VOA慢速英語(yǔ)：英國(guó)首相大選失利后謀求組建少數(shù)政府

British PM Seeks Minority Government Following Election Losses

英國(guó)首相大選失利后謀求組建少數(shù)政府

British Prime Minister Theresa May says she will stay in office although her party lost its parliamentary majority in elections. The voting was held Thursday.

英國(guó)首相特蕾莎·梅(Theresa May)表示，盡管她所在的黨派在選舉中失去了議會(huì)多數(shù)派優(yōu)勢(shì)，她仍將會(huì)在職。這次投票于周四進(jìn)行。

May said Friday she will attempt to form a minority government with Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party, or DUP. DUP leader Arlene Foster confirmed plans to hold talks with the Conservatives to discuss a way "to bring stability to our nation at this time of great challenge."

梅在周五表示，她將試圖同北愛爾蘭民主聯(lián)盟黨組成少數(shù)派政府。北愛爾蘭民主聯(lián)盟黨領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人阿倫·福斯特(Arlene Foster)確認(rèn)計(jì)劃與保守黨進(jìn)行會(huì)談，討論“在此巨大挑戰(zhàn)時(shí)刻維護(hù)國(guó)家穩(wěn)定”的方式。

May's Conservative Party won the most seats overall in the House of Commons, but fell well short of a majority.

梅的保守黨在下議院贏得的席位最多，但是遠(yuǎn)低于半數(shù)席位。

May called for the election last April, saying she hoped to expand her parliamentary majority. She said it would help her in negotiating Britain's exit from the European Union.

梅在今年四月呼吁舉行選舉，稱她希望擴(kuò)大自己在議會(huì)中的多數(shù)優(yōu)勢(shì)。她說(shuō)，這將會(huì)有助于她在英國(guó)退出歐盟中的談判。

At the time, she was considered a strong favorite against Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn. But Corbyn's party won many new seats Thursday.

當(dāng)時(shí)，人們認(rèn)為她遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)比工黨領(lǐng)袖杰里米·柯賓(Jeremy Corbyn)受歡迎。但是柯賓所在的黨派周四贏得了很多新的席位。

A major campaign issue centered on Britain's plan to leave the EU, also called Brexit. British citizens approved the plan in a vote last year.

英國(guó)的退歐計(jì)劃是選舉中的一項(xiàng)重要議題。英國(guó)公民去年投票批準(zhǔn)了這一計(jì)劃。

May has said she favors a "hard" Brexit. This would mean Britain's immediate and total withdrawal from the single market. The country would also gain full control over its borders. And, it would permit Britain to make its own trade deals and control the making of laws and enforcement in its territory.

梅表示，她希望“硬退歐”。這意味著英國(guó)立即全面退出歐盟這一單一市場(chǎng)。該國(guó)也將獲得對(duì)邊境的全面控制。同時(shí)這將會(huì)允許英國(guó)制定自己的貿(mào)易協(xié)定，并控制境內(nèi)的法律制定和執(zhí)法。

Corbyn's Labour Party officially backs Brexit. However, many top party officials have called for a "softer" process. A "soft" Brexit would remove Britain as a member of the EU, but permit it to remain in the single market.

柯賓的工黨正式支持退歐。然而，黨內(nèi)許多高層官員呼吁“軟退歐”。“軟退歐”將會(huì)讓英國(guó)不再作為歐盟成員國(guó)，但是允許該國(guó)留在該單一市場(chǎng)。

After the voting, Corbyn called on May to resign. He said voters had rejected her Brexit plan. "We are ready to do everything we can to put our program into operation," he said.

柯賓在投票之后呼吁梅辭職。他說(shuō)，選民已經(jīng)否決了她的退歐方案。柯賓說(shuō)：“我們已經(jīng)做好準(zhǔn)備全力推行我們的計(jì)劃。”

Political observers say the election results raise questions about the government's future Brexit policy.

政治觀察家表示，該選舉結(jié)果引發(fā)了人們對(duì)英國(guó)政府未來(lái)退歐政策的質(zhì)疑。

Jack Straw, a former Labour foreign minister, said the result means there will now be a lot of pressure in parliament for a soft Brexit. "The math and chemistry in the Commons will be pushing away from a hard Brexit," he said.

前工黨外交大臣杰克·斯特勞(Jack Straw)表示，這一結(jié)果意味著現(xiàn)在議會(huì)中目前將出現(xiàn)很大“軟退歐”的壓力。他說(shuō)：“下議院將會(huì)遠(yuǎn)離‘硬退歐’。”

Leading Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage said the result had put the whole future of Brexit at risk. "If the Brexit Secretary is considering putting the single market back on the table then the whole process is now seriously damaged," he tweeted.

