ThE MOST unlikely love affair(热恋；强烈好感) in British politics recently was between big business and the Labour Party. Before the general election in 2024, the party launched what this newspaper called a “smoked-salmon offensive” to reassure bosses that it had sworn off socialism and would govern with economic growth as its “number-one mission”.(2024年大选前，工党发起“烟熏三文鱼攻势”，向商界保证已摒弃社会主义，将以经济增长为头号使命。) It held long, detailed talks with different sectors, asking for ideas on how to boost growth.
英国政坛最近最不可思议的恋情，当属大企业与工党之间的暧昧。在2024年大选之前，工党发起了一场本刊所称的“烟熏三文鱼攻势”，向商界领袖们保证，它已摒弃社会主义，并将以经济增长作为“头号使命”来执政。工党与不同行业进行了漫长而细致的会谈，征求如何促进增长的意见。
The plan worked. Fed up with(对……感到厌烦) the feckless(软弱的；不负责任的) Conservatives and charmed by Sir Keir Starmer, the party leader, and Rachel Reeves, his chancellor-to-be(即将上任的财政大臣), firms swooned(神魂颠倒；痴迷) over Labour. But it did not last. The salmon sandwiches went first stale, then mouldy. By the time Sir Keir and Ms Reeves left office this July, most business leaders, from FTSE 100 CEOs to scrappy startup founders, were sick of them.(到今年7月斯塔默和里夫斯离任时，大多数商界领袖已对他们感到厌倦。)
这一计划奏效了。受够了软弱无能的保守党，又被党魁基尔·斯塔默爵士和即将上任的财政大臣雷切尔·里夫斯所吸引，企业界对工党倾心不已。但好景不长。三文鱼三明治先是变味，继而发霉。到今年7月斯塔默爵士和里夫斯女士离任时，从富时100指数的首席执行官们到斗志旺盛的初创企业创始人，大多数商界领袖都已对他们感到厌倦。
The government stopped listening to business, whacked(重击；猛打) it with hefty(沉重的；大量的) taxes and failed to implement(实施；执行) many of the pro-growth reforms it had promised. Engagement with firms, previously undertaken by Ms Reeves herself, was outsourced to(外包给) civil servants. Ministers at the Treasury and other economic departments continued to hold frequent meetings with bosses, but attendees say these were more “photo opportunities(拍照机会；作秀)” than substantive(实质性的；重要的) discussions.
政府不再倾听商界的声音，用高额税收重击企业，并且未能兑现许多承诺的亲增长改革。此前由里夫斯女士亲自负责的与企业接触的工作，被外包给了公务员。财政部和其他经济部门的部长们继续与老板们频繁会面，但与会者表示，这些会面更像是“拍照机会”，而非实质性的讨论。
Watch what I do, not what I say
观其行，而非听其言