• 2025考研復(fù)試伴學(xué)班
• 2025考研復(fù)試標(biāo)準(zhǔn)班
• 2026考研英語(yǔ)全程班
• 26考研全科上岸規(guī)劃營(yíng)「擇校▪規(guī)劃▪備考」
• 2025考研專業(yè)課復(fù)習(xí)資料「真題▪筆記▪講義▪題庫(kù)」

導(dǎo)語(yǔ)：大家都知道，《經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)人》中的文章一直很受考研英語(yǔ)出題人喜歡，頻頻出現(xiàn)在歷年的考研英語(yǔ)閱讀理解試題中。所以，各位2016考研小伙伴們?cè)趥淇?016考研英語(yǔ)過(guò)程中，可以多看看經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)人中的文章，希望各位2016考研生跟小編一起學(xué)習(xí)。

Scottish nationalism

蘇格蘭的民族情懷

Thistles and thorns

煩心亂意

What the Scottish National Party will try to do inWestminster

蘇格蘭民族黨在議會(huì)中的舉動(dòng)意欲何在

WITH hardly a glimpse of tartan, Nicola Sturgeon,leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP), presented her squad of 56 MPs at the House ofCommons on May 11th (although she herself is not one of them). Their increased numbers—theSNP won all but three Scottish seats—represented a victory beyond most nationalists' dreams.Yet their modest demeanour suggested that, for now, they have come to London to dobusiness, not to cause chaos.

5月11日，支持蘇格蘭民族黨(SNP)的56名國(guó)會(huì)議員(與其他選區(qū)相比，屬于小隊(duì)人馬，且不包括斯特金本文)在該黨領(lǐng)袖妮古拉·斯特金的陪同下出席下議院議會(huì)，斯特金此次未穿格子呢服裝。支持民族黨人數(shù)的增加表示民族黨獲得了大部分民族黨成員夢(mèng)寐以求的勝利。這些國(guó)會(huì)議員舉止彬彬，顯示出此次倫敦之行是為正事而來(lái)，并非蓄意搗亂。

A decade ago the scale of the SNP's success would have been seen as a mandate forindependence. Alex Salmond, Ms Sturgeon's predecessor, drew that conclusion again. ButMs Sturgeon claims separation is not high on her agenda. She has even played down the ideaof a speedy introduction of full fiscal autonomy, seeking only a promise from Westminster tostart handing more powers to Scotland.

蘇格蘭民族黨此次贏得選區(qū)多數(shù)議員的支持，這在十年以前可能預(yù)示著全民授權(quán)并支持民族獨(dú)立。民族黨前任領(lǐng)袖亞歷克斯·薩蒙德亦有同感。但斯特金夫人聲稱，她現(xiàn)在的工作重點(diǎn)不是民族獨(dú)立。對(duì)于加快實(shí)現(xiàn)財(cái)政完全自主的計(jì)劃，她一直是輕描淡寫，自己別無(wú)所求，只愿英國(guó)政府承下一諾，賦予蘇格蘭更多自治權(quán)。

Part of the reason for the more cautious tone is that the collapsing oil price and the declineof offshore revenues has made independence seem like a dubious proposition. The Institutefor Fiscal Studies (IFS), an independent think-tank, calculates that, under full taxautonomy,Scotland would need to find an additional 7.6 billion (12 billion) to close its deficitto British levels, a gap it reckons will widen to 9.7 billion, or 4.9% of Scottish GDP, by 2019-20.To accept tax autonomy without continuing to receive the substantial subsidy Scotlandcurrently gets from the Treasury is “tantamount to economic suicide”, says George Kerevan, anSNP politician.

斯特金請(qǐng)求的語(yǔ)氣增添了幾分謹(jǐn)慎，究其原因，一是因?yàn)椋涸谑�油價(jià)格狂跌、近海工程收益減少的情況下要求獨(dú)立，未免少些理直氣壯，多些未知冒險(xiǎn)。據(jù)英國(guó)財(cái)政研究所(非官方智囊團(tuán))統(tǒng)計(jì)，如果蘇格蘭實(shí)現(xiàn)稅收完全自主，欲達(dá)到英國(guó)政府的赤字水平，需另外拿出76億英鎊(折合美元120億)以彌補(bǔ)空缺。該機(jī)構(gòu)認(rèn)為，英格蘭與國(guó)家的赤字差距到2019至2020年間會(huì)擴(kuò)大到97億英鎊，占英格蘭GDP的4.9%。蘇格蘭民主黨成員喬治·克瑞文表示：“英國(guó)財(cái)政部目前給予蘇格蘭大量財(cái)政補(bǔ)貼，如果蘇格蘭實(shí)現(xiàn)稅收自主，且終止補(bǔ)貼，這無(wú)異于斷送蘇格蘭經(jīng)濟(jì)的發(fā)展前程。”

Another explanation for the caution is that, after last September's independencereferendum, in which 55% of Scots voted to remain part of Britain, David Cameron, the primeminister, promised to give Scotland new fiscal powers. Over the next five years the Scottishgovernment is due to gain control of earned-income taxes, air-passenger duty and a levy onaggregates such as sand and gravel. It will also be assigned the revenues of the first tenpercentage points of value-added tax and oversee around 2.5 billion, or about 15%, of welfarespending. The IFS reckons this will make Ms Sturgeon responsible for raising about half of whather government spends.

