掌管倫敦「秘密之城」的秘密市長：英語精讀講義

The City of London is a unique place.

倫敦城是一個獨特的地方。

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

它是一個位於國家之中的國家內的，城市之中的城市，

that runs its government with perhaps

它的政府運作著也許是

the most complicated elections in the world

世界上最複雜的選舉系統，

involving medieval guilds,

牽涉到中世紀的行會、

modern corporations,

現代的企業、

mandatory titles,

強制性的頭銜、

and fancy hats,

以及花俏的帽子，

all of which are connected 文法

所有這些都在這個

in this horrifying org chart.

令人抓狂的組織結構圖中交織在一起。

Why so complicated?

為什麼這麼複雜？

Though the new skyscrapers might make you think 表達脈絡

儘管新建的摩天大樓可能會讓你覺得

the City of London is relatively young,

倫敦城相對年輕，

it's actually the oldest continuous government

它實際上是大不列顛島上

on the island of Great Britain.

現存最古老的、連續運作的政府。

The City of London predates the empire

倫敦城的歷史早於

that Victoria ruled

維多利亞女王統治的大英帝國，

the kingdoms Anne united

早於安妮女王統一的王國，

and the Magna Carta

甚至早於約翰王不情願地簽署的

that John reluctantly signed.

《大憲章》。

While the London which surrounds the city

雖然環繞它的整個倫敦市

only got to electing its first mayor in 2000,

直到2000年才選出首位市長，

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

但統治過倫敦城的市長名單

is almost 700 people long

已經長達近700人，

going back more than a thousand years. 片語動詞

歷史可以追溯到一千多年前。

The City of London's government is so old 文法

倫敦城政府的歷史太過悠久，

that there's no surviving record

以至於沒有任何倖存的紀錄

of exactly when it was born.

能確切說明它誕生於何時。

There are only documents like the Magna Carta

只有像《大憲章》這樣的文件，

which mention the pre-existing powers

提到了倫敦城在當時的那個時間點上

the City of London already had

就已經擁有的

at that point in time.

既有權力。

So, while a government like the United States

因此，雖然像美國這樣的政府

is officially gets its power from the people

在官方上其權力來自於人民，

and Parliament gets its power from the Crown,

英國議會的權力來自於王室，

which in turn gets it from God, 表達脈絡

而王室的權力又來自於上帝，

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

倫敦城的權力則來自遠古時代，

meaning that the city is so old it just is.

意思是這座城市太古老了，它生來就是如此。

And that age brings with it

而這種悠久的歷史也隨之帶來了

unusual and complicated traditions.

異常而複雜的傳統。

The most notable of these, perhaps,

其中最引人注目的，也許就是

is that in City of London elections,

在倫敦城的選舉中，

companies get votes.

公司擁有投票權。

Quite a lot, actually.

實際上，還相當多。

About 3/4 of the votes cast in city elections

在城市選舉的選票中，約有四分之三

are from companies

來自公司，

with the remaining 1/4 from residents.

剩下的四分之一來自居民。

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

其運作方式是，公司規模越大，

the more votes it gets from the City of London.

它從倫敦城獲得的選票就越多。

The companies then give their votes to select employees

然後，這些公司把選票交給選定的員工，

who work but do not live within the city,

這些員工在城內工作但不住在城內，

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

到了選舉時，正是由這些員工進行實際的投票。

The result is that the Common Council,

結果就是參事會，

the bureaucratic beating heart of the City of London, 慣用語

即倫敦城官僚機構的跳動心臟，

has about 20 Common Councilors

擁有大約20名參事會議員

elected by residents of the city

由該城的居民選出，

and about 80 elected by companies of the city.

以及約80名由該城的公司選出。

The reasoning behind this unusual tradition is

這種不同尋常的傳統背後的理由是，

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

倫敦城每住一個人，

43 people commute in every day.

每天就有43個人通勤進來。

In total, that's 300,000 commuters

總共有30萬名通勤者

using city services

使用城市服務，

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

並且他們的就業依賴於倫敦城保持對商業友好。

The man in charge of the Common Council

掌管參事會

and who heads the city's government

並領導城市政府的人，

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

就是尊敬的倫敦城市長（Lord Mayor of London）。

Now, suppose you want to be Lord Mayor.

現在，假設你想成為倫敦城市長。

Surely, just as in that other London,

肯定就像在那個大倫敦市一樣，

all you'll need do is 文法

你只需做到：

A, be a British Commonwealth or EU citizen

A、是英聯邦或歐盟公民，

who has B, lived in the city for a year

且B、在城內居住了一年，

and who C, wins the election.

並且C、贏得了選舉。

Right?

對吧？

No.

不。

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

在倫敦城，這遠遠不夠。

Ready for the qualifications list?

準備好聽資格清單了嗎？

Before you can even run for Lord Mayor, 文法

在你甚至能競選市長之前，

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

你必須先擔任過倫敦城的郡長（Sheriff）。

But before you can be sheriff,

但在你成為郡長之前，

you need to be an alderman. 文化背景

你需要成為一名參事（Alderman）。

What's an alderman?

什麼是參事？

Well, the City of London is divided into 25 wards

倫敦城被劃分為25個選區，

and each ward elects one alderman

每個選區選出一名參事

to represent it on the Court of Aldermen,

在參事法庭（Court of Aldermen）中代表它，

a subsection of the Common Council.

