英國退休首相該怎樣發揮餘熱
Life expectancy is increasing all over the world.
世界各地的人類預期壽命都在延長。
As a result, so are retirement ages.
其結果是，退休年齡也在延後。
The striking exception: the highest level of British politics.
令人矚目的例外是英國政壇高層人物的卸任年齡。
In the 1800s, most prime ministers were old or exhausted — or both — when they left office.
在19世紀，當英國首相離任時，多數人白髮蒼蒼或是筋疲力盡——或兩者兼有。
That was still the norm for much of last century.
這種情況在上世紀大部分時間仍是常態。
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.
但最近幾十年，我們看到一個又一個領導人在搬家卡車抵達時，要麼正值壯年，要麼認爲自己年富力強。
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.
在數個案例中，他們也正值最具雄心的時候，根本不甘心用對抗性政治生活中的腎上腺素來換取老年政治家的超脫境界。
Now we have David Cameron, the youngest premier since Lord Liverpool, the youngest former prime minister since Lord Rosebery.
現在我們有了戴維•卡梅倫(David Cameron)——自利物浦勳爵(Lord Liverpool)以來最年輕的首相、自羅斯伯裏伯爵(Lord Rosebery)以來最年輕的前首相。
He could well have another quarter-century of active life.
他很可能還有四分之一個世紀的活躍生活。
So how should he spend it?
那麼他該怎麼過呢？
He will start by learning the obvious lessons from his predecessors’ behaviour.
他會先從前輩的行爲汲取明顯教訓。
Poor Ted Heath spent 20 years undermining his own standing.
可憐的特德•希思(Ted Heath)花了20年時間毀掉自己的地位。
Especially in contrast with Harold Wilson’s meretriciousness, there was a pro-Heath case to be made.
尤其是與哈羅德•威爾遜(Harold Wilson)的華而不實相比，當年的希思有一點值得肯定的地方。
For all his faults and misjudgments, this was a man of moral seriousness who strove to do the best for his country.
儘管他有種種不足之處和誤判，但他真的是一個在道德上一絲不苟、爲國家竭盡所能的人。
He then became the incredible sulk, behaving with as much dignity as an overtired four-year-old.
可後來他變成了一個滿腔憤怒的人，表現得就像一個累壞了的4歲孩子，毫無尊嚴。
Margaret Thatcher was watching and, apparently, pitying (how that would have enraged him, to be pitied by her).
瑪格麗特•撒切爾(Margaret Thatcher)看着他，而且顯然在可憐他（竟然被她可憐，這會讓他多麼怒不可遏）。
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.
按理說，接下來她會向全世界展示，應該怎樣昂首告別唐寧街，邁入之後的人生階段。
To be fair to her, she did have a better excuse than Heath; she had been dismissed with a brutal suddenness.
事實遠非如此。說句公道話，撒切爾的藉口比希思更好：她被黨內同僚突然而無情地趕下了臺。
She should not, though, have been in the market for excuses.
儘管如此，她不應該找藉口。
She should not have let herself down.
她不應該辜負自己。
That leads on to Tony Blair — who this week announced that he is closing down an advisory firm from which he has made millions.
隨後就是託尼•布萊爾(Tony Blair)——他不久前宣佈即將關閉一家讓他賺得盆滿鉢滿的諮詢公司。
In one respect, he could have taken over from Thatcher.
在某些方面，他本可以取代撒切爾。
In America, she had been a hero, able to command enormous and justifiable fees for lectures.
在美國，撒切爾曾是英雄，可以理直氣壯地爲演講收取鉅額費用。
Alas, by 2010 the old lioness was fading.
可惜，到了2010年這位年邁的鐵娘子身體漸漸不行了。
The new hero, Mr Blair, was ideally positioned to fill the vacancy.
新英雄布萊爾處於填補這個空缺的理想地位。
To an extent, he did.
在某種程度上，他做到了。
But he was brought low by vanity and greed.
