英法百年爱恨

　　　　作者 艾伦-若定（Alan Riding ）
　　
　　
　　
　　如果英法关系开始于1904年4月8日签署的《友好协议》（Entente Cordiale），那麽两国关系的记录看起来应该不会很糟糕。这个协议使两国在殖民地的竞争得以缓和；在两次世界大战中，两国均为反对德国的盟国；最终，英法在欧盟范围内互相合作，而同时又稍微带有竞争的色彩。
　　
　　不过问题是，大部分英国人和法国人都认为，"友好协议"只不过是措词而已，他们实际上并不相信它。
　　
　　本周伊丽莎白女王为纪念这个协议签署100周年而对法国进行国事访问，这既是一个让人回忆什麽分裂了两个邻居的时机，同样也是一个回想什麽团结了两国的机会。在这里，历史则远在1904年之前。英国人从1066年、法国人从百年战争之后，两国政府和人民就怀着嫉妒与敌意的复杂感情看待对方。即使在今天，他们之间的友好经常是出于必要，而不是由于信念。
　　
　　不过英法关系已发生了根本性变化，但这并不是《友好协议》的结果，而是因为60年前的诺曼底登陆使法国相信，那时的美国是英语世界--对法国人来说就是盎格鲁-萨克森人--毫无争议的领袖，即使法国人还有点疑惑，当伦敦屈于美国的压力而结束了1956年英法在苏伊士的冒险时，它的这一信念得到了坚定。
　　
　　结果，从那时起，英吉利海峡两岸形成了基本上不对称的关系：现在，当法国向西看时，它将美国看作自己的竞争对手，而不是英国；当英国向东看时，它仍然将法国看作有时阻碍它与欧洲关系的国家。因此，当法国人痴迷于美国而有点漠视英国时，英国人对法国的爱恨仍然非常热烈。当今法国总统希拉克和英国首相布莱尔的关系就讲述了这个故事的一部分。
　　
　　英法两国在伊拉克问题上拔刀相向，而人数令人吃惊的一批英国人竟赞同希拉克的反战主张而批评布莱尔的亲美立场。不过英法两国政府的关系中同样令人气恼是希拉克明显倾向于与德国结成欧洲战略同盟，而不是与英国。法国人在政治上不可靠的观点成为保守的英国新闻界的佐料，那些小报更不放过任何一个机会提醒人们"法国人的忘恩负义"，他们曾在第二次世界大战中被英美救了出来的。形成对比的是，法国的报纸并没有被英国的政治行为所激怒，而仅仅理所当然地认为伦敦会屈服于华盛顿。
　　
　　英吉利海底隧道叙述着一个不同的故事。虽然英国不愿意接受岛国隔离状态的结束，但是今天欧洲之星公司（Eurostar）的乘客57%是英国人，而只有26%为法国人。换一种说法，就是英国人热爱法国--它的城市、它的村庄、它的田园风情以及它的生活艺术。大批英国人在这里度假，买第二所房子，但常常在怀着挚爱之情重建时毁了它们。但对法国人来说，英国提供了较低的税收并能感受到城市的金融脉搏，相对而言，它很少能吸引旅游观光者。
　　
　　这是英国人再一次回应法国人，而不是相反。他们的矛盾心情从来没有远离过他们。没有什麽事能比打败法国的橄榄球队或足球队更使英国人高兴了，然而法国人却是阿森纳、切尔西以及其他英国足球队的最佳球星。没有什麽事能比前往法国普罗旺斯（Proven?al）的家并囤积起红酒更让英国人更快乐了，但是很少人愿意费劲去学法文（当越来越多的法国人说英语的时候，他们有一种复仇的感觉）。
　　
　　伊丽莎白女王的访问还给了英国和法国的报纸一个测量两个远邻如何看待对方的机会。结果并不令人吃惊。巴黎中间偏左的《自由日报》与伦敦的《卫报》（The Guardian）联合出版了星期一增刊，其头版整个版面上是个绿色大青蛙的照片，其上面的大字标题是：我爱你，我也不爱你。
　　
　　更说明问题的也许是为这两份报纸而进行的BVA-ICM民意测验的结果。当问及最赞赏是什麽时，民意测验中80%的英国人选择了法国艺术和文化，而69%的法国人提到了英国音乐，可能是流行音乐。可以预测的是，64%的英国人同样喜欢法国的烹饪，而只有6%的法国人推许英国食品。令人奇怪的是，51%的英国人对希拉克印象良好，而布莱尔受到了49%的法国人的喜爱。
　　
　　这次民意测验同样涉及到个人态度问题。当要求指出一些典型特征时，76%的法国人认为英国人"信守原则"，而69%的英国人认为法国人富有"想像力"。在一些不太讨人喜欢的性情方面，如"勾引他人"、"傲慢"和"胆小"等，英国人给法国人的分数要高于法国人给英国人的分数。如何看待英国和法国在今日欧洲中所处的位置也许最能说明《友好协议》这一政治遗产了：85%的法国人和73%的英国人信任西班牙人，84%的法国人和69%的英国人信任德国人，而只有51%的英国人信任法国人，55%的法国人信任英国人。《Pèlerin》杂志上周刊登的另一份民意调查说，法国人感觉同德国最亲近，而英国只名列第五位。
　　
　　而且法国人一直热爱伊丽莎白女王和英国王室家族，这难道是因为他们拥有德国血统的缘故吗？
　　
　　附：网址与原文
　　http://www.iht.com/articles/513443.htm
　　
　　News Analysis: A century of British-French love (and hate)??
