英国退休首相该怎样发挥余热
Life expectancy is increasing all over the world.
世界各地的人类预期寿命都在延长。
As a result, so are retirement ages.
其结果是，退休年龄也在延后。
The striking exception: the highest level of British politics.
令人瞩目的例外是英国政坛高层人物的卸任年龄。
In the 1800s, most prime ministers were old or exhausted — or both — when they left office.
在19世纪，当英国首相离任时，多数人白发苍苍或是筋疲力尽——或两者兼有。
That was still the norm for much of last century.
这种情况在上世纪大部分时间仍是常态。
But in recent decades we have had a succession of leaders who either were or imagined themselves in the prime of life when the removal vans arrived.
但最近几十年，我们看到一个又一个领导人在搬家卡车抵达时，要么正值壮年，要么认为自己年富力强。
In several cases, they were also in the prime of ambition and anything but reconciled to exchanging the adrenalin of adversarial politics for the ermined world of elder statesmanship.
在数个案例中，他们也正值最具雄心的时候，根本不甘心用对抗性政治生活中的肾上腺素来换取老年政治家的超脱境界。
Now we have David Cameron, the youngest premier since Lord Liverpool, the youngest former prime minister since Lord Rosebery.
现在我们有了戴维•卡梅伦(David Cameron)——自利物浦勋爵(Lord Liverpool)以来最年轻的首相、自罗斯伯里伯爵(Lord Rosebery)以来最年轻的前首相。
He could well have another quarter-century of active life.
他很可能还有四分之一个世纪的活跃生活。
So how should he spend it?
那么他该怎么过呢？
He will start by learning the obvious lessons from his predecessors’ behaviour.
他会先从前辈的行为汲取明显教训。
Poor Ted Heath spent 20 years undermining his own standing.
可怜的特德•希思(Ted Heath)花了20年时间毁掉自己的地位。
Especially in contrast with Harold Wilson’s meretriciousness, there was a pro-Heath case to be made.
尤其是与哈罗德•威尔逊(Harold Wilson)的华而不实相比，当年的希思有一点值得肯定的地方。
For all his faults and misjudgments, this was a man of moral seriousness who strove to do the best for his country.
尽管他有种种不足之处和误判，但他真的是一个在道德上一丝不苟、为国家竭尽所能的人。
He then became the incredible sulk, behaving with as much dignity as an overtired four-year-old.
可后来他变成了一个满腔愤怒的人，表现得就像一个累坏了的4岁孩子，毫无尊严。
Margaret Thatcher was watching and, apparently, pitying (how that would have enraged him, to be pitied by her).
玛格丽特•撒切尔(Margaret Thatcher)看着他，而且显然在可怜他（竟然被她可怜，这会让他多么怒不可遏）。
Surely, then, she would show the world how it ought to be done and stride into the post-Downing Street future with her held high? Not a bit of it.
按理说，接下来她会向全世界展示，应该怎样昂首告别唐宁街，迈入之后的人生阶段。
To be fair to her, she did have a better excuse than Heath; she had been dismissed with a brutal suddenness.
事实远非如此。说句公道话，撒切尔的借口比希思更好：她被党内同僚突然而无情地赶下了台。
She should not, though, have been in the market for excuses.
尽管如此，她不应该找借口。
She should not have let herself down.
她不应该辜负自己。
That leads on to Tony Blair — who this week announced that he is closing down an advisory firm from which he has made millions.
随后就是托尼•布莱尔(Tony Blair)——他不久前宣布即将关闭一家让他赚得盆满钵满的咨询公司。
In one respect, he could have taken over from Thatcher.
在某些方面，他本可以取代撒切尔。
In America, she had been a hero, able to command enormous and justifiable fees for lectures.
在美国，撒切尔曾是英雄，可以理直气壮地为演讲收取巨额费用。
Alas, by 2010 the old lioness was fading.
可惜，到了2010年这位年迈的铁娘子身体渐渐不行了。
The new hero, Mr Blair, was ideally positioned to fill the vacancy.
新英雄布莱尔处于填补这个空缺的理想地位。
To an extent, he did.
在某种程度上，他做到了。
But he was brought low by vanity and greed.
