A president in paradise
（恍如置身）天堂的总统（陈继龙 编译）
Aug 10th 2006 | VICTORIA
From The Economist print edition
（1）BEST known as a destination for honeymooners in search of perfect white beaches and swaying palms, the Seychelle islands rarely make any sort of headlines.Few tourists would even have noticed the presidential election on July 30th, in which James Michel, leader of the Seychelles People's ProGREssive Front, was returned with 54% of the ballot. For Mr Michel, it was the first time he had faced the islands' 62,000-odd[1]voters, having been promoted from vice-president two years ago by his predecessor, Albert René, who had ruled the islands for 27 years since taking power in ac________①in 1977.
说起塞舌尔群岛，许多人只知道它是度蜜月者找寻美丽的白色沙滩和摇曳的棕榈树的目的地之一，除此之外，几乎很少有媒体对其进行报道，就连游客们也很少有人注意到7月30日该国举行的总统选举。这次选举中，塞舌尔人民进步阵线领导人詹姆斯•米歇尔获得了54％的选票。对于米歇尔而言，这是在他两年前被前任总统阿尔伯特•雷纳从副总统提拔为总统后，首次面对该岛6.2万余名选民。雷纳自1977年在一场政变中上台以后已经统治该岛国27年。
To the casual eye, Seychelles seems both fortunate and well-governed. （2）The 115 islands, most of them uninhabited, cover a mere 445 square kilometres (175 square miles) of the Indian Ocean, north of Madagascar, and enjoy several advantages over most of the rest of Africa.The weather is nevere_______②.There is no malaria. The islanders have free education and health care. Their multiracial society is pretty harmonious. With GDP at around $8,000 a head, there is almost no discernible poverty.
乍一看，塞舌尔似乎很幸运，治理得也比较好。它位于印度洋上、马达加斯加以北，全国共有岛屿115个（其中大多数无人定居），总面积仅为445平方公里（175平方英里）。相比非洲其它国家，它拥有不少优势。不冷不热的天气，没有疟疾，岛民们享受免费教育和医疗，他们的多种族社会十分和谐。由于人均GDP大约有8000美元，因此几乎没有明显的贫困现象。
But this standard of living has come at a cost: the IMF says its public debt is too high and may be unsustainable. Mr Michel's main opposition, the Seychelles National Party, which scored 46% in the elections, claims that Seychelles, per person, is the world's mosti_______③country. （3）A black market in foreign currency already exists as speculation persists that the government, unable to meet its obligations, may be forced to devalue.Basic consumer goods sometimes run out. If, as the IMF predicts, GDP falls by over 1% this year, Mr Michel may find his next five years in power more testing than he had hoped.
不过，达到这种生活水准是要付出代价的——国际货币基金组织说，该国国债过高，可能难以为继。米歇尔的主要反对党、在本次选举中获得46%选票的塞舌尔民族党断言，塞舌尔是世界上人均负债最多的国家。由于投机买卖屡禁不止，外币交易黑市已然形成，因此无法尽职尽责的政府或许将被迫对货币进行贬值。（译注：meet/fulfil a obligation 指“do something that is your duty”）基础性消费商品有时候也消耗一空。根据国际货币基金组织预测，如果今年GDP下降超过1%，米歇尔就会感到在随后的五年执政岁月中，他要接受比他所期望的更多的考验。
The country needs more ways of making money. In the cold war, it was easy. （4）The Seychelles played each side off against the other, remaining a member of the Commonwealth as well as the Non-Aligned Movement and taking military aid from the Soviet Union while leasing a satellite tracking station to the Americans.Since those streams of revenue dried up, the main Seychellois streams of revenue have been from tourism—l________④land to foreign hoteliers—and fromtuna[2]:the government earns about $200m a year from selling tuna-fishing licences to Spain, France and South Korea.
