英國首相拒絕在退歐前后舉行蘇格蘭獨立公投

Theresa May’s government has faced down Nicola Sturgeon over a new Scottish independence referendum, ruling out a second vote until well after the UK leaves the EU in 2019 at the earliest.

特里薩•梅(Theresa May)領導的英國政府就蘇格蘭再次舉行獨立公投向蘇格蘭首席大臣尼古拉•斯特金(Nicola Sturgeon)攤牌，排除了在2019年英國退歐過后很久之前舉行二次公投的可能性。

The UK government’s rejection of the Scottish first minister’s call for a referendum before or shortly after Brexit raises the stakes of Scotland’s constitutional debate and risks turning moderate voters against the three century-old union with England.

英國政府拒絕了斯特金提出的在英國退歐之前或之后不久舉行獨立公投的要求，這加大了蘇格蘭舉行憲法辯論的風險，可能會讓溫和選民反對蘇格蘭與英格蘭長達300年的聯(lián)盟。

In an interview with ITV, Mrs May said it was time to put “all of our energy” into getting a good deal with the EU and that voters would be unable to judge the new relationship by spring 2019.

在接受英國獨立電視臺(ITV)采訪時，梅表示，現(xiàn)在應該“把我們所有的精力”放在與歐盟達成一項有利的協(xié)議方面，選民們將無法在2019年春季之前評判新的關系。

“We should be working together, not pulling apart,” the prime minister said. “Now is not the time [for another independence referendum].”

“我們應團結合作，而不是分裂，”梅表示，“現(xiàn)在并不是(舉行另一次獨立公投的)時候。”

Mrs May refused to give any more detail on timing, but Conservative colleagues made clear they were ruling out a Scottish referendum until long after Brexit — and also introduced tough new criteria for one to ever be approved.

梅拒絕就公投時間提供任何更多細節(jié)，但她的保守黨同僚明確表示，他們將排除在英國退歐過后很久之前舉行蘇格蘭獨立公投的可能性，還為批準獨立公投出臺了嚴格的新標準。

Ruth Davidson, Scottish Conservative leader, suggested unanimous support in the parliament for a new referendum — the previous one was held in 2014 — would be a precondition.

蘇格蘭保守黨領袖露絲•戴維森(Ruth Davidson)暗示，可能需要議會一致支持新的公投，上一次蘇格蘭獨立公投在2014年舉行。

“At an absolute minimum . . . there should be agreement across political parties and from the public at large,” said Ms Davidson, who has previously argued that the UK government should not seek to block a second referendum.

戴維森表示：“至少而言……各個政黨乃至公眾應該形成共識。”她以前曾辯稱，英國政府不應尋求否決二次公投。

Ms Sturgeon said it would be a “democratic outrage” to reject the will of the Scottish parliament, where the Scottish Greens plan to back a motion next week from the minority Scottish National party government demanding a second referendum.

斯特金表示，拒絕蘇格蘭議會的意愿將是一種“民主暴行”，蘇格蘭綠黨(Scottish Greens)計劃下周支持蘇格蘭民族黨(Scottish National party)組建的少數(shù)黨政府就要求舉行二次公投提出的一項動議。

Mrs May’s spokesman called for the vote to be called off.

梅的發(fā)言人呼吁取消二次公投。

The first minister said: “If the prime minister refuses to engage on the terms of a referendum before Brexit takes place then she is effectively trying to block the people of Scotland having a choice over their future,”.

斯特金表示：“如果首相拒絕在英國退歐之前商談公投條款，她實際上就是在試圖阻止蘇格蘭人民擁有對自己未來的選擇。”