但是虛榮和貪婪令他表現得沒水平。
One can understand why he was tempted to become a Middle East peacemaker — for about five minutes.
人們可以理解他爲何忍不住擔任中東和平特使——持續大約5分鐘。
After that, self-knowledge ought to have kicked in.
在那之後，他應該有自知之明。
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.
你要麼作爲喬治•W•布什(George W Bush)的盟友打伊拉克戰爭，要麼試着給中東帶來和平。
Not both.
兩者不可兼得。
Equally, you can join the board of serious banks whose reputation had survived 2008.
同樣，你可以加入一些大牌銀行（其名譽挺過了2008年）的董事會。
No one would expect you to do that pro bono.
沒人會指望你無償勞動。
You could give advice to respectable foreign governments.
你可以給受人尊敬的外國政府提供諮詢。
You could also write a book.
你還可以寫書。
So there were respectable methods of refreshing the bank account.
所以想刷新銀行賬戶有很多值得尊敬的辦法。
There were also lucrative alternatives.
還有很多賺錢更快的替代選擇。
Once you let respectability go hang, you could decide to sell your services to anyone who would pay well.
一旦你不再考慮體面，你便可以決定向任何出高價者兜售服務。
In cash terms, this worked but there was a terrible price.
以金錢而論，這行得通，但是代價慘重。
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.
在歷屆首相排名中，布萊爾與丟了美國的諾斯勳爵(Lord North)、沒能在上世紀30年代推進重整軍備計劃的斯坦利•鮑德溫(Stanley Baldwin)、以及因蘇伊士運河(Suez)危機而聲名狼藉的安東尼•艾登(Anthony Eden)同在墊底之列。
Indeed, it may be easier to defend them.
的確，爲他們辯護可能更容易些。
What was the point of Mr Blair winding up his ventures.
布萊爾清盤公司的意義何在？他在幾年前就葬送了自己的名譽。
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)也沒能幫他挽回聲譽。
The Hi, guys style is perfectly suited to the shallowness.
嗨，朋友們(Hi, guys)的打招呼風格完美適合淺薄風格。
People who want to make sense of him will read John Chilcot.
想要了解布萊爾的人會去讀約翰•奇爾科特爵士(Sir John Chilcot)的報告。
Mr Blair gives superficiality a bad name.
布萊爾甚至玷污了膚淺一詞。
That could never be said of Gordon Brown.
這些評價不適用於戈登•布朗(Gordon Brown)。
If Mr Blair went to the bad, Mr Brown gives a fair impression of going to the mad.
如果說布萊爾變壞了，那麼布朗很好地詮釋了發瘋。
Heath’s sullenness invited contempt; Mr Brown’s misery arouses sympathy.
希思的陰沉招人蔑視，而布朗的苦惱引人同情。
He is like a great bear who has been struck by lightning.
他就像一頭被閃電擊中的巨熊。
In all this unhappiness and unworthiness, there is one splendid exception.
在所有不快樂和不值得尊敬的首相中，有一個卓越的例外。
Since he lost office, aged only 54, John Major has done everything right.
自從在年僅54歲時卸任以來，約翰•梅傑(John Major)每件事都做得很好。
He watches plenty of cricket.
他常常觀看板球比賽。
He joined the board of the Carlyle Group and gives speeches to worthy audiences.
他加入了美國凱雷集團(Carlyle Group)的董事會，給值得的觀衆做演講。
He also speaks out when he decides it is time to intervene.
當他決定介入時，他也會表態。
When he does so, he always commands headlines and respect.
當他這麼做時，他總是能登上頭條並贏得尊重。
Mr Cameron intends to do likewise in the longer fullness.
比梅傑卸任年齡更小的卡梅倫長遠而言有着類似打算。
In the short run, he means to keep clear of politics, current controversies and, above all, disputes over personalities.
在短期內，他想遠離政治、當前的爭議、尤其是人際爭執。
That is why he left the Commons, where his every movement would have been scrutinised for loyalty or disloyalty to his successor.
