Macron's nightmare
馬克龍的噩夢(mèng)
The Economist 12.08? ?
The French president's problems are more to do with presentation than policy
選段一??
Extract One
It is a long way down from Mount Olympus.?Last year Emmanuel Macron?strode into power?with a?mandate?to reform France. This week France looked unreformable. The streets of Paris have been littered with burned-out cars and glass from smashed shop windows. Parts of the countryside are paralysed, as protesters in high-visibility yellow jackets obstruct roads and blockade fuel depots. Policy?u-turns?are making Mr Macron look as weak as all his recent predecessors who tried to change this most stubborn of nations. The man who once promised a “Jupiterian” presidency is looking decidedly mortal.
It is a long way down from Mount Olympus.
直譯是從奧利匹克山下來有很長的一段路
這里的Mount Olympus呼應(yīng)后面的Jupiterian
有點(diǎn)像中文說的“走下神壇”的感覺
暗示馬克龍從前被捧在神壇粤剧，備受追捧
stride into power
直譯是大步走向權(quán)利巔峰
stride這個(gè)動(dòng)詞很有畫面感
簡(jiǎn)單一個(gè)動(dòng)詞勾畫出他競(jìng)選時(shí)順風(fēng)順?biāo)赶А簱P(yáng)當(dāng)選的畫面求妹，好不風(fēng)光
mandate
the authority?to do sth,?given to?a?government?or other?organization?by?the people?whovote for?it?in?an?election經(jīng)選舉而獲得的授權(quán)??
the mandate to do sth. / for sth.
人民支持馬克龍改革才選舉他的嘴瓤，所以他的改革是獲得了法國人民的授權(quán)的
U-turn
徹底轉(zhuǎn)變（政策/觀念/計(jì)劃等）
U-turn原指U型轉(zhuǎn)彎，即180轉(zhuǎn)彎
后引申為徹底轉(zhuǎn)變之意
Jupiterian
a person that has a well-developed Mount of?Jupiter?and a long and large finger of Jupiter and that is usually held by palmists to be characterized by?ambition, leadership, and a religious nature（merriam-webster詞典）
西方看手相的人把Mount of Jupiter和finger of Jupiter長的好的人稱為Jupiterian坚弱，這種手相的人也通常被認(rèn)為有雄心裹驰，有領(lǐng)導(dǎo)能力废麻。所以Jupiterian其實(shí)指的是有遠(yuǎn)大志向有領(lǐng)導(dǎo)力的
馬克龍?jiān)臼切坌牟模J(rèn)為自己任期會(huì)好好大干一場(chǎng)列林，所以文中說他once promised a “Jupiterian” presidency
選段二
Extract Two
When this new party, a band of political newcomers powered by social media,?won a thumping parliamentary majority, the Macron revolution seemed unstoppable. He swiftly passed long-needed reforms to make the labour market more ?exible, working with moderate unions and?facing down?obstreperous?ones. His education reforms o?ered smaller classes in poor areas and greater citizens’ control over training. The budget?was knocked into shape, meeting the Maastricht de?cit limit of 3% of gdp for the ?rst time since 2007.
win a thumping parliamentary majority
在議會(huì)獲得壓倒性勝利
thumping本身是「巨大的瑞你；極大的」
既可以是win a thumping majority，壓倒性勝利
也可是a thumping defeat希痴，慘敗
face down
to deal in a strong and confident way sith someone who opposes you?
壓倒者甲，挫敗，懾服（用堅(jiān)定和自信的方式）
比如警察壓制暴民就是face down the mobs
且這篇后半部分又一次出現(xiàn)了face down：
Even Vladimir Putin did not have the courage to face down Russian pensioners this year.
obstreperous?[?b?str?p(?)r?s]
noisy and difficult to control
喧鬧的砌创；桀驁不馴的虏缸；任性的
obstreperous是個(gè)正式和帶點(diǎn)幽默色彩的詞
看完英文釋義瞬間想到了熊孩子呢
knock... into shape
to take action to get sth or sb into the good condition that you would like
使...像樣
比如knock the economy into shape就經(jīng)常出現(xiàn)在新聞中
選段三
Extract Three
Mr Macron will now be?banking?that his decision, on December 5th, to cancel the diesel tax rises “for the year of 2019”, will?take the heat out of the con?ict. This seems unlikely; for a start, the protests have in part now been hijacked by?thuggish?extremists with an interest in the violent overthrow of capitalism. Many of even the moderate?gilets jaunes?are demanding Mr Macron’s resignation, or a new parliament. And an earlier diesel tax rise which went into e?ect last January, has not (yet) been reversed.
bank
v. 指望；依靠?[熟詞僻義]
通常是bank on sb/sth纺铭，類似count on
take the heat out of the conflict
緩和沖突
take the heat out of是比喻用法寇钉，簡(jiǎn)單又形象
thuggish
暴力的，野蠻的
SYN?violent / barbaric / savage / brutal
gilets jaunes
黃背心舶赔，也就是參與這次抗議示威的人
選段四
Extract Four
The government’s reaction could?back?re?horribly. It may not be enough to?draw the sting from?the protests. But, by giving ground at all, it may show that Mr Macron can be pushed around by mobs on the streets, thus encouraging more mobs to form. There is pressure on Mr Macron to bring back the wealth tax; and further reform now looks much less likely than it did. Yet there is plenty of hard work still to do; the next overdue project that Mr Macron plans to tackle is France’s una?ordable pension system.
backfire
v.?產(chǎn)生事與愿違的后果扫倡；適得其反
本意是發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)逆火
引申為適得其反，事與愿違竟纳，背道而馳撵溃，引火燒身等義（以上四字格的翻譯get）
draw the sting from
字面意思是把刺拉從...出來
引申為減少對(duì)...的傷害，可譯為“安撫”
回顧
Review
stride into power
mandate
U-turn
Jupiterian
win a thumping parliamentary majority
face down
obstreperous
knock into shape
bank
take the heat out of the conflict
thuggish
gilets jaunes
backfire
draw the sting from
筆記 | Suzy ?
文章來源 | 《經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)人》12.08
