French and Dutch Reject EU Constitution(一)
It's been a momentous week for Europe with the rejection -- in two referendums in France and then the Netherlands -- of the European Union's new constitution. Many EU leaders say the process of ratification should go on until every country has had its say. Others aren't so sure. Ten out of the twenty-five countries have already ratified the constitutional treaty, but the French and the Dutch have shocked Europe's ruling elite. Chris Morris, in Brussels, has been watching the constitution develop since the idea was first born.
I can remember pretty clearly the first TV interview I did from a European summit here in Brussels. It was nearly four years ago, early in the morning, with the temperature below zero, and the Atomium -- one of Belgium's most famous landmarks -- looked like it was growing out of the back of my head.
“This idea that they'll call it a constitution...” the presenter in London said, “Surely that'll never get off the ground...”
I seem to remember that I tried to snort dismissively, but I was too cold to manage much more than a subdued grunt. A European constitution? Do me a favour！All I wanted was a cup of coffee.
Later that day, with the sun finally up, EU leaders launched the great consultative process that was to dominate much of my time here in Brussels. First a convention, to talk about lofty aims, legislative details and lengthy preambles. And then the document itself... and yes, they did eventually call it a constitution. Don't worry, we were told, even a golf club has one of those -- it's just a name.
Back on that first day they picked a blast from the past to guide Europe into its brave new future.... the veteran former French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing. Never a man to be shy about his own abilities, he thought he'd managed to craft a masterpiece -- the only constitutional treaty which everyone could accept. How wrong he was.
First of all it was the focus of lengthy haggling between EU leaders, and one grumpy failed summit, before a compromise text was grudgingly agreed. But over the past week the document they all helped coax into life has been hit by a barrage of medical metaphors -- depending on who you talk to it's either dead, or on life-support, or being wheeled hurriedly into intensive care.
Things were supposed to be so different -- this was the way the EU would connect with its citizens. The constitution would be the basic building block of a more powerful and more confident Union for years to come. But now -- in France and in the Netherlands -- the citizens have struck back.
"They took us for granted" said one man in The Hague as he jumped onto his bicycle after casting his vote. "I don't think they'll be doing that again", he added; as he peddled off into the crowd.
"We've already got our own constitution", said a woman further down the road. She stared at the European version which I'd just pulled out of my bag, as if she'd just seen a ghost. "Why on earth would we want that?"
译文：
法国与荷兰拒绝欧盟宪法(一)
本周对于欧洲来说是十分重要的一周，因为在法国和荷兰的公民投票中，没有通过欧盟的新宪法。很多欧盟国家领导人称，新宪法的路还很漫长。直到每个欧盟国家都能够表决通过，这项新宪法才会签署生效。还有些人可不这么认为。二十五个国家中已经有十个通过了这个宪法条约，但是却让欧洲的统治者大吃一惊。自从欧洲宪法条约这个想法一产生，比利时人克里斯·毛瑞斯就一直在关注着它的发展。
我十分清楚地记得我所做的第一个电视访谈节目。那是在比利时布鲁塞尔举行的一个欧洲峰会。大约四年前的一个温度低于摄氏零度的清晨，原子球这个比利时最著名的纪念碑给我留下了十分深刻的印象。
“他们所谓的那个宪法”，伦敦的一个发言者说，“根本不可能有任何进展。”
我记得我曾经想去狠狠地鼻嗤它，但是我当时太冷了，最后只能发出一声软弱无力的呼噜声。欧洲宪法？拜托！还是给我来杯咖啡吧。
那天的晚些时候，太阳升起以后，欧盟国家的领导人进行了一次协商性会议，而我在比利时的大部分时间都在陪伴着这次协商会议中度过。先是举行了一次会议，来讨论一些高尚的目的，立法的细节问题以及一些冗长的宣言。然后，这份文件……是的，这份文件，最终被他们称为宪法。别担心，我们知道，即使是一个高尔夫球俱乐部也可能拥有这样的名字，所以不要太在意，这仅仅是一个名字而已。
回想在那次会议的第一天，他们就选出了一位过去的响当当的人物——前法国总统瓦雷利·吉斯卡·德·艾斯塔英来领导欧洲开创一个全新的未来。他倒是对自己的能力挺自信的，认为自己成功起草了一份经典文书——唯一一份让每个人都能够接受的宪法条约。可想他是犯了多么大的一个错误啊！
首先是欧盟各国领导人的漫长的讨价还价，经过了一个十分失败的峰会，才最终勉强达成了这样一份妥协性协议。但是在过去的这一星期里，他们用哄骗的手段促成的这个文件被一个医学上的暗语打击的很惨：有人认为它已经死掉了，有人认为它靠呼吸机赖以维持生命，还有人认为它正坐在轮椅上被送往特护病房。
事情本来可以是另一个样子的——这就是欧盟国家领导人同他们的民众之间的沟通的问题了。这个宪法本可以成为一个强大的基础，可以使欧洲在未来的几年里成为一个更加强大，更加有自信的联盟的。但是现在，法国和荷兰的民众已经使这种可能性破灭了。
“他们想当然地认为我们会同意”，一个荷兰人在投票以后跳上自行车后说道，“我觉得他们以后就不会再这样认为了”说完，他便融入了熙熙攘攘的人群。
沿着路继续走，我们又碰见了一个妇女。她说，“我们已经得到了我们自己的宪法。”我从我的提包中拿出一本欧洲宪法，她一直盯着看，就像看到鬼了一样。“我们为什么一定要这个？”
