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One former chancellor of the Exchequer, Kenneth Clarke, accused Mr. Johnson of setting impossible conditions for the negotiations,
前財政大臣肯尼斯·克拉克對約翰遜進行了多番指責，稱其為談判設置的門檻過高，
attaching as much blame as possible to the European Union for the failure to get a deal
將達成協議失敗的責任盡可能推到歐盟身上，
and then seeking to hold a “flag-waving election” before the disadvantages of leaving without an agreement become apparent.
還企圖在硬脫歐暴露出明顯的弊端之前舉行一場“充斥著愛國主義情緒的選舉?！?/div>
The bitter dispute has taken Britain into new political territory.
這場激烈的爭端已經將英國推入了新的政治領域。
Last week, Mr. Johnson provoked outrage by curtailing Parliament’s sessions in September and October,
上周，約翰遜削減了國會9月和10月的議程，
compacting the amount of time lawmakers would have to deal with the most crucial decision the country has faced in decades.
縮短了議員們處理該國幾十年來面臨的最關鍵的抉擇的時間，此舉掀起了眾怒。
Mr. Johnson’s allies argue that it is the rebels who are subverting the principles of Britain’s unwritten constitution
約翰遜的盟友辯稱，是反叛分子在顛覆英國不成文憲法的規定，
by seizing control of the proceedings of Parliament that are normally the preserve of the government.
是他們控制了議會程序，而議會程序通常是政府的保留權利。
The European Commission said on Tuesday that
歐盟委員會周二表示，
while the frequency of meetings between its Brexit team and the British negotiator, David Frost, had increased,
盡管其脫歐事務團隊與英方談判代表戴維·弗羅斯特的會面頻率有所增加，
little headway had been made toward avoiding a hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland.
雙方在避免愛爾蘭和北愛爾蘭之間出現硬邊界這一問題上幾乎毫無進展。
Asked whether the British government was using reports of its talks with the commission for political purposes at home,
當被問及英國政府是否將其與歐盟委員會的會談報告用于國內政治目的時，
the commission’s spokeswoman, Mina Andreeva, said that the body was “an honest broker, as always.”
該委員會發言人米娜·安德列娃表示，該機構“一直是一個真誠的中介，這次也不例外”。
She said she could not “report any concrete proposals having being made that we have seen.”
她說，她不能“透露我們已經看到的任何正在提出的具體建議”。
Mr. Hammond, a senior member of the cabinet two months ago,
兩個月前任委員會高級成員的哈蒙德周二向BBC透露，
told the BBC on Tuesday that Mr. Johnson’s claim of progress on the negotiations was “disingenuous.”
約翰遜聲稱談判已經取得進展的說法“不實”。
To add to the turmoil and confusion,
雪上加霜的是，
the opposition Labour Party suggested it might thwart Mr. Johnson’s attempt to push for a general election, should it come to that.
反對黨工黨暗示，它可能會阻撓約翰遜推動大選的努力，如果事態真的發展到這一地步的話。
Under a 2011 law, the prime minister needs a two-thirds majority to secure a snap election,
頒布于2011年的一項法律規定，首相需要三分之二的多數票才能提前選舉，
although it is possible that the government might try to legislate to set that provision aside,
不過，政府試圖通過立法無視這一條款也是可能的，
a move that would mean it needs only a simple majority.
這一舉動就意味著，屆時首相只需要過半的投票即可提前選舉。
There is so little trust in British politics that Mr. Johnson’s opponents fear that he might request an election for Oct. 14
民眾對英國政治的信任度幾乎已經蕩然無存，約翰遜的反對者擔心，他可能會要求在10月14日舉行大選，
but then switch the date until after Oct. 31 as part of a move to lock in a no-deal withdrawal.
但隨后將日期改到10月31日之后，作為鎖定無協議脫歐的部分舉措之一。
Labour has said that its priority is to stop Britain leaving the European Union without a deal,
工黨已經表示，出于對這樣的離開對英國經濟可能造成的影響的擔憂，
because of concerns about what such a departure would mean for the economy.
他們的首要任務是阻止英國無協議脫歐。
But Labour’s stance underscores that the backdrop to everything in British politics
然而，工黨的立場也突顯出，英國政治的方方面面
is a sense that a general election is looming, with key players maneuvering for the most advantageous moment.
都已經被大選即將到來，關鍵人物都在為最有利的時刻做準備這一預感籠罩著。
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