但是虚荣和贪婪令他表现得没水平。
One can understand why he was tempted to become a Middle East peacemaker — for about five minutes.
人们可以理解他为何忍不住担任中东和平特使——持续大约5分钟。
After that, self-knowledge ought to have kicked in.
在那之后，他应该有自知之明。
You can fight the Iraq war as an ally of George W Bush or you can try to bring peace to the Muddle [sic] East.
你要么作为乔治•W•布什(George W Bush)的盟友打伊拉克战争，要么试着给中东带来和平。
Not both.
两者不可兼得。
Equally, you can join the board of serious banks whose reputation had survived 2008.
同样，你可以加入一些大牌银行（其名誉挺过了2008年）的董事会。
No one would expect you to do that pro bono.
没人会指望你无偿劳动。
You could give advice to respectable foreign governments.
你可以给受人尊敬的外国政府提供咨询。
You could also write a book.
你还可以写书。
So there were respectable methods of refreshing the bank account.
所以想刷新银行账户有很多值得尊敬的办法。
There were also lucrative alternatives.
还有很多赚钱更快的替代选择。
Once you let respectability go hang, you could decide to sell your services to anyone who would pay well.
一旦你不再考虑体面，你便可以决定向任何出高价者兜售服务。
In cash terms, this worked but there was a terrible price.
以金钱而论，这行得通，但是代价惨重。
In the all-time prime ministerial rankings, Mr Blair is down there with Lord North, who lost America; Stanley Baldwin, who failed to press ahead with rearmament of Britain in the 1930s, and Anthony Eden of the Suez dégringolade.
在历届首相排名中，布莱尔与丢了美国的诺斯勋爵(Lord North)、没能在上世纪30年代推进重整军备计划的斯坦利•鲍德温(Stanley Baldwin)、以及因苏伊士运河(Suez)危机而声名狼藉的安东尼•艾登(Anthony Eden)同在垫底之列。
Indeed, it may be easier to defend them.
的确，为他们辩护可能更容易些。
What was the point of Mr Blair winding up his ventures.
布莱尔清盘公司的意义何在？他在几年前就葬送了自己的名誉。
He wound up his own reputation several years ago. Nor will the 2010 book, A Journey, help him to recover.
即使他在2010年出版的著作《旅程》(A Journey)也没能帮他挽回声誉。
The Hi, guys style is perfectly suited to the shallowness.
嗨，朋友们(Hi, guys)的打招呼风格完美适合浅薄风格。
People who want to make sense of him will read John Chilcot.
想要了解布莱尔的人会去读约翰•奇尔科特爵士(Sir John Chilcot)的报告。
Mr Blair gives superficiality a bad name.
布莱尔甚至玷污了肤浅一词。
That could never be said of Gordon Brown.
这些评价不适用于戈登•布朗(Gordon Brown)。
If Mr Blair went to the bad, Mr Brown gives a fair impression of going to the mad.
如果说布莱尔变坏了，那么布朗很好地诠释了发疯。
Heath’s sullenness invited contempt; Mr Brown’s misery arouses sympathy.
希思的阴沉招人蔑视，而布朗的苦恼引人同情。
He is like a great bear who has been struck by lightning.
他就像一头被闪电击中的巨熊。
In all this unhappiness and unworthiness, there is one splendid exception.
在所有不快乐和不值得尊敬的首相中，有一个卓越的例外。
Since he lost office, aged only 54, John Major has done everything right.
自从在年仅54岁时卸任以来，约翰•梅杰(John Major)每件事都做得很好。
He watches plenty of cricket.
他常常观看板球比赛。
He joined the board of the Carlyle Group and gives speeches to worthy audiences.
他加入了美国凯雷集团(Carlyle Group)的董事会，给值得的观众做演讲。
He also speaks out when he decides it is time to intervene.
当他决定介入时，他也会表态。
When he does so, he always commands headlines and respect.
当他这么做时，他总是能登上头条并赢得尊重。
Mr Cameron intends to do likewise in the longer fullness.
比梅杰卸任年龄更小的卡梅伦长远而言有着类似打算。
In the short run, he means to keep clear of politics, current controversies and, above all, disputes over personalities.
在短期内，他想远离政治、当前的争议、尤其是人际争执。
That is why he left the Commons, where his every movement would have been scrutinised for loyalty or disloyalty to his successor.
