掌管伦敦“秘密之城”的秘密市长：英语精读讲义

The City of London is a unique place.

伦敦城是一个独特的地方。

It's the city in a city in a country in a country

它是一个位于国家之中的国家内的，城市之中的城市，

that runs its government with perhaps

它的政府运作着也许是

the most complicated elections in the world

世界上最复杂的选举系统，

involving medieval guilds,

牵涉到中世纪的行会、

modern corporations,

现代的企业、

mandatory titles,

强制性的头衔、

and fancy hats,

以及花哨的帽子，

all of which are connected 語法

所有这些都在这个

in this horrifying org chart.

令人抓狂的组织结构图中交织在一起。

Why so complicated?

为什么这么复杂？

Though the new skyscrapers might make you think 表達脈絡

尽管新建的摩天大楼可能会让你觉得

the City of London is relatively young,

伦敦城相对年轻，

it's actually the oldest continuous government

它实际上是大不列颠岛上

on the island of Great Britain.

现存最古老的、连续运作的政府。

The City of London predates the empire

伦敦城的历史早于

that Victoria ruled

维多利亚女王统治的大英帝国，

the kingdoms Anne united

早于安妮女王统一的王国，

and the Magna Carta

甚至早于约翰王不情愿地签署的

that John reluctantly signed.

《大宪章》。

While the London which surrounds the city

虽然环绕它的整个伦敦市

only got to electing its first mayor in 2000,

直到2000年才选出首位市长，

the list of mayors who've governed the City of London

但统治过伦敦城的市长名单

is almost 700 people long

已经长达近700人，

going back more than a thousand years. 短語動詞

历史可以追溯到一千多年前。

The City of London's government is so old 語法

伦敦城政府的历史太过悠久，

that there's no surviving record

以至于没有任何幸存的记录

of exactly when it was born.

能确切说明它诞生于何时。

There are only documents like the Magna Carta

只有像《大宪章》这样的文件，

which mention the pre-existing powers

提到了伦敦城在当时的那个时间点上

the City of London already had

就已经拥有的

at that point in time.

既有权力。

So, while a government like the United States

因此，虽然像美国这样的政府

is officially gets its power from the people

在官方上其权力来自于人民，

and Parliament gets its power from the Crown,

英国议会的权力来自于王室，

which in turn gets it from God, 表達脈絡

而王室的权力又来自于上帝，

the City of London gets its power from time immemorial, 用詞

伦敦城的权力则来自远古时代，

meaning that the city is so old it just is.

意思是这座城市太古老了，它生来就是如此。

And that age brings with it

而这种悠久的历史也随之带来了

unusual and complicated traditions.

异常而复杂的传统。

The most notable of these, perhaps,

其中最引人注目的，也许就是

is that in City of London elections,

在伦敦城的选举中，

companies get votes.

公司拥有投票权。

Quite a lot, actually.

实际上，还相当多。

About 3/4 of the votes cast in city elections

在城市选举的选票中，约有四分之三

are from companies

来自公司，

with the remaining 1/4 from residents.

剩下的四分之一来自居民。

The way it works is that the bigger a company is, 講解

其运作方式是，公司规模越大，

the more votes it gets from the City of London.

它从伦敦城获得的选票就越多。

The companies then give their votes to select employees

然后，这些公司把选票交给选定的员工，

who work but do not live within the city,

这些员工在城内工作但不住在城内，

and it's these employees who do the actual voting at election time. 語法

到了选举时，正是由这些员工进行实际的投票。

The result is that the Common Council,

结果就是参事会，

the bureaucratic beating heart of the City of London, 習語

即伦敦城官僚机构的跳动心脏，

has about 20 Common Councilors

拥有大约20名参事会议员

elected by residents of the city

由该城的居民选出，

and about 80 elected by companies of the city.

以及约80名由该城的公司选出。

The reasoning behind this unusual tradition is

这种不同寻常的传统背后的理由是，

that for every one person who lives in the City of London, 語法

伦敦城每住一个人，

43 people commute in every day.

每天就有43个人通勤进来。

In total, that's 300,000 commuters

总共有30万名通勤者

using city services

使用城市服务，

and whose employment depends on the City of London being business-friendly. 語法

并且他们的就业依赖于伦敦城保持对商业友好。

The man in charge of the Common Council

掌管参事会

and who heads the city's government

并领导城市政府的人，

is the Right Honorable the Lord Mayor of London. 文化背景

就是尊敬的伦敦城市长（Lord Mayor of London）。

Now, suppose you want to be Lord Mayor.

现在，假设你想成为伦敦城市长。

Surely, just as in that other London,

肯定就像在那个大伦敦市一样，

all you'll need do is 語法

你只需做到：

A, be a British Commonwealth or EU citizen

A、是英联邦或欧盟公民，

who has B, lived in the city for a year

且B、在城内居住了一年，

and who C, wins the election.

并且C、赢得了选举。

Right?

对吧？

No.

不。

In the City of London, that's not nearly enough. 短語搭配

在伦敦城，这远远不够。

Ready for the qualifications list?

准备好听资格清单了吗？

Before you can even run for Lord Mayor, 語法

在你甚至能竞选市长之前，

you need to have been a sheriff of the City of London.

你必须先担任过伦敦城的郡长（Sheriff）。

But before you can be sheriff,

但在你成为郡长之前，

you need to be an alderman. 文化背景

你需要成为一名参事（Alderman）。

What's an alderman?

什么是参事？

Well, the City of London is divided into 25 wards

伦敦城被划分为25个选区，

and each ward elects one alderman

每个选区选出一名参事

to represent it on the Court of Aldermen,

在参事法庭（Court of Aldermen）中代表它，

a subsection of the Common Council.