　　
　　Alan Riding/NYT NYT
　　
　　Tuesday， April 6， 2004
　　
　　PARIS If the history of Anglo-French relations had begun with the signing of the Entente Cordiale on April 8， 1904， the record would not look too bad. The agreement led to easing of colonial rivalry， alliances against Germany in two world wars and eventual collaboration， tinged with competition， within the European Union.
　　
　　The problem is that most Britons and French know "entente cordiale" only as a phrase - and they do not really believe it.
　　
　　Queen Elizabeth’s state visit to France this week to mark the accord’s 100th anniversary， then， is as much an occasion to remember what divides as what unites the neighbors. And here history began long before 1904. Since 1066 for the British and the 100 Years War for the French， governments and peoples have viewed each other with a mixture of envy and hostility. And even today， their cordiality is often more out of necessity than conviction.
　　
　　Yet， Anglo-French relations have also changed fundamentally， not as a result of the Entente Cordiale， but because the D-Day landings 60 years ago persuaded the French that the United States was now the undisputed leader of the English-speaking - "Anglo-Saxon" to the French - world. And if any doubt existed， this was confirmed when London bowed to American pressure to end the Anglo-French Suez adventure in 1956.
　　
　　As a result， since then， a basic asymmetry has shaped cross-channel relations: when France looks west， it now sees the United States， not Britain， as its competitor; but when Britain looks east， it still sees France controlling， at times blocking， its relationship with Europe. Thus， while the French are obsessed with the United States and somewhat indifferent to Britain， the British remain passionate about their love-hate for France. Relations today between President Jacques Chirac of France and Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain tell part of the story.
　　
　　They crossed swords over Iraq， with a surprising number of Britons sharing Chirac’s opposition to the war and criticizing Blair’s pro-American stance. Yet， almost as irritating to Anglo-French government relations is Chirac’s clear preference for a strategic European alliance with Germany rather than Britain. The idea that the French cannot be trusted politically is therefore daily fodder for the conservative British press， with the tabloids never missing an occasion to remind of "frog ingratitude" at being "saved" by Britain and the United States in World War II. In contrast， French newspapers， rather then becoming exercised about British political behavior， simply take for granted that London is subservient to Washington.
　　
　　The channel tunnel tells a different story. Britain reluctantly accepted ending its insularity， but today 57 percent of Eurostar passengers are Britons， while only 26 percent are French. Put differently， the British love France - its cities， its villages， its countryside， its art de vivre. They vacation here in vast numbers and buy second homes， often ruins that they lovingly rebuild. But for the French， while Britain offers lower taxes and the financial pulse of the City， it draws relatively few of them as a tourist destination.
　　
　　Once again， then， it is the British responding to the French， rather than the other way around. And their ambivalence is never far away. Nothing gives Britons more pleasure than beating France in rugby or soccer， yet French players are the top stars of Arsenal， Chelsea and other British soccer teams. Nothing delights Britons more than to head for their Proven?al home and stock up on wine， yet few bother to learn French (and feel vindicated since more and more French speak English).
　　
　　Still， Queen Elizabeth’s visit has given British and French newspapers a chance to gauge how the distant neighbors view each other. And the results are not surprising. The left-of-center Paris daily Libération， which published a joint supplement Monday with the London daily The Guardian， ran a front-page photograph of a large green frog under the headline， "I love you， moi non plus" - "I love you， neither do I."
　　
　　More telling， perhaps， were the results of a BVA-ICM poll carried out for the two newspapers. Asked what they most admired， 80 percent of Britons in the poll chose French art and culture， while 69 percent of the French named English music， presumably pop. Predictably， 64 percent of Britons also liked French cuisine， while only 6 percent of the French approved of English food. And surprisingly， 51 percent of Britons had a good image of Chirac， while Blair was liked by 49 percent of the French.
　　
　　The poll also addresses personal attitudes. Asked to pick some typical characteristics， 76 percent of the French considered Britons "faithful to their principles，" while 69 percent of Britons thought the French "imaginative." On less pleasing traits， such as "seductive，" "arrogant" and "cowardly，" Britons gave higher marks to the French than the French did to Britons. Where Britain and France are seen to fit into Europe today， however， perhaps says most about the legacy of the Entente Cordiale. While 85 percent of the French and 73 percent of Britons trust the Spaniards and 84 percent of the French and 69 percent of Britons trust the Germans， only 51 percent of Britons trust the French and 55 percent of the French trust the British. Another poll published last week by Pèlerin magazine said the French feel closest to Germany， with Britain ranking fifth in the list.
　　
　　And yet the French have always loved Queen Elizabeth and the British royal family. Could it be because they have German blood?
　　
　　The New York Times