这是他退出下议院的原因，他在那里的一举一动都会被人置于放大镜下，看他对继任者忠诚或不忠。
He wishes Theresa May well and hopes that she achieves all her important goals.
他希望特里萨•梅(Theresa May)一切顺利，希望她能实现她所有的重要目标。
But he is certain that, for the time being, the best help he can give is to remain silent, at least in public.
但他肯定，眼下他能给予的最好帮助就是保持沉默，至少在公共场合三缄其口。
If she phones him for advice, he will give it and tell no one.
如果她打电话向他请教，他会提供建议，并保守秘密。
Mr Cameron has an office in St James’s plus a book to write and is throwing himself into the process.
卡梅伦在圣詹姆斯(St James’s)有一间办公室，还要写一本书，目前他已经投入到写作中了。
That will be the main call on his time in the next few months.
这将是他未来数月的主要任务。
He will also give lectures while involving himself in education and helping good causes, such as the National Citizen Service.
他还将发表演讲，参与教育和帮助慈善事业，比如国家公民服务(National Citizen Service)。
Although it seems inconceivable that he will not eventually join the odd City board, he is in no hurry.
尽管他最终很可能会加入伦敦金融城的个别董事会，但是他不着急。
For the foreseeable future he is also likely to be a candidate for major international roles.
在可以预见的未来，他还很可能成为重大国际角色的候选人。
Above all, Mr Cameron is determined to enjoy himself and his family.
最重要的是，卡梅伦决心要活在当下、享受天伦之乐。
Unlike most premiers — Churchill and Thatcher are obvious instances — there is no personal incompleteness that only political intensity can assuage.
与大多数首相——丘吉尔和撒切尔是最明显的例子——不同，卡梅伦没有什么个人层面的不完整只有高强度的政治活动才能弥补。
He is always happy in his own skin.
他在个人生活中总是知足常乐。
For him, the glass really is half full, never half empty.
对他来说，玻璃杯真的是半满，而不是半空的。
In that spirit, he is looking forward not back.
怀着这样的心情，他向前看而不是回头看。
Life expectancy is increasing all over the world.
世界各地的人类预期寿命都在延长。
As a result, so are retirement ages.
其结果是，退休年龄也在延后。
The striking exception: the highest level of British politics.
令人瞩目的例外是英国政坛高层人物的卸任年龄。
In the 1800s, most prime ministers were old or exhausted — or both — when they left office.
在19世纪，当英国首相离任时，多数人白发苍苍或是筋疲力尽——或两者兼有。
That was still the norm for much of last century.
这种情况在上世纪大部分时间仍是常态。
But in recent decades we have had a succession of leaders who either were or imagined themselves in the prime of life when the removal vans arrived.
但最近几十年，我们看到一个又一个领导人在搬家卡车抵达时，要么正值壮年，要么认为自己年富力强。
In several cases, they were also in the prime of ambition and anything but reconciled to exchanging the adrenalin of adversarial politics for the ermined world of elder statesmanship.
在数个案例中，他们也正值最具雄心的时候，根本不甘心用对抗性政治生活中的肾上腺素来换取老年政治家的超脱境界。
Now we have David Cameron, the youngest premier since Lord Liverpool, the youngest former prime minister since Lord Rosebery.
现在我们有了戴维•卡梅伦(David Cameron)——自利物浦勋爵(Lord Liverpool)以来最年轻的首相、自罗斯伯里伯爵(Lord Rosebery)以来最年轻的前首相。
He could well have another quarter-century of active life.
他很可能还有四分之一个世纪的活跃生活。
So how should he spend it?
那么他该怎么过呢？
He will start by learning the obvious lessons from his predecessors’ behaviour.
他会先从前辈的行为汲取明显教训。
Poor Ted Heath spent 20 years undermining his own standing.
可怜的特德•希思(Ted Heath)花了20年时间毁掉自己的地位。
Especially in contrast with Harold Wilson’s meretriciousness, there was a pro-Heath case to be made.
尤其是与哈罗德•威尔逊(Harold Wilson)的华而不实相比，当年的希思有一点值得肯定的地方。
For all his faults and misjudgments, this was a man of moral seriousness who strove to do the best for his country.