这是参事会的一个下属部门。

But before you can run for alderman,

但在你能够竞选参事之前，

you need to gain freeman status. 文化背景

你需要获得自由民身份（freeman status）。

And who gives out freeman status?

那么谁来授予自由民身份呢？

Why, none other than the very Court of Aldermen 短語搭配

哎呀，正是你

you're trying to get elected to,

试图竞选加入的参事法庭，

which might just seem like a conflict of interest. 短語搭配

这看起来似乎构成了利益冲突。

Luckily, there is another way to get freeman status.

幸运的是，还有另一种方法可以获得自由民身份。

Join one of the city's guilds.

加入该市的一个行会。

Sadly, they aren't called guilds,

遗憾的是，它们不叫行会，

they're called livery companies, 文化背景

它们被称为同业公会（livery companies），

a name which is both more boring and less descriptive, 語法

这个名字既更无聊又缺乏描述性，

but the remnants of medieval guilds many of them are. 語法

但它们中的许多正是中世纪行会的遗存。

And within the city,

在城市内部，

there are 108 of them to choose from,

有108个公会可供选择，

including but not limited to 短語搭配

包括但不限于

the apothecaries,

药剂师公会、

the fishmongers,

鱼贩公会、

the masons,

石匠公会、

the mercers,

丝绸商公会、

the scientific instrument makers,

科学仪器制造商公会、

the bankers,

银行家公会、

the shipwrights,

造船匠公会、

the wheelwrights,

车轮匠公会、

the butchers,

屠夫公会、

the bakers,

面包师公会、

two different candlestick makers,

两个不同的烛台制造商公会，

and the most exciting of all,

以及其中最令人兴奋的，

the chartered accountants.

特许会计师公会。

Many of these guilds,

其中许多行会，

like the fletchers,

像制箭师公会一样，

have become charities,

已经变成了慈善机构，

but some are still active,

但有些依然活跃，

such as the goldsmiths who test the quality of British coinage

例如测试英国硬币质量的金匠公会，

and the hackney carriage drivers

以及负责发放出租车司机执照的

who license taxi drivers.

计程车司机公会。

To join one of these guilds,

要加入这些行会之一，

you'll either need to meet the professional requirements

你要么需要满足其职业要求，

or for the charities,

要么如果是像服饰用品商公会这样的

like the haberdashers,

慈善机构，

you'll need the approval of two existing members.

你需要两名现有成员的批准。

If you meet none of the livery companies membership requirements

如果你不满足任何同业公会的会员要求，

but you think you'll be a clever clogs 習語

但自作聪明

and start your own livery company

想要创立你自己的同业公会

and grant yourself freeman status,

并授予自己自由民身份的话，

tough luck because new livery companies 語氣意圖

算你倒霉，因为新的同业公会

need to be approved by,

需要得到以下机构的批准：

you guessed it, 語氣意圖

你猜对了，

the Court of Aldermen.

就是参事法庭。

But let's assume one way or another, 習語

但我们假设无论通过何种方式，

you get the official freeman status certificate.

你获得了官方的自由民身份证书。

Now you can finally run for alderman of a ward

现在你终于可以竞选某个选区的参事了，

after the Lord Chancellor's Advisory Committee

在大法官咨询委员会

also approves of you.

也批准你之后。

But that small barrier passed, 語法

只要跨过这个小障碍，

you can win election as alderman

你就可以赢得参事的选举，

in either one of the four wards

要么是在4个

where people live

有人居住的选区，

or the 21 wards

要么是在21个

where companies live.

公司所在的选区。

Once on the Court of Aldermen, 語法

一旦进入参事法庭，

to continue your path to the mayor's office in Guildhall,

为了继续通往市政厅市长办公室的道路，

you must now be elected as sheriff.

你现在必须被选为郡长。

But this time,

但这一次，

it's the members of the livery companies

是由同业公会的成员

who pick the sheriffs.

来挑选郡长。

So, if the livery company members elect you as sheriff

所以，如果同业公会成员选你为郡长，

after you have successfully completed your term,

且在你顺利完成任期之后，

then you can finally run for mayor.

你终于可以竞选市长了。

But surprisingly,

但令人惊讶的是，

residents of the City of London don't vote for the mayor.

伦敦城的居民并不投票选市长。

Our old friends on the Court of Aldermen do. 表達脈絡

而是由我们在参事法庭的老朋友们来选。

So, in summary, 表達脈絡

所以，总结一下，

once you get your freeman status

一旦你获得了自由民身份，

from either the Court of Aldermen

无论是从参事法庭

or the livery companies

还是同业公会那里获得，

and after your ward elects you as alderman

并且在你的选区选你为参事之后，

and then the livery companies elect you as sheriff

然后同业公会选你为郡长，

and after your term as sheriff ends

并在你郡长任期结束，

but while you're still on the Court of Aldermen,

但你仍在参事法庭任职时，

then you can run for mayor.

你就可以竞选市长了。

And assuming the other aldermen select you,

假设其他参事推选了你，

you can finally take your place

你最终就可以就任

as the Right Honorable the Lord Mayor of London

尊敬的伦敦城市长，

for one year with no salary.

任期一年，没有薪水。

And you have to cover your own expenses, 短語搭配

并且你必须承担自己的开销，

which will be quite considerable

这将是一笔相当可观的数目，

as your new job consists mostly of making 短語搭配

因为你的新工作主要包括

hundreds of speeches a year

每年发表数百场演讲，

around the world promoting city business.

在世界各地促进城市的商业发展。

But you do get that fancy hat,

但你确实得到了那顶花哨的帽子，

which just might make it all worthwhile. 短語搭配

这也许让这一切都显得物有所值。