Play With Words

上星期 BBC Radio 4 上一位女主持顺口说，目前的经济危机，已经到了“Darling, do something!”的地步。这里的 Darling，当然是英国财相 Alistair Darling，他的这个奇妙的姓，是标题党们梦寐以求的。当然英语中还有许多奇妙的姓，Love 已是很普通，还有姓 Kiss 的。上次把一架忽然失去动力的英航班机安全滑翔到西思罗机场的驾驶员姓 Coward。

Daily Mail: A hero called Coward. BA pilot declares it was his deputy who landed stricken flight.

喊 Darling, do something! 是有原因的，Alistair Darling 即将在下周一公布下一年度财政预算案的预案，万众关注的，是其中的 fiscal stimulus －－“财政刺激”方案。最近是首相布朗首先使用 fiscal stimulus 这个说法，为什么不说大白话 tax cut －－“减税”呢？原因是：1.用术语显得比较专业；2.fiscal stimulus 听上去更正面，更象是在“采取行动”；3.避免卷进 tax cut 这个传统上左右两派的纷争。全球金融风暴暂时让意识形态乱了套，工党政府高举“减税刺激经济”大旗，保守党就跳出来说“不能不负责任的减税”。

Independent: Brown and Darling slash VAT in £18bn tax gamble

…Mr Brown is banking on tax cuts to provide the “fiscal stimulus” needed to kick-start the economy out of recession.

BBC: PM calls for global tax-cutting

He said: “It is now becoming increasingly accepted around the world that a temporary and affordable fiscal stimulus is necessary.”

Guardian’s Simon Hoggart recreated the scene of the communication between British Chancellor of Exchequer Alistair Darling and his Iceland counterpart:

(Later, Alistair Darling told us that he was at sea. “Getting information out of Iceland is quite difficult,” he said. Imaging their attempts. “The British Treasury here. Can you tell us what is going on?”

“You call is important to us. Please hold.” Then half an hour of Vivaldi.)

A happy day. For Labour at least.

这几个月来，dither 这个词成了保守党最爱挂在嘴边的词了。用 dither 来形容现任财相 Alistair Darling，当然是为了对应工党首相布朗的“精明强干”的形象。就象布朗十年前爱用 prudent，现在保守党希望反复使用 dither ，最后可以深入人心。

今天 Alistair Darling 终于宣布将对 Northern Rock 进行国有化了，保守党影子财相 George Osborne 在回应中更是一口一个 dither：

After months of dither and delay we have ended up with this catastrophic decision.

连一直宣扬 Northern Rock 国有化的自由民主党财政发言人 Vince Cable 也开始说 dither 了：

The Government has dithered. It has wasted time and money.

dither
n. A state of indecisive agitation.
v. To be nervously irresolution in acting or doing.
慌乱，紧张，犹豫，颤抖