Senate’s 9/11 vote raises heat on Saudis

美国参议院高票推翻奥巴马对9/11法案否决

2016年9月29日 06:15

《金融时报》

The US Senate voted overwhelmingly[压倒性地] yesterday to override a presidential veto[推翻总统的否决] on a bill that would allow the families of 9/11 victims to sue Saudi Arabia[沙特阿拉伯].

美国参议院昨日以压倒性多数投票推翻总统对一项法案的否决，该法案将允许9/11遇难者家属起诉沙特阿拉伯。

The legislation is part of a potential sea change[1] in the kingdom’s relationships with the west over its alleged connection to religious extremism and its conduct of the war in Yemen.

这项立法是沙特与西方关系潜在发生巨变的一部分，焦点是沙特与宗教极端主义据称存在的联系，以及该国在也门的战争行为。

Despite fierce last-minute lobbying[2] by the Obama administration and the Saudi embassy in Washington, the Senate voted 97-1 to support the bill, which Barack Obama vetoed[否决;禁止] last week.

尽管奥巴马政府和沙特驻华盛顿大使馆进行了最后时刻的大力游说，但参议院仍以97票对1票支持上周被奥巴马否决的这项法案。

If the House of Representatives[众议院] also passes the bill again this week by more than two-thirds, as it is expected to do, it will represent both the first override of a veto in this administration and a striking rebuke[惊人/异乎寻常的斥责] of the Saudis who once demanded strong loyalty in Washington.

如果众议院像各方预期的那样，本周也以超过三分之二的票数再次通过该法案，那将标志着奥巴马政府首次遭遇总统否决被推翻，此举也将是对沙特极不客气的斥责；而沙特一度要求华盛顿铁杆支持。

While Riyadh[利雅得(沙特阿拉伯首都)] is still considered by the US and British governments as a critical partner in counter-terrorism operations and in the fight against Isis, the Saudis are having to adjust to a more openly critical political mood in many capitals.

尽管利雅得方面仍被美国和英国政府视为反恐行动和打击“伊拉克和黎凡特伊斯兰国”(ISIS)的关键伙伴，但沙特正不得不适应许多国家首都更加公开批评的政治情绪。

“We have begged them to be better about targeting [in air strikes in Yemen]. We have told them the targets not to hit and they have not listened,” said Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat. “I would absolutely argue that we should be sending messages to the Saudis that our support for them is conditional.”

“我方曾经恳求他们在空袭也门时把目标搞搞清楚。我方告诉他们哪些目标不该轰炸，他们却什么都不听，”民主党参议员克里斯•墨菲(Chris Murphy)表示。“我绝对认为，我们应该向沙特方面发出一个信息，我方对他们的支持是有条件的。”

US analysts say rising Sunni militancy in Yemen, fuelled by Saudi Arabia’s involvement in the war, is feeding anti-Saudi sentiment[反沙特情绪] in Washington.

美国分析人士表示，沙特参战助燃的也门逊尼派武装组织不断壮大，正在推动华盛顿的反沙特情绪。

“Some in the Senate are looking at ways of linking problematic elements of the Saudi campaign in Yemen with 9/11 to create a larger narrative[3] that Saudi is an ally that we need to look into,” said Andrew Bowen, a fellow at the Wilson Center’s Middle East programme.

“一些参议员正在设法把沙特在也门发起的战役中一些有问题的地方与9/11挂钩，以制造一个更大的口实，说明沙特是我们需要反思的一个盟友，”华盛顿智库威尔逊中心(Wilson Center)的中东项目研究员安德鲁•鲍恩(Andrew Bowen)表示。

Yesterday’s vote was an important test of the political climate facing the Saudis, with the Senate deciding to override a veto by President Barack Obama of the 9/11 bill that had passed both houses of Congress unanimously[全体一致地;无异议地].

昨天的投票是对沙特面临的政治气候的重要考验，结果是参议院决定推翻巴拉克•奥巴马(Barack Obama)总统对国会两院此前一致通过的9/11法案的否决。

The bill allows the courts to waive[4] claims to foreign sovereign immunity[外国主权豁免原则] in cases involving terrorist acts on US soil. It is rooted in the suspicion that Saudi government officials gave assistance to the 9/11 hijackers while they were in the US, a sentiment that remains strong in the US Congress.

该法案允许法院在涉及发生在美国本土的恐怖行为的案件中放弃外国主权豁免主张。它植根于这样一种怀疑，即当年沙特政府官员在9/11劫机者在美国期间曾给予他们协助；这种怀疑情绪在美国国会依然强烈。

“There is a directly proportional relationship between the amount of Saudi and Wahhabi money that goes into parts of the globe and the success of terrorist recruiters,” said Mr Murphy.

“在沙特和瓦哈比派（伊斯兰教逊尼宗的一脉，在教义上极端保守——译者注）向世界某地输送的资金数额与恐怖份子招募者在当地的成功之间，存在着直接的比例关系，”参议员墨菲表示。

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[1]sea change：a complete change 彻底变化

There will have to be a sea change in people's attitudes if public transport is ever to replace the private car.

要想使公共交通有一天取代私家车，人们的观念必须彻底改变。

[2]lobby：to try to persuade a politician, the government, or an official group that a particular thing should or should not happen, or that a law should be changed 游说，试图说服（政客、政府或官方团体）

Small businesses have lobbied hard for/against changes in the tax laws.

小公司极力游说支持／反对修改税法。

Local residents lobbied to have the factory shut down.

当地居民极力要求关闭该工厂。

They have been lobbying Congress to change the legislation concerning guns.

他们一直在游说国会修改涉枪法律。

[3]narrative：a story or a description of a series of events 故事；叙述

It's a moving narrative of wartime adventure.

这是对战时经历的感人描述。

a first-person/third-person narrative

a gripping/compelling narrative

[4]waive：to not demand something you have a right to, or not cause a rule to be obeyed 放弃（权利）；不遵守（规则）

The bank manager waived the charge (= said we didn't have to pay), as we were old and valued customers.

那位银行经理没有收取我们的费用，因为我们是尊贵的老顾客。

If they waive (= remove) the time limit, many more applications will come in.

假如政府取消时间限制，那么就会收到多得多的申请。

He persuaded the delegates to waive (= give up) their objections.

他说服代表们不再反对。

[5]本文来源《金融时报》：http://t.cn/RcgV2OO

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