◎俞智敏
The leader of Britain’s third party the Liberal Democrats scored a surprise boost after coming top in the first-ever pre-election TV debate between the main contenders.
英 國第三政黨自由民主黨的黨魁近來意外人氣大增，因為他在英國首度舉辦的主要政黨選前電視辯論會中表現最為優異。
Nick Clegg emerged ahead of both Prime Minister Gordon Brown of Labour and Conservative leader David Cameron in the US-style televised clash.
在 這場美式電視辯論中，克雷格的表現領先工黨首相布朗及保守黨黨魁卡麥隆。
Clegg’s centrist party, the second opposition force behind the Conservatives, typically secures under 20 percent support in opinion polls and he has little chance of becoming Britain’s next prime minister.
克雷格所領導的中間派政黨是排名在保守黨之後的第二在野 勢力，在民調中的支持率通常不到20％，因此他幾乎不可能成為英國的下任首相。
But the 43-year-old former European lawmaker could find himself holding the balance of power if Britain has a hung parliament after the May 6 election, as polls suggest is possible.
但假如英國如民調所顯示，可能在5月6日的大選後出現無政黨取得多數席次的國會，那麼這位43歲的前歐洲議員就 可能掌控左右英國政壇均勢的地位。
The leaders appeared nervous as the first debate of its kind in British electoral history got under way -- but it quickly descended into political scrapping. Clegg, though, distanced himself from the main parties and sought to offer an alternative to voters.
3 位政黨黨魁在這場英國選舉史上首見的辯論會中都顯得相當緊張，但辯論隨即淪落為政治惡鬥。然而克雷格與主要政黨保持距離，試圖向選民提出另一選擇。
"Don’t let them tell you that the only choice is between two old parties who have been playing pass-the-parcel with your government for 65 years," he said.
「別讓他們告訴你只能在這兩個老政黨中間做出選擇，這兩黨過去65年來一直把政權當成傳包裹遊戲不斷換手。」
新聞辭典
hung parliament：片語，（尤指英國）沒有政黨掌握多數席次的議會，hung 在此處做形容詞，指無法達成決定或判決，如The general election in Britain was expected to result in a hung parliament.（英國此次國會大選預料將無任一政黨掌握多數席次的局面）。a hung jury則指（因陪審團員意見不一致而）無法做出裁定的陪審團。
descend into sth：動詞片語，較正式用法，指情況衰敗、墮落、每下愈況，如The demonstrations in the capital rapidly descended into anarchy.（首都的示威活動迅速演變為無政府的混亂狀態。）
pass-the-parcel：名詞， 原指一種兒童遊戲，把包有多層包裝紙的包裹在眾人間互傳，音樂停下時拿到包裹的人要拿掉一層包裝紙，拿到最裡層包裝紙的人就是贏家。後來又用來引申為指某 事物的所有權經常轉手，在本文中則指英國政權。
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