In Limoges the clock tower and roof of the 19th-century town hall collapsed after it was set alight. In Marseille casseurs(打砸分子), or hooligans, broke into the town hall. In Bordeaux hooded looters smashed the glass windows at Louis Vuitton and nearby shops, grabbing handbags, trainers and other stash.(在波尔多，蒙面劫掠者砸碎路易威登及附近商铺的玻璃窗，抢走手袋、运动鞋和其他财物。) Pyres of electric scooters burned on street corners. Plumes of black smoke billowed(翻滚涌出) in the air. Across the country over 2,000 people were arrested. “This evening we are all feeling anger, and shame,” declared President Emmanuel Macron in a televised address, before jetting off(乘飞机匆匆离开) for a trip to the Gulf.
在里摩日，19世纪市政厅的钟楼和屋顶遭纵火后坍塌。在马赛，打砸分子（casseurs，即流氓）闯入市政厅。在波尔多，蒙面劫掠者砸碎路易威登及附近商铺的玻璃窗，抢走手袋、运动鞋和其他财物。街角焚烧着电动滑板车堆成的火堆，空中浓烟滚滚。全国超过2000人被捕。总统埃马纽埃尔·马克龙在电视讲话中宣称：“今晚我们所有人都感到愤怒和羞耻。”随后他便飞往海湾地区访问。
France is no stranger to(对……并不陌生) upheaval(剧变；动荡). But even in a country hardened(久经考验的；习以为常的) to street revolts, the events of October 17th were shocking. What set off(引发；激起) this outburst(爆发；突发) of destruction? Mr Macron faced months of violent demonstrations by gilets jaunes(黄背心运动) (yellow jackets) in 2018-19. Yet the combination of devastation on the streets and powerlessness by the authorities was worse. It encapsulated a paralysis at the heart of government, a collapse in confidence in centrist politics, and lays the ground for greater division: voters at next spring’s presidential election could face a choice between the populist-right Marine Le Pen and the populist-left Jean-Luc Mélenchon.(它浓缩了政府核心的瘫痪、中间派政治信任的崩塌，并为更大的分裂埋下伏笔：明年春季总统选举的选民可能面临在民粹右翼勒庞与民粹左翼梅朗雄之间二选一的局面。)
法国对动荡并不陌生。但即便在这个对街头反抗习以为常的国家，10月17日的事件仍令人震惊。是什么引发了这场破坏？2018至2019年，马克龙曾面对“黄背心”长达数月的暴力示威。然而，街头满目疮痍与当局束手无策的组合更为糟糕。它浓缩了政府核心的瘫痪、中间派政治信任的崩塌，并为更大的分裂埋下伏笔：明年春季总统选举的选民可能面临在民粹右翼玛丽娜·勒庞与民粹左翼让-吕克·梅朗雄之间二选一的局面。
The chaos was the result of a combustible(易燃的；易爆的) mix on the streets—and an inadequate police presence. Laurent Nuñez, the interior minister, conceded(承认) that the police had “lost control”, and a parliamentary inquiry(议会调查) has been opened. Those on the streets fell into three groups. The first were the half-million students, teachers and unionists(工会成员) who protested peacefully against underinvestment(投资不足) in education and the cost of living. “The casseurs are discrediting our movement,” complained Pauline, a 20-year-old university student, who said she was demonstrating against “everything”, from overcrowded lecture halls and high petrol prices to police repression.(“打砸分子正在败坏我们运动的声誉，”20岁的大学生波利娜抱怨道，她说自己抗议“一切”——从拥挤的阶梯教室、高油价到警察镇压。) The unpopular president was also on her list. “Macron, t’es mort” (Macron, you’re dead) read graffiti near a smashed-up bus shelter, next to “ACAB(“所有警察都是混蛋”的缩写)”, or “all cops are bastards”.
这场混乱是街头易燃混合物与警力不足共同作用的结果。内政部长洛朗·努涅斯承认警方“失去控制”，议会已启动调查。街头人群分为三类。第一类是约五十万学生、教师和工会成员，他们和平抗议教育投入不足和生活成本高企。“打砸分子正在败坏我们运动的声誉，”20岁的大学生波利娜抱怨道。她说自己抗议“一切”——从拥挤的阶梯教室、高油价到警察镇压。不受欢迎的总统也在她的清单上。一个被砸烂的公交候车亭附近涂鸦写着“马克龙，你死定了”，旁边是“ACAB”，即“所有警察都是混蛋”。