴重的威脅。
Thus, the Saudis and Emiratis are leading a counter-revolution against the Arab spring and the hope of democracy.
因此，沙特和阿聯酋正在領導一場反對阿拉伯之春和民主希望的反革命。
Sadly, America has all but given them carte blanche.
可悲的是，美國幾乎給了他們自主處理權。
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