全通翻譯/翻譯社

Mud-slinging is nothing new in politics, but a no-holds-barred election campaign in Australia has sunk standards to depths seldom seen before.

惡意抹黑對手在政壇絕非新鮮事，但澳洲國會大選期間這種無底線的政治攻訐，卻已把標準降到過去罕見的程度。

After a week of headlines filled with sexual innuendo and squalid attacks, The Australian Financial Review harrumphed："We deserve better than this."

在各報連續一週刊出充斥著性暗示與骯髒攻擊的頭條新聞後，「澳洲金融評論報」不滿地表示：「我們不該受到這種待遇。」

Voters are used to colourful language Down Under, where a high tolerance for intolerance abounds. Now Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s unflinching determination to go down fighting against Tony Abbott’s cocky conservatives has the chattering classes howling at the dire level of discourse.

澳洲選民早已習慣政客用語粗俗，對於褊狹觀點的容忍度也普遍較高。但現任總理吉拉德毫不畏縮地決心與由亞伯特所領導的自大保守派陣營對戰，卻讓自由派中產階級對政壇言論的低水準發出怒吼。

Some had hoped that the arrival of Australia’s first female leader would help to drain the swamp of debate, political analysts noted. Fat chance, judging by recent events.

政治分析家表示，有些選民曾希望澳洲出現首位女總理有助於清理辯論泥沼。但從最近的新聞看來，這恐怕是痴人說夢。

"It’s always possible for Australian political debate to get even sillier. But these are surely new lows in stupidity," said Review columnist Jennifer Hewett. （AFP）

「金融評論報」專欄作家休伊特表示，「澳洲的政治辯論雖然一直都有可能變得更可笑，但這些（新聞）顯然已創下愚蠢的新低點。」（法新社）

新聞辭典

mud-slinging：不可數名詞，非正式用法，指惡意公開攻擊、抹黑某人或揭其瘡疤以破壞其名聲，如Politicians nowadays seem to rely on mud-slinging instead of argument.（現在的政客似乎全靠政治抹黑而非政治主張來立足。）

harrumph：動詞，原指大聲清喉嚨，非正式用法亦指發出哼聲、表示不同意某事，如They stood around harrumphing about the current state of politics.（他們轉來轉去，對政治現況表達不滿。）

the chattering classes：名詞，英國用語，帶有負面意味，指受過良好教育、喜歡對政治、文化與社會等議題高談闊論的自由派中產階級，如the politically correct voice of the chattering classes（自由派中產階級的政治正確聲浪）。

資料來源 http://iservice.libertytimes.com.tw/Service/english/english.php?engno=696452&day=2013-07-14