這是他退出下議院的原因，他在那裏的一舉一動都會被人置於放大鏡下，看他對繼任者忠誠或不忠。
He wishes Theresa May well and hopes that she achieves all her important goals.
他希望特里薩•梅(Theresa May)一切順利，希望她能實現她所有的重要目標。
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，眼下他能給予的最好幫助就是保持沉默，至少在公共場合三緘其口。
If she phones him for advice, he will give it and tell no one.
如果她打電話向他請教，他會提供建議，並保守祕密。
Mr Cameron has an office in St James’s plus a book to write and is throwing himself into the process.
卡梅倫在聖詹姆斯(St James’s)有一間辦公室，還要寫一本書，目前他已經投入到寫作中了。
That will be the main call on his time in the next few months.
這將是他未來數月的主要任務。
He will also give lectures while involving himself in education and helping good causes, such as the National Citizen Service.
他還將發表演講，參與教育和幫助慈善事業，比如國家公民服務(National Citizen Service)。
Although it seems inconceivable that he will not eventually join the odd City board, he is in no hurry.
儘管他最終很可能會加入倫敦金融城的個別董事會，但是他不着急。
For the foreseeable future he is also likely to be a candidate for major international roles.
在可以預見的未來，他還很可能成爲重大國際角色的候選人。
Above all, Mr Cameron is determined to enjoy himself and his family.
最重要的是，卡梅倫決心要活在當下、享受天倫之樂。
Unlike most premiers — Churchill and Thatcher are obvious instances — there is no personal incompleteness that only political intensity can assuage.
與大多數首相——丘吉爾和撒切爾是最明顯的例子——不同，卡梅倫沒有什麼個人層面的不完整隻有高強度的政治活動才能彌補。
He is always happy in his own skin.
他在個人生活中總是知足常樂。
For him, the glass really is half full, never half empty.
對他來說，玻璃杯真的是半滿，而不是半空的。
In that spirit, he is looking forward not back.
懷着這樣的心情，他向前看而不是回頭看。
Life expectancy is increasing all over the world.
世界各地的人類預期壽命都在延長。
As a result, so are retirement ages.
其結果是，退休年齡也在延後。
The striking exception: the highest level of British politics.
令人矚目的例外是英國政壇高層人物的卸任年齡。
In the 1800s, most prime ministers were old or exhausted — or both — when they left office.
在19世紀，當英國首相離任時，多數人白髮蒼蒼或是筋疲力盡——或兩者兼有。
That was still the norm for much of last century.
這種情況在上世紀大部分時間仍是常態。
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.
但最近幾十年，我們看到一個又一個領導人在搬家卡車抵達時，要麼正值壯年，要麼認爲自己年富力強。
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.
在數個案例中，他們也正值最具雄心的時候，根本不甘心用對抗性政治生活中的腎上腺素來換取老年政治家的超脫境界。
Now we have David Cameron, the youngest premier since Lord Liverpool, the youngest former prime minister since Lord Rosebery.
現在我們有了戴維•卡梅倫(David Cameron)——自利物浦勳爵(Lord Liverpool)以來最年輕的首相、自羅斯伯裏伯爵(Lord Rosebery)以來最年輕的前首相。
He could well have another quarter-century of active life.
他很可能還有四分之一個世紀的活躍生活。
So how should he spend it?
那麼他該怎麼過呢？
He will start by learning the obvious lessons from his predecessors’ behaviour.
他會先從前輩的行爲汲取明顯教訓。
Poor Ted Heath spent 20 years undermining his own standing.
可憐的特德•希思(Ted Heath)花了20年時間毀掉自己的地位。
Especially in contrast with Harold Wilson’s meretriciousness, there was a pro-Heath case to be made.
尤其是與哈羅德•威爾遜(Harold Wilson)的華而不實相比，當年的希思有一點值得肯定的地方。
For all his faults and misjudgments, this was a man of moral seriousness who strove to do the best for his country.
