金融時報:1975解雇澳洲總理事件

1975解雇澳洲總理事件

澳大利亞前總理惠特拉姆近日去世，關(guān)于他的最著名的一個故事，恐怕就是他在1975年的“雙11”被女王代表、本應(yīng)是橡皮圖章的總督戲劇性的解雇。這個事件是怎么回事？

測試中可能遇到的詞匯和知識：

resonance ['rez(?)n?ns] 共鳴

vice-regal[va?s'ri?g(?)l] 總督的，王室代表的

quixotic[kw?k's?t?k] 堂吉訶德式的，空想的

cur [k??] 壞蛋，雜種

prerogative [pr?'r?g?t?v] 特權(quán)

trounce [tra?ns] 痛打，大敗

inebriated [?'ni?br?e?t?d] 醉酒的

whiff of farce 鬧劇的味道

Dismissal Of The Australian Government, 1975 （374 words）

By Andrew Mueller, June 7, 2008

The footage shot on the steps of Parliament House, Canberra, on November 11 1975 comes close to having the resonance for Australians that the film of John F. Kennedy's assassination has for Americans.

The sacking of the Gough Whitlam Labor government by the governor-general (the Crown's representative in Australia) still fuels books, films and conspiracy theories. It also inspired the most famous speech in Australian history.

After governor-general Sir John Kerr's secretary, the diminutive David Smith, concluded Whitlam's firing with the vice-regal sign-off “God save the Queen”, Whitlam bustled his silver-haired, 6ft 6in frame to the microphone. “Well may we say 'God save the Queen',” thundered the decommissioned PM, “because nothing will save the governor-general.”

Whitlam, personally brilliant and charismatic, politically naive and quixotic, had been elected in 1972 after 23 years of Liberal (ie conservative) rule. But though re-elected in 1974, Labor lost its majority. This gave the Liberals, led by Malcolm Fraser - “Kerr's cur” as Whitlam later called him - the ability to block funds to the government. Whitlam refused to call an election. Fraser wouldn't let the government govern. After weeks of stand-off, Kerr exercised his prerogative to dissolve the administration. Fraser was installed as prime minister.

“Maintain the rage,” Whitlam urged his supporters. They didn't. At the election held a month later, Labor was trounced, though this ended neither the argument nor the consequences. The Dismissal (in Australia, it warrants capitalisation) made a martyr-saint of Whitlam, now 91 (Editor's note: this article was written 6 years ago), even if much of his premiership had a whiff of farce about it.

Fraser, three years younger, served as prime minister until 1983. The widely loathed Kerr, who died in 1991, made another lasting contribution to Australian folklore with a sensationally inebriated performance presenting the 1977 Melbourne Cup.

The Dismissal remains a bedrock of modern republicanism - a movement that may finally win the day during the rule of Australia's new Labor prime minister, Kevin Rudd.

Rudd has some powerful allies. In the 1999 referendum on republic versus constitutional monarchy, Whitlam and Fraser, by all accounts now good mates, campaigned together for the “yes” vote. (The voters rejected it.)

請根據(jù)你所讀到的文章內(nèi)容，完成以下自測題目：

1.Why was Prime Minister Whitlam sacked by the governor general?

A.The Queen instructed him to do so.

B.He was resented by the governor general.

C.He lost the election but refused to leave.

D.The two parties lead the government to a standstill.

答案(1)

2.What was the consequence of The Dismissal?

A.It fueled Australian Republicanism.

B.It started Australia's film and publishing industry.

C.Whitlam took back the premiership.

Kerr was immediately dismiss as well.

答案(2)

3.The deposed PM Whitlam made peace with whom in the end?

A.The Governor General Kerr.

B.His opponent Fraser.

C.Queen Elithzbeth II.

答案(3)

* * *

(1)答案：D.The two parties lead the government to a standstill.

解釋：文中并沒有解釋這背后的原因，但另外三項都是錯誤的。Whitlam refused to call an election. Fraser wouldn't let the government govern. 由于誰都沒有國會絕對多數(shù)，并且都不肯就政府撥款法案妥協(xié)，在聯(lián)邦政府即將耗盡資金關(guān)門的面前，總督科爾做出了這個極其富有爭議和不尋常的解雇總理和國會、重新大選的行動。

(2)答案：A.It fueled Australian Republicanism.

解釋：文章第一段說，這個戲劇性的事件對澳大利亞的影響，像是肯尼迪遇刺對美國的影響，直到今天還催生著大量的電影、書籍和陰謀論。這還成了今天共和制運動的一個基石。

(3)答案：B.His opponent Fraser.

解釋：最后一段中說，1999, Whitlam and Fraser, by all accounts now good mates…… 兩位老對手成了老朋友，在公投中為改制澳大利亞為共和國一起競選。