英國當(dāng)?shù)貢r間15日晚上7點(diǎn)45分（北京時間16日凌晨3點(diǎn)45分），英國下議院以432票反對、202票支持的結(jié)果，否決了此前英國政府與歐盟達(dá)成的“脫歐”協(xié)議草案。根據(jù)議會下議院此前決定，英國首相特雷莎·梅將在21日前提出新“脫歐”方案，再次提交議會表決。
投票結(jié)果公布后，英國反對黨工黨領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人科爾賓向議會下議院提起對政府的不信任動議。英國議會將對這份動議進(jìn)行辯論和投票。根據(jù)英國政治慣例，一旦議會投票通過對內(nèi)閣的不信任動議，新政府須在14日內(nèi)組成并獲得半數(shù)以上議會下院議員支持，否則英國將提前舉行大選。
疑歐派保守黨議員們認(rèn)為，梅在議會受挫使英國更有可能在沒有任何正式協(xié)議的情況下退出歐盟，從而讓英國與歐盟“干干凈凈地?cái)財(cái)嚓P(guān)系”。特雷莎·梅此前曾警告說，“脫歐”協(xié)議如被否決，英國“不脫歐”的可能性比“無協(xié)議脫歐”的可能性要大，這將給人們對國家的信任帶來“災(zāi)難性傷害”。
本篇課程首發(fā)于@友鄰優(yōu)課 YLYK 2019年1月17日，選自 The Economist Espresso APP

Losing it: the Brexit vote

Brexit /?breks?t, ?bregz?t/: n. 英國脫離歐盟 (British exit or Britain exiting from the EU)

① Theresa May has lost the parliamentary vote on her Brexit deal by 230 votes, the biggest defeat for a ruling party in nearly 100 years.

parliamentary /?pɑ?l??ment?ri, ?pɑ?l??ment?ri/: adj. 議會的; 議員的

② Over 100 Tory MPs voted against her.

MP: 議員 (Member of Parliament)

③ Yet the prime minister is expected to defeat a motion of no confidence today, as neither Tory nor Northern Irish MPs want an early election.

defeat /d??fi?t/: n. 失敗
early election: 提前大選

④ She may go back to the European Union to seek changes to the deal, especially to the Irish backstop that would avert a hard border in Ireland by keeping the whole country in a customs union with the EU.

seek changes: 尋求改變
seek one's advice/help/assistance: 尋求建議/幫助/協(xié)助
backstop /?b?kst?p, ?b?kstɑ?p/: n. 擔(dān)保，后援
avert /??v??t, ??v??rt/: vt. 防止；避免
customs /?k?st?mz/: n. (復(fù)數(shù)) 海關(guān)；關(guān)稅
in union with: 與……聯(lián)合

⑤ Brussels may offer more promises not to use this backstop, but will be reluctant to make bigger changes, because the scale of Mrs May's defeat suggests even a revised deal would fail to win over MPs.

be reluctant/unwilling to do sth.: 勉強(qiáng)/不情愿做某事
scale /ske?l/: n. 規(guī)模；程度
revised /r??va?zd/: adj. 修訂的；改進(jìn)的

win over: 贏得……的支持

⑥ With only 70 days left until Britain is due to leave the EU on March 29th, any outcome is now possible, from a no-deal Brexit to no Brexit at all.

due /dju?, d?u?, du?/: adj. 預(yù)定的；預(yù)期發(fā)生或到達(dá)的
outcome /?a?tk?m/: n. 結(jié)果；后果

▍生詞好句

referendum /?ref??rend?m/: n. 全民公投
Norwegian model: 挪威模式

a ruling party: 執(zhí)政黨
Conservative/Tory Party: 保守黨
Opposition Party: 反對黨
Labour Party: 工黨

be expected/supposed/likely to do sth.: 預(yù)計(jì)/應(yīng)該/可能做某事
a motion of no confidence: 不信任動議
dissolve the Parliament: 解散議會

coalition government: 聯(lián)合政府

▍責(zé)任編輯：高晴、李煥
▍內(nèi)容制作：武志琳、章曉丹