斯特金話語(yǔ)謹(jǐn)慎的另一個(gè)原因在于，去年九月份全民公投決定蘇格蘭獨(dú)立與否，55%的蘇格蘭人投票反對(duì)，英國(guó)首相戴維·卡梅倫至此承諾賦予蘇格蘭新的財(cái)權(quán)。今后五年，蘇格蘭政府有望實(shí)現(xiàn)收入所得稅、航空旅客稅、使用沙土碎石等統(tǒng)一征收稅的自主征收。同時(shí)，增值稅首次征收的10%的收入歸蘇格蘭政府所有，并負(fù)責(zé)監(jiān)管約25億英鎊的福利支出(約占總支出的15%)。財(cái)政研究所認(rèn)為斯特金夫人為此需要增加蘇格蘭政府半數(shù)支出費(fèi)用的收入。

She and her party nonetheless could, and probably will, give Mr Cameron a headache. Thoughnot rushing now to achieve it in full, Ms Sturgeon has made clear that she wants even morefiscal control. She would like to oversee most welfare spending, as well as corporation taxand national-insurance payments. The SNP hopes to reduce employers' contributions tonational insurance in order to compensate for raising the minimum wage. Ms Sturgeon wantsthe floor to rise from 6.50 per hour now to 8.70 by 2020. This, she says, would enable her toboost the economy, reduce the deficit and move towards full tax autonomy more quickly.

然而，斯特金夫人為首的政黨可能會(huì)讓卡梅倫首相憂心苦惱，“噩夢(mèng)”成真。她雖不急于獲得財(cái)長(zhǎng)全部自主的權(quán)利，但其事先已明確表示欲取得更多財(cái)權(quán)。她有意監(jiān)管福利支出的多數(shù)費(fèi)用，以及企業(yè)所得稅、國(guó)民保險(xiǎn)費(fèi)。蘇格蘭民族黨希望減少雇主繳納的國(guó)民保險(xiǎn)費(fèi)，從而借此提高最低工資水平。斯特金夫人希冀，至2020年英格蘭人的酬勞從每小時(shí)6.5英鎊漲到每小時(shí)8.7英鎊。她認(rèn)為，這一計(jì)劃不僅有助于繁榮經(jīng)濟(jì)，減少財(cái)政赤字，還會(huì)推動(dòng)稅收完全自主計(jì)劃早日實(shí)現(xiàn)。

The new SNP intake can also be expected to make full use of their privileges as the third-largestparty at Westminster. MPs will pose tricky questions and use committee chairmanships to harrythe government, especially over austerity. Ms Sturgeon argues that such actions would notjust be on behalf of Scots but for all Britons. She sees Labour entering “a period ofintrospection” and claims the SNP will be “the principal opposition” in Westminster.

另外，據(jù)預(yù)計(jì)，擁護(hù)蘇格蘭民族黨的新晉議員會(huì)充分利用民族黨在英國(guó)議會(huì)作為第三大政黨的優(yōu)勢(shì)。各位國(guó)會(huì)議員屆時(shí)拋出棘手話題，憑借議會(huì)主席的地位為難政府，尤其是在財(cái)政緊縮問(wèn)題上大做文章。斯特金夫人表示，他們?nèi)绱诵袨椴粌H僅是為了蘇格蘭，更是為了維護(hù)英國(guó)的整體利益。她認(rèn)為工黨進(jìn)入了“反省期”，蘇格蘭民族黨在議會(huì)中會(huì)坐占“第一大反對(duì)黨”的位置。

This leaves Labour in a bind over whether to position itself to the SNP's right or left. But it alsoposes a dilemma for Mr Cameron. He could concede to what the SNP wants, in order to avertfurther fracturing between Scotland and England—but that would imply the Scots were right toelect them. Or he could dig in and allow himself to be caricatured as the Scots' enemy. Eitherway, Ms Sturgeon looks to be sitting pretty.

工黨為此左右為難，對(duì)于民族黨不知是支持，還是反對(duì)。“無(wú)獨(dú)有偶”，卡梅倫首相亦不知如何是好。他可以遂民族黨所愿，以免加深英格蘭與蘇格蘭之間的隔隙。但這等于承認(rèn)蘇格蘭人民選民族黨執(zhí)政為正確之舉。如若不然，他可以“變本加厲”，在諷刺漫畫中與蘇格蘭相互敵視。無(wú)論卡梅倫選擇哪種道路，斯特金夫人都顯得坐鎮(zhèn)不亂。

【重點(diǎn)講解】

1.try to 設(shè)法

例句:I try to remember all the good times I've hadhere.

我試著回憶在這里度過(guò)的所有美好時(shí)光。

2.come to 蘇醒;達(dá)到;來(lái)到

例句:There are thousands of students absolutelygagging to come to this university.

肯定有成千上萬(wàn)的學(xué)生都渴望到這所大學(xué)念書。

3.need to 需要

例句:You'll need to get on the right side of Carmela.

你得討卡梅拉的歡心。

4.promise to 承諾;保證

例句:I'm hoping you'll keep your promise to come for a long visit.

我希望你遵守諾言來(lái)這兒多呆幾天。