儘管他有種種不足之處和誤判，但他真的是一個在道德上一絲不苟、爲國家竭盡所能的人。
He then became the incredible sulk, behaving with as much dignity as an overtired four-year-old.
可後來他變成了一個滿腔憤怒的人，表現得就像一個累壞了的4歲孩子，毫無尊嚴。
Margaret Thatcher was watching and, apparently, pitying (how that would have enraged him, to be pitied by her).
瑪格麗特•撒切爾(Margaret Thatcher)看着他，而且顯然在可憐他（竟然被她可憐，這會讓他多麼怒不可遏）。
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.
按理說，接下來她會向全世界展示，應該怎樣昂首告別唐寧街，邁入之後的人生階段。
To be fair to her, she did have a better excuse than Heath; she had been dismissed with a brutal suddenness.
事實遠非如此。說句公道話，撒切爾的藉口比希思更好：她被黨內同僚突然而無情地趕下了臺。
She should not, though, have been in the market for excuses.
儘管如此，她不應該找藉口。
She should not have let herself down.
她不應該辜負自己。
That leads on to Tony Blair — who this week announced that he is closing down an advisory firm from which he has made millions.
隨後就是託尼•布萊爾(Tony Blair)——他不久前宣佈即將關閉一家讓他賺得盆滿鉢滿的諮詢公司。
In one respect, he could have taken over from Thatcher.
在某些方面，他本可以取代撒切爾。
In America, she had been a hero, able to command enormous and justifiable fees for lectures.
在美國，撒切爾曾是英雄，可以理直氣壯地爲演講收取鉅額費用。
Alas, by 2010 the old lioness was fading.
可惜，到了2010年這位年邁的鐵娘子身體漸漸不行了。
The new hero, Mr Blair, was ideally positioned to fill the vacancy.
新英雄布萊爾處於填補這個空缺的理想地位。
To an extent, he did.
在某種程度上，他做到了。
But he was brought low by vanity and greed.
但是虛榮和貪婪令他表現得沒水平。
One can understand why he was tempted to become a Middle East peacemaker — for about five minutes.
人們可以理解他爲何忍不住擔任中東和平特使——持續大約5分鐘。
After that, self-knowledge ought to have kicked in.
在那之後，他應該有自知之明。
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.
你要麼作爲喬治•W•布什(George W Bush)的盟友打伊拉克戰爭，要麼試着給中東帶來和平。
Not both.
兩者不可兼得。
Equally, you can join the board of serious banks whose reputation had survived 2008.
同樣，你可以加入一些大牌銀行（其名譽挺過了2008年）的董事會。
No one would expect you to do that pro bono.
沒人會指望你無償勞動。
You could give advice to respectable foreign governments.
你可以給受人尊敬的外國政府提供諮詢。
You could also write a book.
你還可以寫書。
So there were respectable methods of refreshing the bank account.
所以想刷新銀行賬戶有很多值得尊敬的辦法。
There were also lucrative alternatives.
還有很多賺錢更快的替代選擇。
Once you let respectability go hang, you could decide to sell your services to anyone who would pay well.
一旦你不再考慮體面，你便可以決定向任何出高價者兜售服務。
In cash terms, this worked but there was a terrible price.
以金錢而論，這行得通，但是代價慘重。
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.
在歷屆首相排名中，布萊爾與丟了美國的諾斯勳爵(Lord North)、沒能在上世紀30年代推進重整軍備計劃的斯坦利•鮑德溫(Stanley Baldwin)、以及因蘇伊士運河(Suez)危機而聲名狼藉的安東尼•艾登(Anthony Eden)同在墊底之列。
Indeed, it may be easier to defend them.
的確，爲他們辯護可能更容易些。
What was the point of Mr Blair winding up his ventures.
布萊爾清盤公司的意義何在？他在幾年前就葬送了自己的名譽。
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)也沒能幫他挽回聲譽。
The Hi, guys style is perfectly suited to the shallowness.
