卡梅伦的困惑(7.20).docVIP

Camerons confusions 卡梅伦的困惑 The government flip-flops between belligerence and caution 政府在交战和警告间犹豫不决 HOW seriously does the British government take the threat from Islamic State (IS), an extremist group which has taken over swathes of Iraq and Syria? Despite a flurry of pronouncements from the prime minister and from Michael Fallon, Britains defence secretary, it is growing increasingly hard to judge. 英国政府究竟对来自伊斯兰国（IS）这一占领了伊拉克和叙利亚的极端组织的威胁有多认真？尽管有首相和英国国防部长迈克尔·法伦的一系列声明，这一事态还是变得越来越难以琢磨了。 Writing in a newspaper on August 17th, David Cameron warned that Britain faces a “generational struggle” against a “poisonous ideology”. Striking a Churchillian tone, the prime minister argued that Britains very security depended on the country using all its resources, aid, diplomacy and “military prowess” to vanquish this enemy. Tough stuff—perhaps the toughest from any Western leader so far. 大卫·卡梅伦于8月17日在报上撰文警告说，英国面临着“代际斗争”和“有毒思想”的抗衡。这位首相带着惊人的丘吉尔语气争论说英国的安全取决于国家能否使用全部的资源、援助、外交和“军事力量”来击溃敌人。手段强硬—这可能是到目前为止西方领导人中最强硬的了。 Yet before leaving on holiday the following day Mr Cameron assured journalists that this fiery rhetoric did not mean Britain was returning to war in Iraq, and that he had no intention to put “boots on the ground” against IS. That was before the release of a horrific video on August 19th showing the beheading of a captured American journalist, James Foley, by an IS militant who appeared to have a British accent. Mr Cameron rushed back from his break in Cornwall to confer with ministers in London. 然而第二天，在外出度假前卡梅伦向记者保证说这种激烈的言辞并不意味着英国要在伊拉克重燃起战火，他并没有“派兵”对抗IS的意图。这是在8月19号美国记者詹姆斯·福利被一疑似有英国口音的IS成员斩首的恐怖录像发布之前了。卡梅伦立即结束了在康沃尔的度假，返回与伦敦的大臣们协商。 Confusion already surrounds the work Britains armed forces are presently performing in Iraq. Tornado bombers, helicopters, a spy plane, and some special forces are all operating in the north of the country—in particular near the city of Mosul. The government has said these efforts are merely humanitarian, intended to help refug