英国下议院长约翰·伯考 | 辞去议长一职演讲

I would like to make a personal statement to the House. At the 2017 election I promised my wife and children, that it would be my last. This is a pledge that I intend to keep.

各位同僚：我想发表一份个人声明。2017年大选时，我便向妻儿承诺，这是我最后一次竞选议长。如今，我将遵守这一诺言。

If the House votes tonight for an early General Election, my tenure as Speaker and MP will end when this Parliament ends. If the House does not so vote, I have concluded that, the least disruptive and most democratic course of action would be for me stand down at the close of business on Thursday, 31 October.

若下议院今晚投票表决，支持提前大选，那我作为议长及议员的职责，将随本届议会的终止而结束。若投票结果反之，我已得出结论，秉持让负面影响最小化、民主精神最大化的原则，我将于10月31日周四结束工作后，正式卸任。

Least disruptive because that date will fall shortly after the votes on the Queen's speech, expected on 21 and 22 October. The week also after that may be quite lively, and it would be best to have an experienced figure in the Chair for that short period.

之所以说负面影响最小，是因为该日期，就在女王议会开幕演讲后不久，预期10月21日或22日。且接下来那一周，辩论可能较为激烈，由一位经验丰富的议长，在短时期内主持议事大局，或许是最佳选择。 

Most democratic, because it will mean that a ballot is held when all Members have some knowledge of the candidates. This is far preferable to a contest at the beginning of a Parliament when new MPs will not be similarly informed, and may find themselves vulnerable to undue institutional influence. We would not want anyone to be whipped senseless, would we?

之所以说，民主精神最大化，是因为，在议员对议长候选人了解更为深入后，再进行投票选举，这比在议会开幕之初便进行议长选举，要更为可取。因为新上任的议员并不清楚状况，也更容易受到过多的制度性影响。我们都不希望议员收到投票指令，被党鞭左右，对吧？

Throughout my time as Speaker, I have sought to increase the relative authority of this legislature, for which I will make absolutely no apology to anyone, anywhere, at any time. To deploy a perhaps dangerous phrase, I have also sought to be the backbencher's backstop.

在我任职议长期间，我一直竭尽所能，强化这一立法机构的权威性。对此，我心中无愧，无悔。无论何时何地，对何人何事，我都坦坦荡荡。说句可能有些危险的话，我一直致力于成为后排议员的“坚强后盾”。

I could not do so without the support of a small but superb team in Speaker's House, the wider House staff, my Buckingham constituents, and above all my wife, Sally, and our three children, Oliver, Freddy and Jemima.

 我之所以能做到这一切，首先要归功于议长背后团队强有力的支持，还有下议院全体员工，和白金汉区所有选民。尤其要感谢我的妻子萨莉，还有我们的三个孩子，奥利弗、弗雷迪和杰迈玛。

From the bottom of my heart, I thank them all profusely. I could also not have served without the repeated support of this House, and its Members past and present. This is a wonderful place filled overwhelmingly by people, who are motivated by their notion of the national interest by their perception of the public good, and by their duty, not as delegates, but as representatives, to do what they believe is right for our country.

我要发自肺腑地对他们的支持，表示深深感激。此外，我还要感谢下议院长期以来支持我的各位议员，无论是前任议员，还是现任议员。这个伟大的地方，聚集着一群伟大的人。他们怀揣着对国家的使命感来到这里，为国家利益和公共福祉殚精竭虑。他们并非作为会议代表，履行职责；而是作为人民代表，践行着有益于国家的行动。

We degrade this Parliament at our peril. I have served as a Member of Parliament for 22 years, and for the last 10 as Speaker. This has been, let me put it explicitly, the greatest privilege and honour of my professional life, for which I will be eternally grateful. I wish my successor in the Chair the very best fortune, in standing up for the rights of Hon. and Right Hon. Members individually and for Parliament institutionally as the Speaker of the House of Commons. Thank you.

任意剥夺议会尊严，这是极其危险的。我任下议院议员已有22年，近10年来一直担任议长。我发自肺腑地说一句，这是我职业生涯中，无上的荣光，至上的荣耀。我会毕生心怀感恩。  希望我的继任者，未来一切顺利。望其作为下议院议长，坚定捍卫每一位议员的权利，坚定捍卫议会的权威与尊严。谢谢。