这个国家需要更多赚钱途径。这在冷战时期是很容易的。塞舌尔当时仍然是英联邦以及不结盟运动的一员，它一边接受苏联提供的军事援助，一边又把一个卫星跟踪站租给了美国人，可谓两头得利。（译注：play off one against another 挑拨离间，从中得利）自从那些收入来源枯竭之后，塞舌尔人收入主要源自旅游业——出租土地给外国宾馆经营者——和金枪鱼（政府依靠向西班牙、法国和韩国出售金枪鱼捕渔许可证，每年可挣得2亿美元）。
（5）But conflict in the Middle East has brought Seychelles an unexpected bonus: Western warships stop off[3] in the islands, which offer rest and recreation.The soldiers and sailorsscuba[4]-dive, sail and drink Seybrew, the local beer—and pay for it all in hard currency.
不过，中东冲突已经给塞舌尔带来了一份意外收获——该岛为经停的西方战船提供休闲和娱乐场所。士兵和水手们在那里潜水，玩帆船，喝当地人酿造的啤酒——全都用硬通货（美金）买单。
[QUIZ]
1. 根据上下文和英文释义，补全单词：
①c_______（n.a sudden and sometimes violent attempt by citizens or the army to take control of the government）
②e_______（adj.very GREat in degree）
③i________（adj.owing money to someone）
④l________（v.to rent buildings, cars, or equipment over a long period of time, especially for business use）
2. 英译汉（将划线部分英文翻译成中文）：
[NOTES](LONGMAN)
1. odd adj.挂零的（常用于组成复合词）
2. tuna n.金枪鱼
3. stop off中途停留
4. scuba n.自携式水下呼吸器；水肺
[TIPS & BACKGROUNDS]
塞舌尔（Seychelles）国家概况
位于非洲东面印度洋西部的群岛上，距非洲大陆1500公里，大小岛屿92个。全部岛屿分为4个岛群：马埃岛及其周围卫星岛；锡卢埃特岛和北岛；普拉斯兰岛群；弗里吉特岛及其附近礁屿。塞舌尔山为马埃岛上最高点，海拔905米。全境多丘陵山地，无河流。属热带雨林气候。岛上森林面积为2000公顷，可耕地少，蓄水困难，不利于农业。岛屿周围有200海里经济区，盛产金枪鱼。
居民主体为克里奥尔人和班图黑人，还有法国人、印度人、华人、巴基斯坦人后裔。克里奥尔语为国语，英、 法语 亦通用。90％居民信奉罗马天主教。保有古老习俗，常有人戴一只耳环，据说可避邪。有婚礼游行之俗，重视女子婚前的贞操。喜舞蹈，民间村社常在夜间燃起篝火跳穆蒂王舞、四组舞。
经济不发达，农业落后，工业基础薄弱，旅游业为其经济支柱。岛上无铁路，运输以公路为主，岛屿之间靠水运和空运。公路总长269公里。维多利亚港是印度洋国际航道上的重要的中继站，年吞吐量25万吨。塞舌尔国际机场为印度洋上重要的航空枢纽。
首都维多利亚，塞舌尔唯一城市。位于马埃岛东北角。占全国人口1/3以上。是全国商业和文化中心。有各类小型加工工厂。公路通马埃岛主要城镇。港口有深水区，可停泊大型船舶，设有国际航空站。市内有一建于1901年的动植物园。是重要旅游胜地。阿尔达布拉岛和普拉兰是吸引游客的重要旅游区，阿尔达布拉岛因珍奇植物繁多和生态环境保持完好被联合国教科文组织命名为“世界遗产”；普拉兰岛上的“五月谷”是风景惊人的著名观赏地。
[KEY TO QUIZ]
1. ①coup政变（coup d'état • military takeover）
②extreme 极端的，极度的
③indebted 负债的
④leasing 出租，租借
hire, rent, lease之区别：
（1）rent是指“有偿居住或使用他人的建筑物”，如：We rented an apartment together.我们合租了一间公寓。在美国英语中，也可以指“租借汽车或电器设备”。如：The TV is rented.这台电视已经出租。在英国英语中，rent 和hire均可使用，但通常都说“hire a car”。如：You can hire a car at the airport. 你可在机场租一辆车。
（2）lease是指“长期租借某建筑物、汽车或装备，多用于商业活动”。如：If you upgrade computers regularly, it may work out cheaper to lease them.如果你定期对电脑进行升级，租借价格就会比较便宜。
2.（见译文，仅供参考，欢迎指正）
