◎俞智敏
German Chancellor Angela Merkel was left licking her wounds after rebels in her coalition turned a routine presidential vote into a damaging debacle that left her bruised and weakened.
德國總理梅克爾不得不休養生息，因為執政聯盟的盟友在原本純屬形式的總統選舉投票中倒戈， 使得這場選舉變成了極具殺傷力的災難，讓梅克爾受到重傷、政治實力也因此被削弱。
It took nine hours and three rounds of voting by a special assembly of MPs and public figures for Merkel’s candidate Christian Wulff to be elected to the largely ceremonial post of head of state.
由德國聯邦議會及社會賢達人士所組成的特別大會花了9小時、進行3 輪投票，才總算選出梅克爾所支持的總統候選人沃爾夫擔任德國的虛位總統。
With Merkel’s coalition holding a majority in the assembly, the election should have been a shoo-in in the first round, but a handful of rebels voted against Wulff in the secret ballot in a blow to the chancellor’s authority.
由於梅克爾所領導的執 政聯盟在議會中佔有多數地位，這場選舉應該在第一輪投票就輕鬆過關，但部份議員卻在秘密投票中跑票，對總理的威信造成嚴重打擊。
Following embarrassing and dramatic first two rounds, the nail-biting third became in effect a battle for the political future of Merkel, four times named the world’s most powerful woman by Forbes Magazine.
在場面尷尬且 戲劇性的前兩輪投票後，令人緊張的第3輪投票實際上已演變成梅克爾個人的政治前途保衛戰，她曾4度被「富比世」雜誌選為全球最有權勢的女性。
The stakes for Merkel could hardly have been higher. A recent poll in Bild showed that 48 percent of Germans wanted her to throw in the towel if her man did not get elected.
對梅克爾而言，這場選舉的賭注可說是高到不能再高。據「畫報」最近進行的民調 顯示，假如梅克爾支持的候選人未能獲選為總統，48%的德國民眾希望她乾脆認輸下台。
新 聞辭典
on the ropes：片語，指表現不佳、極可能失敗，如His political career is on the ropes.（他的政治生涯岌岌可危。）
lick one’s wounds：片語，指失敗後的休養生息、養精蓄銳，如When dogs and other animals are injured, they lick their wounds in order to help them get better.（當狗或其他動物受傷時，牠們會舔拭傷口，好讓自己舒服一點。）或After retiring to lick its wounds, the party is regaining its confidence.（歷經一段時間養精蓄銳後，該政黨又重拾信心。）
shoo-in：名詞，（口語用法），指十拿九穩的勝利者、不二 人選，如She’s a shoo-in for re-election to the Senate.（她競選連任參議員可望篤定勝選。）
No comments:
Post a Comment