退歐運(yùn)動(dòng)主要領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者奈杰爾·法拉奇(Nigel Farage)表示，該結(jié)果使得整個(gè)退歐前景面臨風(fēng)險(xiǎn)。他發(fā)推表示：“如果負(fù)責(zé)退歐事務(wù)的大臣考慮將單一市場(chǎng)重新擺上談判桌，那么整個(gè)過(guò)程就會(huì)遭到嚴(yán)重破壞。”

On Friday, European officials and lawmakers commented on the apparent political uncertainty in Britain. They said it could harm the Brexit talks, which are to begin in 10 days.

周五，歐盟官員和議員對(duì)英國(guó)明顯的政治不確定性作了評(píng)論。他們表示，這可能會(huì)傷害到將于10天內(nèi)開始進(jìn)行的退歐談判。

After a meeting with Britain’s Queen Elizabeth, May promised to keep pushing forward to “fulfill the promise of Brexit.”

梅在拜見英國(guó)伊麗莎白女王之后承諾繼續(xù)推進(jìn)“履行退歐承諾”。

National security was also a major issue of the election campaign following recent and deadly terror attacks in the country. Other issues included the future of the government-run National Health Service, immigration and the economy.

在英國(guó)最近發(fā)生一些致命恐怖襲擊之后，國(guó)家安全也成為了競(jìng)選運(yùn)動(dòng)的一項(xiàng)重大議題。其它議題還包括政府運(yùn)行的國(guó)民醫(yī)療服務(wù)體系以及移民和經(jīng)濟(jì)的未來(lái)。

The Scottish National Party, or SNP, also suffered major election losses. The party has called for a second vote on whether Scotland should separate from the United Kingdom. Political observers said the latest losses mean a vote about independence is unlikely in the near future.

蘇格蘭民族黨也在選舉中遭受重創(chuàng)。該黨派呼吁對(duì)蘇格蘭是否脫離英國(guó)進(jìn)行第二次公投。政治觀察家表示，最近的失敗意味著近期不可能對(duì)獨(dú)立進(jìn)行投票。

I'm Bryan Lynn.

布萊恩·林恩報(bào)道。

British Prime Minister Theresa May says she will stay in office although her party lost its parliamentary majority in elections. The voting was held Thursday.

May said Friday she will attempt to form a minority government with Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party, or DUP. DUP leader Arlene Foster confirmed plans to hold talks with the Conservatives to discuss a way “to bring stability to our nation at this time of great challenge.”

May’s Conservative Party won the most seats overall in the House of Commons, but fell well short of a majority.

May called for the election last April, saying she hoped to expand her parliamentary majority. She said it would help her in negotiating Britain’s exit from the European Union.

?At the time, she was considered a strong favorite against Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn. But Corbyn’s party won many new seats Thursday.

A major campaign issue centered on Britain’s plan to leave the EU, also called Brexit. British citizens approved the plan in a vote last year.

May has said she favors a “hard” Brexit. This would mean Britain’s immediate and total withdrawal from the single market. The country would also gain full control over its borders. And, it would permit Britain to make its own trade deals and control the making of laws and enforcement in its territory.

Corbyn's Labour Party officially backs Brexit. However, many top party officials have called for a “softer” process. A “soft” Brexit would remove Britain as a member of the EU, but permit it to remain in the single market.

After the voting, Corbyn called on May to resign. He said voters had rejected her Brexit plan. "We are ready to do everything we can to put our program into operation," he said.

Political observers say the election results raise questions about the government’s future Brexit policy.

Jack Straw, a former Labour foreign minister, said the result means there will now be a lot of pressure in parliament for a soft Brexit. “The math and chemistry in the Commons will be pushing away from a hard Brexit,” he said.

Leading Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage said the result had put the whole future of Brexit at risk. “If the Brexit Secretary is considering putting the single market back on the table then the whole process is now seriously damaged,” he tweeted.

If the Brexit Secretary is considering putting the single market back on the table then the whole process is now seriously damaged. pic.twitter.com/vQccR0xesU

— Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) June 9, 2017

On Friday, European officials and lawmakers commented on the apparent political uncertainty in Britain. They said it could harm the Brexit talks, which are to begin in 10 days.

After a meeting with Britain’s Queen Elizabeth, May promised to keep pushing forward to “fulfill the promise of Brexit.”

National security was also a major issue of the election campaign following recent and deadly terror attacks in the country. Other issues included the future of the government-run National Health Service, immigration and the economy.

The Scottish National Party, or SNP, also suffered major election losses. The party has called for a second vote on whether Scotland should separate from the United Kingdom. Political observers said the latest losses mean a vote about independence is unlikely in the near future.

I’m Bryan Lynn.

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Words in This Story

exit – n. the act of going out or away from something

uncertainty – adj. in doubt, not known

fulfill – v. complete what is expected or required to do