尽管他有种种不足之处和误判，但他真的是一个在道德上一丝不苟、为国家竭尽所能的人。
He then became the incredible sulk, behaving with as much dignity as an overtired four-year-old.
可后来他变成了一个满腔愤怒的人，表现得就像一个累坏了的4岁孩子，毫无尊严。
Margaret Thatcher was watching and, apparently, pitying (how that would have enraged him, to be pitied by her).
玛格丽特•撒切尔(Margaret Thatcher)看着他，而且显然在可怜他（竟然被她可怜，这会让他多么怒不可遏）。
Surely, then, she would show the world how it ought to be done and stride into the post-Downing Street future with her held high? Not a bit of it.
按理说，接下来她会向全世界展示，应该怎样昂首告别唐宁街，迈入之后的人生阶段。
To be fair to her, she did have a better excuse than Heath; she had been dismissed with a brutal suddenness.
事实远非如此。说句公道话，撒切尔的借口比希思更好：她被党内同僚突然而无情地赶下了台。
She should not, though, have been in the market for excuses.
尽管如此，她不应该找借口。
She should not have let herself down.
她不应该辜负自己。
That leads on to Tony Blair — who this week announced that he is closing down an advisory firm from which he has made millions.
随后就是托尼•布莱尔(Tony Blair)——他不久前宣布即将关闭一家让他赚得盆满钵满的咨询公司。
In one respect, he could have taken over from Thatcher.
在某些方面，他本可以取代撒切尔。
In America, she had been a hero, able to command enormous and justifiable fees for lectures.
在美国，撒切尔曾是英雄，可以理直气壮地为演讲收取巨额费用。
Alas, by 2010 the old lioness was fading.
可惜，到了2010年这位年迈的铁娘子身体渐渐不行了。
The new hero, Mr Blair, was ideally positioned to fill the vacancy.
新英雄布莱尔处于填补这个空缺的理想地位。
To an extent, he did.
在某种程度上，他做到了。
But he was brought low by vanity and greed.
但是虚荣和贪婪令他表现得没水平。
One can understand why he was tempted to become a Middle East peacemaker — for about five minutes.
人们可以理解他为何忍不住担任中东和平特使——持续大约5分钟。
After that, self-knowledge ought to have kicked in.
在那之后，他应该有自知之明。
You can fight the Iraq war as an ally of George W Bush or you can try to bring peace to the Muddle [sic] East.
你要么作为乔治•W•布什(George W Bush)的盟友打伊拉克战争，要么试着给中东带来和平。
Not both.
两者不可兼得。
Equally, you can join the board of serious banks whose reputation had survived 2008.
同样，你可以加入一些大牌银行（其名誉挺过了2008年）的董事会。
No one would expect you to do that pro bono.
没人会指望你无偿劳动。
You could give advice to respectable foreign governments.
你可以给受人尊敬的外国政府提供咨询。
You could also write a book.
你还可以写书。
So there were respectable methods of refreshing the bank account.
所以想刷新银行账户有很多值得尊敬的办法。
There were also lucrative alternatives.
还有很多赚钱更快的替代选择。
Once you let respectability go hang, you could decide to sell your services to anyone who would pay well.
一旦你不再考虑体面，你便可以决定向任何出高价者兜售服务。
In cash terms, this worked but there was a terrible price.
以金钱而论，这行得通，但是代价惨重。
In the all-time prime ministerial rankings, Mr Blair is down there with Lord North, who lost America; Stanley Baldwin, who failed to press ahead with rearmament of Britain in the 1930s, and Anthony Eden of the Suez dégringolade.
在历届首相排名中，布莱尔与丢了美国的诺斯勋爵(Lord North)、没能在上世纪30年代推进重整军备计划的斯坦利•鲍德温(Stanley Baldwin)、以及因苏伊士运河(Suez)危机而声名狼藉的安东尼•艾登(Anthony Eden)同在垫底之列。
Indeed, it may be easier to defend them.
的确，为他们辩护可能更容易些。
What was the point of Mr Blair winding up his ventures.
布莱尔清盘公司的意义何在？他在几年前就葬送了自己的名誉。
He wound up his own reputation several years ago. Nor will the 2010 book, A Journey, help him to recover.
