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Lawmakers Foil Britain’s Leader With Brexit Vote.
“脫歐”紛爭：英國首相在議會遭遇重挫
By Stephen Castle
文/斯蒂芬·卡索
LONDON — British lawmakers on Tuesday rose up against Prime Minister Boris Johnson,
倫敦電——周二，英國議員與首相鮑里斯·約翰遜發生對抗，
moving to prevent him from taking the country out of the European Union without a formal agreement.
試圖阻止他在沒有達成正式協議的情況下脫歐。
The epic showdown pushed Britain to the verge of a new election.
這場史詩般的對決也將英國推到了新一輪大選的邊緣。
After losing his first-ever vote as prime minister,
約翰遜上任后首次投票就以失敗告終，表決結束后，
Mr. Johnson stood up in Parliament and said he intended to present a formal request
約翰遜從議會席站了起來，表示他打算向議員們提出正式的提前大選請求，
for a snap general election to lawmakers, who would have to approve it.
議員們將不得不同意他的這一請求。
A little over a month ago, Mr. Johnson, a brash, blustery politician often compared to President Trump,
這名性情急躁，常被比作特朗普的政治家一個多月前剛剛走馬上任，他在上任時宣稱，
swept into office with a vow to finally wrest Britain from the European Union by whatever means necessary,
要不惜一切代價，即使意味著以混亂、無協議的方式退出，
even if it meant a disorderly, no-deal departure.
也要將英國從歐盟分離出來。
Now, Parliament has pulled the rug out from under him,
如今，議會打破了鮑里斯的計劃，
and Mr. Johnson is at risk of falling into the same Brexit quagmire that dragged down his predecessor as prime minister, Theresa May.
鮑里斯即將面臨陷入英國退歐泥潭的風險，而拖垮了他的前任特蕾莎·梅的正是這一泥潭。
The lawmakers forced his hand by voting by 328 to 301 to take control of Parliament away from the government
議員們以328：301票的投票結果從政府手中奪回了對議會的控制權，
and vote on legislation as soon as Wednesday that would block the prime minister from making good on his threat of a no-deal Brexit.
最快將在周三就立法進行投票，阻止首相兌現他提出的無協議退歐的威脅。
That prompted an angry response from the prime minister.
議員們的這一舉動招致了首相的憤怒回應。
“I don’t want an election, the public don’t want an election,
“我不想要選舉，公眾也不想要選舉，
but if the House votes for this bill tomorrow,
但如果下議院明天就這項法案進行投票的話，
the public will have to choose who goes to Brussels on Oct. 17 to sort this out and take this country forward,”
公眾就要決定讓誰在10月17日前往布魯塞爾解決這個問題，帶領這個國家向前發展。”
Mr. Johnson said, referring to the next European Union summit.
約翰遜說道，就前往布魯塞爾一事而言，他指的是接下來的歐盟峰會。
Tuesday was a critical moment in Britain’s tortured, three-year effort to extract itself from the European Union.
為了脫離歐盟，英國已經做出了長達三年的艱苦卓絕的努力，因此，周二的投票頗為關鍵。
The saga has divided Britons, torn apart the ruling Conservative Party
這段傳奇不僅破壞了英國民眾的團結，分裂了執政的保守黨，
and prompted complaints that Mr. Johnson has trampled the conventions of the country’s unwritten constitution.
還引發了諸多抱怨之聲，其中之一就是約翰遜踐踏了該國不成文憲法的慣例云云。
A majority of lawmakers are determined to block a withdrawal from the European Union without a deal,
大多數議員都決意阻止無協議脫歐局面的發生，
which they believe would be disastrous for the country’s economy.
認為無協議脫歐會給英國的國家經濟帶來災難性的后果。
Tuesday’s vote suggested they have the numbers to succeed.
周二的投票表明，他們有足夠的選票支持他們實現這一目標。
Mr. Johnson’s aides had made clear that, in the event of a defeat on Tuesday,
約翰遜的助手們已經明確表示，如果周二選舉失敗，
he would seek a general election on Oct. 14 — just a little over two weeks before the Brexit deadline of Oct. 31.
約翰遜會設法在10月14日舉行大選——也即在距離英國退歐的最后期限10月31日只有半個月多一點的時間點舉行大選。
In his rebuttal to Mr. Johnson’s call for elections, the opposition leader, Jeremy Corbyn,
反對黨領袖杰里米·科爾賓反駁了約翰遜提出的大選呼吁，
said he would agree to an election only after Parliament passed legislation barring a no-deal Brexit.
他表示，只有在議會通過立法禁止實行無協議脫歐后，他才會同意舉行選舉。
The House of Commons is expected to approve the measure on Wednesday.
預計，周三英國下議院將批準該議案。
Tuesday’s vote marked a moment when Mr. Johnson’s hardball tactics, for once, were met with equal resistance.
周二的表決標志著約翰遜的強硬策略第一次遭遇了勢均力敵的阻力。
On a day of high drama, Mr. Johnson lost his working majority in Parliament even before the vote took place,
在充滿戲劇性的周二這天，投票還未開始，約翰遜就失去了議會中多數議員的支持，
when one Conservative rebel, Phillip Lee, quit the party to join the Liberal Democrats,
保守派議員菲利浦·李倒戈，加入了自由民主黨的陣營，
who have managed to stage a resurgence by positioning themselves as an unambiguously anti-Brexit party.
自由民主黨則憑借著明確反對英國脫歐這一立場得以重新崛起。
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