近日，沙特王國爆發(fā)了一場肅貪風(fēng)暴。有人稱，這不過是穆罕默德·本·沙爾曼借反腐之名來清洗其他王子，以鞏固王儲(chǔ)的權(quán)力。據(jù)悉，包括十一名沙特王子、四名現(xiàn)任政府部長及十幾名前任部長等共計(jì)數(shù)十人遭到逮捕 (11名王子中還包括沙特首富和全球著名億萬富翁)。長久以來，沙特國王一直嘗試打造王室內(nèi)部的共識(shí)，但沙爾曼此次的改弦更張更加傾向于把自己打造成沙特阿拉伯政策的唯一面龐。沙爾曼希望沙特能夠擺脫依賴石油的經(jīng)濟(jì)計(jì)劃。若此行未能成功，相信老百姓是不會(huì)滿意的。
Kingdom on Edge: Saudi Arabia
① Muhammad bin Salman, the crown prince, spent the weekend consolidating his power.
② On November 4th the kingdom announced that scores of people had been arrested in an anti-corruption sweep.
③ The best-known figure was Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, a billionaire businessman and investor.
④ The detainees also include ten other princes, and dozens of current and former ministers.
⑤ Some are reportedly being held in Riyadh's opulent Ritz-Carlton.
⑥ Prince Muhammad has also shaken up the top economic and security posts, dismissing Prince Mutaib bin Abdullah, the commander of the National Guard, once regarded as a possible king.
⑦ To call all of this unprecedented would be an understatement.
⑧ For decades, Saudi kings tried to forge consensus within the sprawling royal family.
⑨ But Prince Muhammad has fashioned himself the sole face of Saudi policy.
⑩ He has ambitious economic plans to wean the kingdom off oil.
? If they falter, Saudis will know whom to blame.
▍生詞好句
consolidate /k?n?s?l?de?t/: vt. 鞏固
score /sk??/: n. 二十
anti-corruption /k??r?p?(?)n/: adj. 反腐的
sweep /swi?p/: n. 徹底掃蕩
opulent /??pj?l(?)nt/: adj. 奢華的；奢侈的
dismiss /d?s?m?s/: vt. 解職
unprecedented /?n?pr?s?d?nt?d/: adj. 史無前例的
understatement /??nd?ste?tm(?)nt/ /?nd??ste?tm(?)nt/: n. 輕描淡寫；保守的說法
forge /f??d?/: vt. 打造；形成；使……成為
consensus /k?n?s?ns?s/: n. 共識(shí)
sprawling /spr??l??/: adj. 無序蔓延的
fashion /?fa?(?)n/: vt. 形成
sole /s??l/: adj. 唯一的
wean off /wi?n/: 切斷依賴
falter/?f?lt?/ /?f??lt?/: vi. 運(yùn)轉(zhuǎn)不暢
