LOOK AT THE many signs of Britain's decline. Growth is feeble(乏力的，微弱的) and public debt has reached 95% of GDP. Public services are stuttering(停顿的，蹒跚的) and the armed forces are depleted(耗尽的，空虚的). The streets are grubby(肮脏的，邋遢的) and the electorate is in a sulphurous mood(愤怒的情绪). The BBC has even cancelled the "Doctor Who" Christmas special.
看看英国衰落的诸多迹象。经济增长乏力，公共债务已达GDP的95%。公共服务停滞，军队空虚。街道肮脏，选民情绪愤怒。BBC甚至取消了《神秘博士》圣诞特辑。
Then there is the desultory(随意的，漫无目的的) way in which Sir Keir Starmer failed as prime minister. He was elected with a vast majority and a mandate to restore Britain, but he will leave Downing Street after just two years. His offence was not an epic misjudgment born of hubris(源于傲慢的史诗级误判), like David Cameron and his Brexit referendum. Nor was it a scandal, like Boris Johnson and his boozy(饮酒作乐的，酗酒的) Downing Street parties in lockdown. He committed no disastrous error, unlike Liz Truss and her budget. Sir Keir was simply unable to marshal(集结，组织（力量）) power or say why he wanted it. His government wilted like a houseplant in a heatwave.(他的政府就像热浪中的盆栽植物一样枯萎了。)
然后是基尔·斯塔默爵士作为首相失败的那种随意方式。他以压倒性多数当选，肩负重建英国的使命，但仅仅两年后就将离开唐宁街。他的过错不是像戴维·卡梅伦及其脱欧公投那样源于傲慢的史诗级误判。也不是像鲍里斯·约翰逊及其封锁期间在唐宁街酗酒派对那样的丑闻。他没有犯下像利兹·特拉斯及其预算那样的灾难性错误。基尔爵士仅仅是没有能力行使权力，也说不清自己为何想要权力。他的政府就像热浪中的盆栽植物一样枯萎了。
Barring the wholly unexpected(除非完全出乎意料的情况), Andy Burnham will soon become Britain’s seventh prime minister in a decade. He must reckon with(应对，认真对待) this twin decline of Britain’s fabric(结构，基础（社会）) and its politics. He cannot fix one without fixing the other.(不解决其中一个，就无法解决另一个。) Yet he shows little sign that he grasps(理解，掌握（抽象概念）) the scale or urgency of the tasks that await him.
除非发生完全意外的情况，安迪·伯纳姆很快就会成为英国十年内的第七位首相。他必须应对英国国家实体和政治的双重衰退。不解决其中一个，就无法解决另一个。然而他几乎没有表现出他理解等待他的任务的规模或紧迫性。
Truth and dare
真相与挑战