即使他在2010年出版的著作《旅程》(A Journey)也没能帮他挽回声誉。
The Hi, guys style is perfectly suited to the shallowness.
嗨，朋友们(Hi, guys)的打招呼风格完美适合浅薄风格。
People who want to make sense of him will read John Chilcot.
想要了解布莱尔的人会去读约翰•奇尔科特爵士(Sir John Chilcot)的报告。
Mr Blair gives superficiality a bad name.
布莱尔甚至玷污了肤浅一词。
That could never be said of Gordon Brown.
这些评价不适用于戈登•布朗(Gordon Brown)。
If Mr Blair went to the bad, Mr Brown gives a fair impression of going to the mad.
如果说布莱尔变坏了，那么布朗很好地诠释了发疯。
Heath’s sullenness invited contempt; Mr Brown’s misery arouses sympathy.
希思的阴沉招人蔑视，而布朗的苦恼引人同情。
He is like a great bear who has been struck by lightning.
他就像一头被闪电击中的巨熊。
In all this unhappiness and unworthiness, there is one splendid exception.
在所有不快乐和不值得尊敬的首相中，有一个卓越的例外。
Since he lost office, aged only 54, John Major has done everything right.
自从在年仅54岁时卸任以来，约翰•梅杰(John Major)每件事都做得很好。
He watches plenty of cricket.
他常常观看板球比赛。
He joined the board of the Carlyle Group and gives speeches to worthy audiences.
他加入了美国凯雷集团(Carlyle Group)的董事会，给值得的观众做演讲。
He also speaks out when he decides it is time to intervene.
当他决定介入时，他也会表态。
When he does so, he always commands headlines and respect.
当他这么做时，他总是能登上头条并赢得尊重。
Mr Cameron intends to do likewise in the longer fullness.
比梅杰卸任年龄更小的卡梅伦长远而言有着类似打算。
In the short run, he means to keep clear of politics, current controversies and, above all, disputes over personalities.
在短期内，他想远离政治、当前的争议、尤其是人际争执。
That is why he left the Commons, where his every movement would have been scrutinised for loyalty or disloyalty to his successor.
这是他退出下议院的原因，他在那里的一举一动都会被人置于放大镜下，看他对继任者忠诚或不忠。
He wishes Theresa May well and hopes that she achieves all her important goals.
他希望特里萨•梅(Theresa May)一切顺利，希望她能实现她所有的重要目标。
But he is certain that, for the time being, the best help he can give is to remain silent, at least in public.
但他肯定，眼下他能给予的最好帮助就是保持沉默，至少在公共场合三缄其口。
If she phones him for advice, he will give it and tell no one.
如果她打电话向他请教，他会提供建议，并保守秘密。
Mr Cameron has an office in St James’s plus a book to write and is throwing himself into the process.
卡梅伦在圣詹姆斯(St James’s)有一间办公室，还要写一本书，目前他已经投入到写作中了。
That will be the main call on his time in the next few months.
这将是他未来数月的主要任务。
He will also give lectures while involving himself in education and helping good causes, such as the National Citizen Service.
他还将发表演讲，参与教育和帮助慈善事业，比如国家公民服务(National Citizen Service)。
Although it seems inconceivable that he will not eventually join the odd City board, he is in no hurry.
尽管他最终很可能会加入伦敦金融城的个别董事会，但是他不着急。
For the foreseeable future he is also likely to be a candidate for major international roles.
在可以预见的未来，他还很可能成为重大国际角色的候选人。
Above all, Mr Cameron is determined to enjoy himself and his family.
最重要的是，卡梅伦决心要活在当下、享受天伦之乐。
Unlike most premiers — Churchill and Thatcher are obvious instances — there is no personal incompleteness that only political intensity can assuage.
与大多数首相——丘吉尔和撒切尔是最明显的例子——不同，卡梅伦没有什么个人层面的不完整只有高强度的政治活动才能弥补。
He is always happy in his own skin.
他在个人生活中总是知足常乐。
For him, the glass really is half full, never half empty.
对他来说，玻璃杯真的是半满，而不是半空的。
In that spirit, he is looking forward not back.
怀着这样的心情，他向前看而不是回头看。
