You could forgive Andy Burnham for feeling chirpy(快活的、心情愉快的). Britain’s prime minister begins his second hundred days with a healthy lead in the polls(民调中稳固的领先优势) and a better-than-expected run of economic growth. His chancellor(财政大臣), John Healey, presented a budget that succeeded in riling neither bond vigilantes(债券市场“义警”) nor Labour backbenchers(后座议员). And, in news to stir any English heart, France is doing much worse, as its public finances languish and its streets are occupied by rioters.(而更让任何英国人心里舒坦的是，法国的处境要糟糕得多——公共财政萎靡不振，街头还被骚乱者占据。)
安迪·伯纳姆心情愉快，这情有可原。这位英国首相在第二个百日任期伊始，民调领先优势稳固，经济增长表现也好于预期。他的财政大臣约翰·希利提交了一份预算案，既没有激怒债券市场的“义警”，也没有惹恼工党后座议员。而更让任何英国人心里舒坦的是，法国的处境要糟糕得多——公共财政萎靡不振，街头还被骚乱者占据。
In Britain election fever is in the air(选举热弥漫). So the need to please voters could explain why, in a budget that was mostly empty of substance, Mr Healey did find a few billion pounds to finance a £100 ($133) payment to four in five households, supposedly to offset energy bills.(因此，迎合选民的需要或许可以解释，为何在一份基本没有实质内容的预算案中，希利先生还是设法挤出几十亿英镑，为五分之四的家庭发放100英镑补贴，据称是为了抵消能源账单。) Shortly after the chancellor stopped speaking, the legion(大批、众多) of Britons checking whether their house qualifies for the money crashed a government website.
英国上下弥漫着选举热。因此，迎合选民的需要或许可以解释，为何在一份基本没有实质内容的预算案中，希利先生还是设法挤出几十亿英镑，为五分之四的家庭发放100英镑（133美元）的补贴，据称是为了抵消能源账单。财政大臣话音刚落，大批英国人涌去查询自家是否符合领取条件，直接把政府网站挤瘫痪了。
Mr Burnham insists he has ruled out an election for at least 12 months—but he would say that, wouldn’t he? What is troubling is that this budget epitomised the inadequacy of his approach to government.(真正令人不安的是，这份预算案恰恰暴露了他执政方式的欠缺。) The changes are vast in the narrowest sense(在最狭隘的意义上) that they include 98 costed(经过成本核算的) policy measures, comfortably more than any other recent budget. There was a smidgen(一点点、微量) of good news on streamlining data-centre approvals. Also, places will be funded more from taxes paid by local residents and businesses, giving them an incentive to stimulate growth. Mr Healey focused energy policy on cheap power, and did not succumb(屈服、抵挡不住) to the perennial(长期存在的、反复出现的) temptation of new chancellors to rewrite the fiscal rules(财政规则).
伯纳姆坚称，他至少12个月内不会举行大选——可他当然会这么说，不是吗？真正令人不安的是，这份预算案恰恰暴露了他执政方式的欠缺。说它“变化巨大”，只是在最狭隘的意义上成立：预算包含98项有成本核算的政策措施，比近期任何一份预算案都多得多。在简化数据中心审批方面，有一点好消息。此外，地方将更多依靠当地居民和企业缴纳的税收来获得资金，从而有动力刺激增长。希利先生把能源政策重点放在廉价电力上，也没有屈从于新财政大臣改写财政规则的长期诱惑。