嗨，朋友們(Hi, guys)的打招呼風格完美適合淺薄風格。
People who want to make sense of him will read John Chilcot.
想要了解布萊爾的人會去讀約翰•奇爾科特爵士(Sir John Chilcot)的報告。
Mr Blair gives superficiality a bad name.
布萊爾甚至玷污了膚淺一詞。
That could never be said of Gordon Brown.
這些評價不適用於戈登•布朗(Gordon Brown)。
If Mr Blair went to the bad, Mr Brown gives a fair impression of going to the mad.
如果說布萊爾變壞了，那麼布朗很好地詮釋了發瘋。
Heath’s sullenness invited contempt; Mr Brown’s misery arouses sympathy.
希思的陰沉招人蔑視，而布朗的苦惱引人同情。
He is like a great bear who has been struck by lightning.
他就像一頭被閃電擊中的巨熊。
In all this unhappiness and unworthiness, there is one splendid exception.
在所有不快樂和不值得尊敬的首相中，有一個卓越的例外。
Since he lost office, aged only 54, John Major has done everything right.
自從在年僅54歲時卸任以來，約翰•梅傑(John Major)每件事都做得很好。
He watches plenty of cricket.
他常常觀看板球比賽。
He joined the board of the Carlyle Group and gives speeches to worthy audiences.
他加入了美國凱雷集團(Carlyle Group)的董事會，給值得的觀衆做演講。
He also speaks out when he decides it is time to intervene.
當他決定介入時，他也會表態。
When he does so, he always commands headlines and respect.
當他這麼做時，他總是能登上頭條並贏得尊重。
Mr Cameron intends to do likewise in the longer fullness.
比梅傑卸任年齡更小的卡梅倫長遠而言有着類似打算。
In the short run, he means to keep clear of politics, current controversies and, above all, disputes over personalities.
在短期內，他想遠離政治、當前的爭議、尤其是人際爭執。
That is why he left the Commons, where his every movement would have been scrutinised for loyalty or disloyalty to his successor.
這是他退出下議院的原因，他在那裏的一舉一動都會被人置於放大鏡下，看他對繼任者忠誠或不忠。
He wishes Theresa May well and hopes that she achieves all her important goals.
他希望特里薩•梅(Theresa May)一切順利，希望她能實現她所有的重要目標。
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，眼下他能給予的最好幫助就是保持沉默，至少在公共場合三緘其口。
If she phones him for advice, he will give it and tell no one.
如果她打電話向他請教，他會提供建議，並保守祕密。
Mr Cameron has an office in St James’s plus a book to write and is throwing himself into the process.
卡梅倫在聖詹姆斯(St James’s)有一間辦公室，還要寫一本書，目前他已經投入到寫作中了。
That will be the main call on his time in the next few months.
這將是他未來數月的主要任務。
He will also give lectures while involving himself in education and helping good causes, such as the National Citizen Service.
他還將發表演講，參與教育和幫助慈善事業，比如國家公民服務(National Citizen Service)。
Although it seems inconceivable that he will not eventually join the odd City board, he is in no hurry.
儘管他最終很可能會加入倫敦金融城的個別董事會，但是他不着急。
For the foreseeable future he is also likely to be a candidate for major international roles.
在可以預見的未來，他還很可能成爲重大國際角色的候選人。
Above all, Mr Cameron is determined to enjoy himself and his family.
最重要的是，卡梅倫決心要活在當下、享受天倫之樂。
Unlike most premiers — Churchill and Thatcher are obvious instances — there is no personal incompleteness that only political intensity can assuage.
與大多數首相——丘吉爾和撒切爾是最明顯的例子——不同，卡梅倫沒有什麼個人層面的不完整隻有高強度的政治活動才能彌補。
He is always happy in his own skin.
他在個人生活中總是知足常樂。
For him, the glass really is half full, never half empty.
對他來說，玻璃杯真的是半滿，而不是半空的。
In that spirit, he is looking forward not back.
懷着這樣的心情，他向前看而不是回頭看。
