又中又英｜A mercurial leader

Donald Trump has roiled global politics even before he is sworn in as America’s next president on January 20. The word “roil” has many meanings. If someone roils another person, it means that person makes the other person very angry. If a storm roils the ocean, it means the storm makes the ocean waters move quickly in a rough and twisting way. To roil global politics means to destabilize or disturb global politics. Trump roiled global politics with threats to take back control of the Panama Canal, buy or invade Greenland, and to use economic pressure to make Canada the 51st US state.

Trump is a mercurial leader. A mercurial leader is an unpredictable leader whose mood or behavior changes very quickly. The leaders of Panama, Greenland, and Canada have made clear they will not bow to Trump’s threats. Panama’s president said the canal belongs to Panama, not the US. Greenland is a part of Denmark but has a high degree of autonomy. The leaders of Denmark and Greenland brushed off Trump’s threat and said Greenland is not for sale. To brush off used this way means to bluntly reject or dismiss something or someone.

Canada’s outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was even more blunt in rejecting Trump’s threat to make his country the 51st US state. He said there “isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell” that Canada would become part of the US. If there isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell of something happening, it means there is absolutely no possibility it will happen. I cannot see the US invading Panama or Greenland or forcing Canada to become part of the US.

唐纳德‧特朗普在1月20日宣誓就任美国下任总统之前，已经搅浑了全球政局（roiled global politics）。Roil一字有许多意思，若某人 roils另一人，意即他触怒了另一个人，令其非常愤怒；若是 a storm roils the ocean，意即风暴令海水翻腾、波涛汹涌。To roil global politics则是去搅动或扰乱全球的政治。特朗普威胁要重夺巴拿马运河的控制权，买回或入侵格陵兰岛，以及用经济压力迫使加拿大成为美国第51个州，在在搅乱了全球的政局（roiled global politics）。

特朗普是个 mercurial leader——a mercurial leader是一个心情或行为易变、反覆无常的领袖。巴拿马、格陵兰岛以及加拿大的领袖纷纷表明，他们不会向特朗普的威胁屈服。巴拿马的总统说，运河是属于巴拿马的，不是美国的。格陵兰岛是丹麦的一部分，但有高度自治权。丹麦和格陵兰岛的领袖都断然拒绝（brushed off）特朗普的威胁，说格陵兰是非卖品。To brush off在这里是指断然拒绝或不搭理某人或某事。

即将卸任的加拿大总理贾斯汀‧杜鲁多拒绝特朗普威胁将他的国家成为美国第51州时，更为直率，他说加拿大要成为美国的一部分，there “isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell”。要是there isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell of something happening，意即事情会发生的机会为零，就如在地狱里不可能出现雪球一样。我不觉得美国会攻下巴拿马或格陵兰岛，又或强逼加拿大归入美国国土。

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Michael Chugani褚简宁
中译：七刻