PAKISTAN’S POLITICS revolves around(围绕，以……为核心) two men who detest(憎恨，厌恶) each other. And just as in a good drama, their fates are entwined(缠绕，紧密相连). One is Imran Khan, the swashbuckling(传奇式的，豪迈的) all-rounder who led Pakistan to cricketing glory and subsequently went on to become prime minister in 2018. Mr Khan rode to power with the backing of the armed forces, who had, as they periodically do in Pakistan, grown tired of the old ruling parties. But he proved to be an erratic(不稳定的，反复无常的) and often alarmingly messianic(救世主般的) premier. He upset the military and political establishments so much that he was ousted(被罢免，被赶下台) in 2022, and is now serving a 14-year prison sentence on a trumped-up(捏造的，伪造的) corruption charge. Behind bars, rather than dealing with tricky neighbours and IMF loans, his popularity has soared.(身陷囹圄后，他的人气反而飙升。)
巴基斯坦的政治围绕着两个彼此憎恨的男人展开。就像一场好戏那样，他们的命运交织在一起。一位是伊姆兰·汗，这位豪迈的全能板球运动员曾带领巴基斯坦赢得板球荣耀，随后在2018年成为总理。汗先生是在武装部队的支持下上台的——正如巴基斯坦历史上周期性的情况那样，军方当时厌倦了老牌执政党。但事实证明，他是一位反复无常、往往令人震惊的救世主式总理。他如此严重地触怒了军方和政界，以至于在2022年被赶下台，如今正因一项捏造的腐败罪名服14年有期徒刑。身陷囹圄后，他不再需要应对棘手的邻国和国际货币基金组织的贷款，人气反而飙升。
The other is Asim Munir, the steely(钢铁般的，强硬的) and scheming(诡计多端的，工于心计的) army chief. He was fired by Mr Khan from his role as the country’s spy chief in 2019 (there were rumours that he had been sniffing around(暗中调查，刺探) the tax affairs of Mr Khan’s wife). He has had ample(充足的，大量的) opportunity for revenge. Appointed as military chief after Mr Khan was toppled(被推翻，倒台), he secured his grip on(巩固了对……的控制) the army, elevating himself to(将自己提升到……职位) the post of field marshal(陆军元帅). He extended its control over government, and hobbled(束缚，阻碍) Mr Khan’s party, the PTI(巴基斯坦正义运动党) (it has not been banned, but senior figures have been arrested and the party has been prevented from taking part fairly in elections). For a man who once operated in the shadows, he seems to be enjoying an increasingly prominent role on the world stage, in particular by helping to broker a ceasefire between America and Iran.(对于一个曾身居幕后的人来说，他似乎越来越享受在国际舞台上的突出角色。) At a summit in Switzerland in June J.D. Vance, America’s vice-president, gushed(滔滔不绝地说，激动地说) that he was one of two “very important people” in his life, the other being his Indian wife.
另一位是阿西姆·穆尼尔，这位钢铁般强硬、工于心计的陆军参谋长。他于2019年被汗解除了其国家间谍首脑的职务（有传言称他曾调查汗夫人的税务问题）。他有了充足的报复机会。在汗被推翻后被任命为军事首脑后，他巩固了对军队的控制，将自己提升为陆军元帅。他将军方的控制范围延伸至政府，并掣肘汗所在的正义运动党（该党未被取缔，但高层人物被捕，且被阻止公平参与选举）。作为一个曾身居幕后的人，他似乎越来越享受在国际舞台上的突出角色，尤其是帮助斡旋美国与伊朗之间的停火。在6月的一次瑞士峰会上，美国副总统J.D.万斯激动地称他是自己生命中两个“非常重要的人”之一，另一个是他的印度裔妻子。
As Field Marshal Munir plays the statesman(扮演政治家的角色), Mr Khan sits in a seven-by-eight-foot cell(牢房). In April he passed 1,000 days in prison. For the past eight months he has had little outside contact, and just an exercise bike and a few books to keep him occupied. Over tea at the family’s lush(郁郁葱葱的，茂盛的) estate in the hills above Islamabad, Mr Khan’s sister, Aleema, accuses the authorities of trying to break her brother’s spirit(摧垮她哥哥的精神). Meetings and phone calls have been restricted (the family can send him a regular supply of his beloved avocados, grown next door). Mr Khan’s eyesight is deteriorating due to a blood-clotting condition for which he has had five rounds of treatment under close supervision.(汗的视力因一种血栓疾病恶化，他已在严密监督下接受了五轮治疗。) His family have questioned official statements on his health and requested, so far in vain(迄今未果), that he be seen by his personal physician.
当穆尼尔元帅扮作政治家时，汗先生坐在一个7英尺×8英尺的牢房里。他在4月度过了入狱的第1000天。过去八个月里，他与外界几乎没有联系，只有一辆健身自行车和几本书让他有事可做。在伊斯兰堡上方山丘上家族郁郁葱葱的庄园里喝茶时，汗的妹妹阿利玛指责当局试图摧垮她哥哥的精神。会面和电话受到限制（家人可以定期送给他他钟爱的牛油果，这些牛油果就种在隔壁）。汗先生的视力因一种血栓疾病而恶化，他已经在严密监督下接受了五轮治疗。他的家人对官方关于他健康的声明提出质疑，并请求由他的私人医生看他，但迄今未获成功。
Where the buck now stops
责任到此为止