社评：美“民主”峰会亵渎民主|US Making Mockery of Democracy

社评：美“民主”峰会亵渎民主|US Making Mockery of Democracy

Arguments can always be found to turn desire into policy. For politicians in Washington, when it comes to foreign policy, the arguments generally boil down tothe trigger word "democracy".

把欲望作政策的论调屡见不鲜。对于华盛顿的政客来说，凡涉及外交政策，争论通常汇聚到“民主”一词。

Democracy is a word whose meaning has been distorted and tarnished by the United States. Although the US tosses the word around like confetti, it uses the term most frequently as a pretext to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries.

民主一词的含义早已被美国歪曲和玷污。美国大张旗鼓、四处宣扬所谓的民主，实则“挂羊头卖狗肉”，以此为借口干涉他国内政。

The true meaning of the word is immaterial for politicians in Washington, who believe that it only makes sense when employed to push the country's international agenda.

对华盛顿的政客来说，民主的真正含义并不重要。在他们眼中，这个词只有在被用于推动本国国际议程设置时才有意义。

Given what the US has done all over the world in the name of democracy, it has made a mockery of its claim to champion that cause.

美国在世界各地打着“民主”旗号的胡作非为已亵渎了其捍卫民主事业的主张。

Of the 258 military conflicts in 153 regions and countries since the end of World War II until 2001, 201 were launched by the US. Its invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 and its occupation of the country for 20 years plunged that country into an abyss of misery and poverty. Its invasion of Iraq in the name of fighting terrorism and spreading democracy resulted in chaos in the country and the rise of the Islamic State terrorist group.

自二战结束至2001年，153个地区和国家共发生258起军事冲突，其中201起由美国牵头。美方2001年入侵阿富汗，占领该国20年，使阿富汗深陷苦难、坠入贫困的深渊；以打击恐怖主义和传播民主的名义侵占伊拉克，导致该国民不聊生、伊斯兰国恐怖组织崛起。

Its interference in the internal affairs of other countries in various forms under the banner of democracy has led to only armed conflict or political chaos.

美方打着民主的旗号以各种形式干涉别国内政，只会造成武装冲突或致使政治混乱。

The US claims these actions are to promote democracy, but none of them have promoted the development of democracy in any country. Instead, they have been the habitual saboteur of peace and stability around the world.

美国声称，这些行动是为了促进民主，但没有哪项行动真的促进了哪个国家民主的发展。相反，美国一直是破坏世界和平与稳定的惯犯。

Now the Joe Biden administration has freshened up this dog and pony show by convening a virtual meeting later this month in the name of democracy.

本月末，美方又大谈民主，召开虚拟会议，老戏新唱。

By inviting countries or political entities it likes and excluding those it dislikes from the virtual Summit for Democracy the US president will host on Dec 9-10, the US administration is drawing an ideological line as it did during the Cold War.

2021年12月9日至10日，美国总统即将主办虚拟民主峰会。美国政府只依本国喜好邀请他国与会，而把其余国家拒之门外。不难看出，美国政府又在盘算着划定出意识形态界线，重蹈冷战覆辙。

It is not difficult to see the trick the US is playing, and many countries have expressed their dismay at what the US is trying to do.

美国的花招昭然若揭。许多国家早已对美方的种种行径大失所望。

The globalized world with peace and development as the mainstay makes this meeting an anachronism.

当今世界以和平与发展为主旋律，这次会议并不合时宜。

Convening such a gathering to consolidate its hegemonic position simply reinforces the fact that the US is not qualified to be the champion of democracy.

召开如此会议巩固霸权地位只会强化一个事实——美国没有资格做民主的捍卫者。

重点词汇：

tarnish

英[ˈtɑːnɪʃ]；美[ˈtɑːrnɪʃ]  

v. 玷污；（使）失去光泽；损坏（名声等）

n. （金属表面上的）暗锈

pretext

英 [ˈpriːtekst]；美[ˈpriːtekst]  

n. 借口；托词

abyss

英 [əˈbɪs]；美[əˈbɪs]  

n. 深渊

saboteur

英 [ˌsæbəˈtɜː(r)]；美[ˌsæbəˈtɜːr]  

n. 破坏者；（为防止敌方利用或为表示抗议的）蓄意破坏者；阴谋破坏者

anachronism

英 [əˈnækrənɪzəm]；美[əˈnækrənɪzəm]  

n. 不合时宜；过时的人（或风俗、思想）