本文音频及原文摘自杂志The Economist 2016年第38期，The Americas版块。

Canada and peacekeeping

Something old and something blue

Sep 17th 2016 | OTTAWA

EVER since the country won global kudos[1] for sending UN forces to calm the Suez crisis[2] in 1957, Canadians have seen peacekeeping as a token of national virtue[民族美德的象征]. Yet years have passed since more than a handful of them did that job. Before two fiascos[3] in the mid-1990s, in Somalia[索马里] and Rwanda[卢旺达(东非国家)], Canada took part in almost all UN missions. But today only 112 Canadian soldiers, police and military observers[军事观察员] feature in[起重要作用;作为主要角色] a global total of 100,000 blue-helmets[蓝盔部队;维和部队].

······

The Liberal government[自由党政府] led by Justin Trudeau is vowing to improve on that and restore Canada's “compassionate and constructive role” in the world. But far from being universally welcomed at home, a decision to deploy[部署,调度] up to 600 troops and 150 police and spend C$450m ($340m) over three years on international peace operations has proved divisive[造成不和的;引起分歧的].

······

The Conservatives[保守党], who form the official opposition[官方的反对党], say the Liberals are indulging in[沉浸于] nostalgia[4]: traditional peacekeeping no longer exists. They want a parliamentary vote[议会投票] if Canadians are put in harm's way[处于危险之中]. Others retort[5] that peacekeeping was always perilous[6]: more than 130 Canadians have died on UN missions. But doveish sorts[7] fear a mere rebranding[品牌重塑] rather than a change from the more hawkish[7] stance of the Conservatives, who when in power keenly backed NATO[=the North Atlantic Treaty Organization北约]'s combat mission in Afghanistan[阿富汗].

······

In both camps, some sense a political move to help Canada win a seat[当选;获得议席] on the UN security council[联合国安理会] in 2021. The government has fuelled suspicion[引起怀疑] about its motives by refusing to say where the first peacekeepers will go: Mali[马里] seems likely. Mr Trudeau will probably name the destination when he addresses the UN later this month, but the response back home may still be less than irenic[8].

······

[1]kudos ['kjuːdɒs]

the public admiration that a person receives as a result of a particular achievement or position in society （随某成就或地位而来的）名声，声誉，荣耀

Being an actor has a certain amount of kudos attached to it.

做演员就伴有一定的职业光环。

[2]Suez Crisis：第二次中东战争，又称苏伊士运河战争、苏伊士运河危机。

[3]fiasco [fɪ'æskəʊ]

something planned that goes wrong and is a complete failure, usually in an embarrassing way 完全失败；尴尬的结局

The show was a fiasco - one actor forgot his lines and another fell off the stage.

演出彻底搞砸了，灯光不亮，一个演员忘了台词，另一个跌下了舞台。

[4]nostalgia [nɒ'stældʒə]

a feeling of pleasure and also slight sadness when you think about things that happened in the past 对往事的怀念，怀旧，念旧

Some people feel nostalgia for their schooldays.

有些人对自己的学生时代充满了怀旧之情。

Hearing that song again filled him with nostalgia.

再次听到那首曲子让他心中充满对往事的怀念。

[5]retort：to answer someone quickly in an angry or funny way （愤怒或风趣地）反驳，回嘴

"That doesn't concern you!" she retorted.

“那不关你的事！”她反驳道。

[6]perilous ['perɪləs]

extremely dangerous 非常危险的

The country roads are quite perilous.

这些乡间道路很危险。

[7]doveish sorts

doveish ＝dovish：preferring to use peaceful discussion rather than military action in order to solve a political problem 温和派的；鸽派的

hawkish：preferring to use military action rather than peaceful discussion in order to solve a political problem 鹰派的；主战的；强硬的

[8]irenic [aɪ'renɪk; -'riː-]

promoting or intended to promote peace 和平（主义）的；促使和解的

······

以上言论不代表本人立场。

原文摘自The economist，仅外语学习之用。

其中生词解释来源于Cambridge Dictionaries

回复“eco”或点击下方“阅读原文”查看系列笔记。