德国 欧洲地界默认的领袖

Germans think any plan that is put on paper should be executed — which is why the country’s approach to government strategy has been a strong preference for not writing things down at all. So a report published yesterday in which the German foreign ministry reviews its own guiding principles represents a break with usual practice. It is as though, while hurtling towards a tornado, the pilot and crew of an airliner decided to rewrite their operating manual, publish it and invite comments from peers.

德国人认为，只要是写在纸上的计划就应该执行。这就是该国一直强烈倾向于根本不把政府战略方针写下来的原因。因此，德国最近发表的一份报告可以说是一反常态。在报告中，德国外交部对其外交政策指导原则进行了评估。这就好像在飞机冲向龙卷风时，飞行员和机组人员决定修改操作手册并将其公布出来，同时邀请同业置评。

Germany has become the pivotal power of Europe, with Berlin as the EU’s crisis management centre. It was not planned this way. When Chancellor Angela Merkel’s grand coalition took office in December 2013, Europe’s sovereign debt crisis was in abeyance and Ukraine was an obscure, faraway land.

德国已成为欧洲的中坚力量，柏林是欧盟(EU)危机管理中心。但这并非计划之中的事情。在德国总理安格拉•默克尔(Angela Merkel)领导的大联合政府于2013年12月上台时，欧洲主权债务危机暂时告一段落，而乌克兰还是一个不起眼的遥远国度。

These days Berlin is often harangued for not doing enough to counter the problems of the day: the eurozone’s stagnant economy; Britain’s drift away from continental europe; the adventures of President Vladimir Putin’s Russia.

如今，德国经常被指责没有采取有力措施解决当下的问题：欧元区经济陷入停滞；英国与欧洲大陆渐行渐远；弗拉基米尔•普京(Vladimir Putin)领导的俄罗斯展开冒险行动。

The recent turbulence had barely begun when Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the foreign minister, set in motion a year-long process designed to be a model of transparency, deference to outside opinion and democratic inclusiveness. It involved town hall meetings across the country and an internal review. Officials also commissioned expert views (I was among those asked to contribute).

当德国外交部长弗兰克-沃尔特•施泰因迈尔(Frank-Walter Steinmeier)启动为期一年的评估程序，力求在透明度、尊重外界意见以及民主包容方面树立一个典范时，近期的动荡几乎还没有开始。这项行动包括全国各地的市政厅会议和内部评估。政府官员们还委托专家发表意见（我是受邀发表意见的人士之一）。