当地时间1月31日晚上11点,经历了三年多的起起伏伏之后,英国与欧盟终于结束了47年的伙伴关系……
当晚10点,首相鲍里斯·约翰逊(Boris Johnson)提前录制的视频发布,把“脱欧”称作“新的曙光”(new dawn)。
支持脱欧派、反对脱欧派,在这一天都举行了游行、庆典以及烛光守夜活动。
Brexit supporters react during the Leave Means Leave Brexit Celebration in Parliament Square in central London on Jan 31, 2020. [Photo/Agencies]
三年,三任首相,数不清的辩论和投票,英国脱欧走到这一天,实属不易。
双语君(微信ID:Chinadaily_Mobile)特意整理了150秒精华小视频,带你回顾脱欧以来的关键时间点。
法律上,1月31日成为了英国的正式“脱欧日”,但这并不是脱欧大戏的“全剧终”。
That's because the UK will immediately enter an 11-month period, known as the transition, that will keep the UK bound to the EU's rules.
这是因为英国将立即进入长达11个月的过渡期,在这期间英国依旧受到欧盟法律的约束。
这意味着,在过渡期结束之前,大多数事情都将保持不变。这包括:
►Travelling to and from the EU (including the rules around driving licences and pet passports)
往返欧盟(包括有关驾照和宠物护照的规定)
►Freedom of movement (the right to live and work in the EU and vice versa)
人员自由流动(英国公民可以在欧盟成员国居住和工作,反之亦然)
►UK-EU trade, which will continue without any extra charges or checks being introduced
英欧贸易将继续,不会产生任何额外费用或者检查
中国日报欧洲分社的编辑朱利安大叔,引用丘吉尔(Winston Churchill)的名言来描述当前英国脱欧的状况,再适合不过——
Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.
这并不是结束,甚至连结束的开始都算不上。但这,也许是开始的结束。
虽然英国的社会生活短期内不会有太大变化,不过在“脱欧日”这天,大家还是颇具仪式感地“强行纪念”了一波。
首先是“脱欧”纪念硬币——
Photo:Xinhua
about three million commemorative 50p Brexit coins bearing the date "31 January" and the inscription: "Peace, prosperity and friendship with all nations", will enter circulation on Friday.
1月24日,大约300万枚面值50便士的“脱欧”纪念币将会进入市场流通,上面刻有“1月31日”,以及题词:“和平、繁荣、友谊万邦”。
The government had planned to introduce a similar coin on 31 October, the date Brexit was previously meant to happen.
政府原计划在去年10月31日推出类似的硬币,那天是英国原本打算脱欧的日子。
However, those coins had to be melted down and recycled after the deadline was extended.
然而,当时那些硬币不得不都被融化重造,因为“脱欧日”推迟了。
此外,英国将重新启用蓝金配色的护照封面。
A handout photograph shows the original 'blue' British passport, which was subsequently replaced by the burgundy EU British passport, supplied by the UK government in London, Britain, March 22, 2018. UK Government/Handout via Reuters/File Photo
标志性的蓝金配色护照封面首次于1921年启用,但在1988年,蓝金配色被欧盟的深紫红色取代。
时间一长,同是英国护照也有了高低贵贱之分,蓝金配色的护照一拿出手,其悠久的历史不言而喻,同时也象征着护照主人的见多识广。相比之下,深紫红色的欧盟统一色便显得没那么特别。
如今因为脱欧,蓝金配色回归,不知道多少年后深紫红色的英国护照会不会反而会成为英欧之间这场分手大戏的历史见证者。
过渡期正式开始,“贸易谈判”将是接下来的关键词。英国将能够开始与世界各国讨论制定买卖商品和服务的新规则。
It has not been allowed to hold formal trade negotiations with countries like the US and Australia while it remained an EU member. Brexit supporters argue that having the freedom to set its own trade policy will boost the UK's economy.
当英国还是欧盟成员国时,它被禁止与美国和澳大利亚等国家举行正式的贸易谈判。脱欧支持者们认为,脱欧后英国拥有制定自己贸易政策的自由,这将促进国家经济发展。
There's also a lot to be discussed with the EU. Agreeing a UK-EU trade deal is a top priority, so extra charges on goods and other trade barriers aren't needed when the transition ends.
英欧之间也还有很多需要讨论的细节。达成一项英欧协议是重中之重,如此才能够在过渡期结束的时候不产生对商品的额外收费和其他贸易壁垒。
If any trade deals are reached, they won't be able to start until the transition period ends.
任何达成的贸易协议,只能够在过渡期结束之后生效。
英国跌宕起伏的脱欧之路行进到此时,开弓已没有回头箭。接下来的贸易谈判,才是对英国脱离欧盟大家庭之后的真正考验。约翰逊能否带领自己的国家迎来“新的黎明”?我们拭目以待。