No politician craves(渴望，热切追求) obscurity(默默无闻，无名), but it is better to be unknown than despised(被鄙视，被蔑视). That is consolation(安慰，慰藉) for Liberal Democrats, gathered in Brighton for their annual conference, fretting(焦虑，烦恼) about Ed Davey’s low profile and wondering whether a more prominent leader would hoist their flagging poll ratings(提振他们疲软的民调支持率).
没有哪个政客渴望默默无闻，但比起遭人唾弃，不为人知倒还好些。这对自由民主党人来说算是一种安慰——他们齐聚布莱顿参加年度会议，一边为埃德·戴维的低调而焦虑，一边琢磨着换一位更引人注目的领袖能否提振他们疲软的民调支持率。
Renewal by decapitation(斩首式换新，换帅求变) is a concept that has succeeded twice this parliament(议会，国会) for other parties. Labour’s fortunes(命运，运势) were transformed when Andy Burnham entered No 10. The Greens enjoyed a polling surge(激增，飙升) last year when Zack Polanski was elected leader. In the fidgety(躁动不安的) culture of British politics, Davey’s six-year reign feels like an aeon(万古，极长的时间). But the experience of other parties has little to teach(对……没有多少借鉴意义) the Lib Dems.
“斩首式换新”这一招在本届议会中已两次为其他政党带来成功。安迪·伯纳姆入主唐宁街10号后，工党命运为之改观。去年扎克·波兰斯基当选领袖后，绿党民调支持率飙升。在英国政治这种躁动不安的文化中，戴维六年的掌舵仿佛已历经万古。但其他政党的经验对自由民主党并无多少借鉴意义。
Keir Starmer didn’t suffer from underexposure(曝光不足). The country watched a showcase(展示，展示会) of his abilities and didn’t like what it saw. Polanski’s talent for harvesting(收割，获取) clicks on social media has expanded his audience, especially among younger voters, but the Green leader hasn’t shown that he can sustain(维持，保持) that interest. Increased scrutiny(审视，仔细审查) may not do him any favours(对他有好处). The chart mapping his favourability ratings since taking the job shows a stable core of fans beneath a steadily rising line of disapproval, suggesting that, outside a Green comfort zone, the more people see of Polanski, they less they like.(自他上任以来，其好感度评分图表显示，在稳定上升的不支持率曲线之下，是一个稳定的粉丝核心群体，这表明在绿党的舒适区之外，人们越了解波兰斯基，就越不喜欢他。) The equivalent picture for Davey tells a story of flat indifference(平淡的冷漠).
基尔·斯塔默并非因曝光不足而吃亏。全国民众目睹了他能力的展示，却并不喜欢所见。波兰斯基在社交媒体上收割点击量的本领扩大了他的受众，尤其在年轻选民中，但这位绿党领袖尚未证明他能维持这种关注度。更多的审视对他未必有利。自他上任以来，其好感度评分图表显示，在稳定上升的不支持率曲线之下，是一个稳定的粉丝核心群体，这表明在绿党的舒适区之外，人们越了解波兰斯基，就越不喜欢他。而戴维的对应图表则讲述了一个平淡冷漠的故事。