英国《金融时报》原文阅读精选集(二)
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马克龙:一位与特朗普打交道的大师

在与特朗普打交道这件事上,法国总统马克龙可谓是得心应手。他如何面对这位棘手的美国伙伴呢?

测试中可能遇到的词汇和知识:

theatrical剧场的,夸张的[θi'ætrɪkl]

latitude纬度,界限,自由选择权['lætɪtjuːd]

cloying因过量而厌烦的['klɔɪɪŋ]

supplicant乞求者,恳求者['sʌplɪkənt]

ideology观念学,意识形态[ˌaɪdi'ɒlədʒi]

scourge灾难,祸患[skɜːdʒ]

geopolitical地理政治学的[ˌdʒiːəʊpə'lɪtɪkl]

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Emmanuel Macron demonstrates fine art of handling Donald Trump(429 words)

By Gideon Rachman

Why is it OK for Donald Trump to visit Paris, but not OK for him to visit London? Despite the famed “special relationship” between Britain and the US, the American president's long-planned trip to the UK has been indefinitely postponed — largely because of the unstated fear that Mr Trump would be greeted by mass protests.

Instead, he has accepted an invitation to France — and could be seen happily reviewing the troops, alongside Emmanuel Macron, at the annual July 14 parade. The fact that the French president felt able to take a domestic political risk by inviting Mr Trump to Paris — despite the US president's 14 per cent approval rating in France — offers some insights into the fine art of handing Mr Trump.

Mr Macron issued his invitation to the US president from a position of strength. His first encounter with Mr Trump featured a theatrical bone-crushing handshake. To some this might have seemed like the diplomacy of the playground. But it sent a clear message. France was not going to be pushed around. By contrast, Theresa May's first visit to Washington featured the UK prime minister briefly holding hands with Mr Trump at the White House. To many in Britain, this looked like a cloying closeness with an unpopular US president.

The lesson seems to be that European leaders who first make it clear that they are willing to stand up to Mr Trump, then have more latitude to extend the hand of friendship. By contrast, leaders who seem to approach the Trump White House as supplicants are vulnerable to a domestic backlash.

This contrast is about much more than theatrical handshakes. It extends to policy and ideology. Mr Trump is a champion of nationalism and a scourge of globalism. Mr Macron, fresh from beating the nationalist Marine Le Pen in the French presidential election, is carrying the standard for internationalism in Europe — alongside Angela Merkel, the German chancellor.

But the position of Mrs May is much more ambiguous. Her government insists that Britain continues to champion globalisation. But the Brexit vote has been widely interpreted across the world — including by Mr Trump and Mr Macron — as part of the backlash against globalism. Under these circumstances, a state visit by Mr Trump to the UK would raise all sorts of difficult questions about where Britain stands — in geopolitical and ideological terms.

Paradoxically, because Mr Macron is very clearly on the other side of an ideological divide from Mr Trump — he can risk standing next to him at a military parade.

请根据你所读到的文章内容,完成以下自测题目:


1.Why does Trump postpone his trip to the UK?

A.Because Trump is not welcomed by May's government.

B.Because Trump chose to attend the annual parade in France.

C.Because Trump could possibly be greeted by mass protests.

D.Because Trump and May represent different ideologies.

答案答案:C.Because Trump could possibly be greeted by mass protests. 解释:美国总统早就计划好的英国之旅被无限期推迟,这很大程度上是害怕遭到大规模抗议。


2.When did Trump visit Paris and attend the annual parade?

A.On July 13.

B.On July 14.

C.On July 15.

D.On July 16.

答案答案:B.On July 14. 解释:特朗普接受法国的邀请参加了每年7月14日举行的游行。


3.Which of the following statements about Mr Trump is true?

A.He and Macron had a bone-crushing handshake when they met at the parade in Paris.

B.He is suffering from a domestic backlash currently.

C.He is carrying the standard for internationalism during his trip to France.

D.He has only 14 per cent approval rating in France.

答案答案:D.He has only 14 per cent approval rating in France. 解释:法国总统冒着国内的政治风险邀请特朗普访问法国,尽管特朗普在法国的支持率只有14%。


4.Why does Mrs May worry about Trump's visit to the UK?

A.Because it would provoke a domestic backlash in the UK.

B.Because May and trump have conflicting political stands.

C.Because it would raise all sorts of difficult questions about Britain's ambiguous stands.

D.Because May doesn't want to extend the friendship with Trump.

答案答案:C.Because it would raise all sorts of difficult questions about Britain's ambiguous stands. 解释:梅的政治立场非常模糊,特朗普访英可能对引发人们对英国地缘政治和意识形态两方面立场的质疑。