這是參事會的一個下屬部門。

But before you can run for alderman,

但在你能夠競選參事之前，

you need to gain freeman status. 文化背景

你需要獲得自由民身分（freeman status）。

And who gives out freeman status?

那麼誰來授予自由民身分呢？

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

哎呀，正是你

you're trying to get elected to,

試圖競選加入的參事法庭，

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

這看起來似乎構成了利益衝突。

Luckily, there is another way to get freeman status.

幸運的是，還有另一種方法可以獲得自由民身分。

Join one of the city's guilds.

加入該市的一個行會。

Sadly, they aren't called guilds,

遺憾的是，它們不叫行會，

they're called livery companies, 文化背景

它們被稱為同業公會（livery companies），

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

這個名字既更無聊又缺乏描述性，

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

但它們中的許多正是中世紀行會的遺存。

And within the city,

在城市內部，

there are 108 of them to choose from,

有108個公會可供選擇，

including but not limited to 片語搭配

包括但不限於

the apothecaries,

藥劑師公會、

the fishmongers,

魚販公會、

the masons,

石匠公會、

the mercers,

絲綢商公會、

the scientific instrument makers,

科學儀器製造商公會、

the bankers,

銀行家公會、

the shipwrights,

造船匠公會、

the wheelwrights,

車輪匠公會、

the butchers,

屠夫公會、

the bakers,

麵包師公會、

two different candlestick makers,

兩個不同的燭台製造商公會，

and the most exciting of all,

以及其中最令人興奮的，

the chartered accountants.

特許會計師公會。

Many of these guilds,

其中許多行會，

like the fletchers,

像製箭師公會一樣，

have become charities,

已經變成了慈善機構，

but some are still active,

但有些依然活躍，

such as the goldsmiths who test the quality of British coinage

例如測試英國硬幣質量的金匠公會，

and the hackney carriage drivers

以及負責發放計程車司機執照的

who license taxi drivers.

計程車司機公會。

To join one of these guilds,

要加入這些行會之一，

you'll either need to meet the professional requirements

你要麼需要滿足其職業要求，

or for the charities,

要麼如果是像服飾用品商公會這樣的

like the haberdashers,

慈善機構，

you'll need the approval of two existing members.

你需要兩名現有成員的批准。

If you meet none of the livery companies membership requirements

如果你不滿足任何同業公會的會員要求，

but you think you'll be a clever clogs 慣用語

但自作聰明

and start your own livery company

想要創立你自己的同業公會

and grant yourself freeman status,

並授予自己自由民身分的話，

tough luck because new livery companies 語氣意圖

算你倒楣，因為新的同業公會

need to be approved by,

需要得到以下機構的批准：

you guessed it, 語氣意圖

你猜對了，

the Court of Aldermen.

就是參事法庭。

But let's assume one way or another, 慣用語

但我們假設無論通過何種方式，

you get the official freeman status certificate.

你獲得了官方的自由民身分證書。

Now you can finally run for alderman of a ward

現在你終於可以競選某個選區的參事了，

after the Lord Chancellor's Advisory Committee

在大法官諮詢委員會

also approves of you.

也批准你之後。

But that small barrier passed, 文法

只要跨過這個小障礙，

you can win election as alderman

你就可以贏得參事的選舉，

in either one of the four wards

要麼是在4個

where people live

有人居住的選區，

or the 21 wards

要麼是在21個

where companies live.

公司所在的選區。

Once on the Court of Aldermen, 文法

一旦進入參事法庭，

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

為了繼續通往市政廳市長辦公室的道路，

you must now be elected as sheriff.

你現在必須被選為郡長。

But this time,

但這一次，

it's the members of the livery companies

是由同業公會的成員

who pick the sheriffs.

來挑選郡長。

So, if the livery company members elect you as sheriff

所以，如果同業公會成員選你為郡長，

after you have successfully completed your term,

且在你順利完成任期之後，

then you can finally run for mayor.

你終於可以競選市長了。

But surprisingly,

但令人驚訝的是，

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

倫敦城的居民並不投票選市長。

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

而是由我們在參事法庭的老朋友們來選。

So, in summary, 表達脈絡

所以，總結一下，

once you get your freeman status

一旦你獲得了自由民身分，

from either the Court of Aldermen

無論是從參事法庭

or the livery companies

還是同業公會那裡獲得，

and after your ward elects you as alderman

並且在你的選區選你為參事之後，

and then the livery companies elect you as sheriff

然後同業公會選你為郡長，

and after your term as sheriff ends

並在你郡長任期結束，

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

但你仍在參事法庭任職時，

then you can run for mayor.

你就可以競選市長了。

And assuming the other aldermen select you,

假設其他參事推選了你，

you can finally take your place

你最終就可以就任

as the Right Honorable the Lord Mayor of London

尊敬的倫敦城市長，

for one year with no salary.

任期一年，沒有薪水。

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

並且你必須承擔自己的開銷，

which will be quite considerable

這將是一筆相當可觀的數目，

as your new job consists mostly of making 片語搭配

因為你的新工作主要包括

hundreds of speeches a year

每年發表數百場演講，

around the world promoting city business.

在世界各地促進城市的商業發展。

But you do get that fancy hat,

但你確實得到了那頂花俏的帽子，

which just might make it all worthwhile. 片語搭配

這也許讓這一切都顯得物有所值。