🔴Monday February 1st 2021
🔵2021年2月1日星期一
1️⃣2021 Nobel peace prize: Alexei Navalny it should be!
2021年的諾貝爾和平獎：納瓦尼當之無愧！
Russian security forces detained more than 5,000 people who were protesting across Russia against the jailing of Alexei Navalny, the most prominent critic of Vladimir Putin, Russia’s leader. Mr Navalny was recently arrested after returning from hospital treatment abroad. He had been poisoned with a nerve agent, allegedly administered by government agents. Norwegian lawmakers nominated Mr Navalny for this year’s Nobel peace prize.
俄羅斯的安全部隊拘留了五千多人，因他們在俄國各地抗議納瓦尼 (Alexei Navalny) 的監禁。納瓦尼是對俄羅斯領導人 (總統) 普丁的顯著批評人士。他從國外醫院接受治療後返國不久被逮捕。(先前) 納瓦尼被據傳是俄羅斯特工所施予之神經毒劑給毒害。挪威的國會議員提名納瓦尼為今年的諾貝爾和平獎候選人。
2️⃣Coup d'etat in Myanmar: déjà vu
緬甸的軍事政變：似曾相識
A coup is under way in Myanmar, after the army arrested Aung San Suu Kyi, the country’s de facto leader since 2016, along with other members of her party. The generals declared a one-year state of emergency and cut communications in major cities. Their commander-in-chief, Min Aung Hlaing, has seized power. Tensions were running high since Ms Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy won enough seats in elections in November to form a government. Aggrieved army chiefs, used to controlling the levers of power even after the country began its fitful experiment with democracy in 2011, called the vote fraudulent.
緬甸正在上演著軍事政變。該國軍方逮捕了自 2016年以來為實際領導人的翁山蘇姬以及其同黨成員。軍方將領們宣佈了為期一年的緊急狀態，並切斷了主要城市間的通訊。現任緬甸國防軍總司令 (以及該國實際最高領導人) 敏昂來掌握了權力。自從翁山蘇姬的全國民主聯盟 (National League for Democracy) 在 (去年) 11月的選舉中贏得了足夠的席次以組建政府以來，態勢變得日趨緊張。即使緬甸於 2011年開始了對民主制度的實驗性運作，(為自己) 打抱不平的軍方將領們仍掌握著實權，並聲稱該選舉充斥著舞弊。
3️⃣Strain games: South Africa and covid-19
應變之道：南非和新冠病毒
The pandemic has revealed some of the best and a lot of the worst of South Africa. The country’s world-class scientists—many of whose reputations were forged during the AIDS pandemic—have helped organise trials of vaccines and were the first to identify a new, more contagious strain of the virus. A dysfunctional state has, however, let the side down. Official covid fatalities number 44,000. But since May there were more than 125,000 additional deaths, compared with the number that would normally be expected. That suggests that the disease may have killed nearly one in every 300 South Africans. The sluggish government, run by the African National Congress, has become embroiled in corrupt deals for medical kit and has been slow to procure vaccines. Although ordinary South Africans are eager for a jab, widespread inoculation may not occur until mid-2022. Today the first vaccines made by AstraZeneca will finally arrive in the country. It is about time.
新冠疫情大流行揭示了南非最好以及最壞的情況。南非世界級的科學家 (許多人的聲譽在愛滋病大流行期間就已經建立起來了) 已經協助組織了疫苗試驗，並且是第一個發現新型且更具傳染性的 (新冠病毒) 變異毒株。然而，該國失調的國家機器/體系卻是在扯後腿。(南非) 官方的 (新冠病毒) 死亡人數為 44,000，但是自 (去年) 5月以來，與預期的死亡人數相比，死亡人數增加了 125,000之多。這表示新冠病毒在每三百名南非人中會殺死一個人。由非洲民族議會 (African National Congress，ANC) 所領導的政府步履蹣跚，且捲入了醫療器材買賣的弊案中，再加上採購疫苗的步伐緩慢。儘管南非的平民百姓渴望施打疫苗，但該國的大眾接種計畫應該要到 2022年中旬才能被落實。在今天，阿斯利康 (AstraZeneca) 生產的疫苗將抵達南非，終於！
