日本首相福田康夫突然辞职

Yasuo Fukuda Resigns Over Political Deadlock

上任不满一年的日本首相福田康夫(Yasuo Fukuda)昨晚突然辞职，就连他所在的党派都对此感到震惊。在他做出这一决定后，全球第二大经济体日本可能需要举行临时选举。

Less than 1 year in office, Japanese prime minister Yasuo Fukuda decided to resign last night which even shocked members of his own party. The world’s second largest economy may face a temporary general election.

Yasuo Fukuda, Japan's prime minister, last night shocked even his own party by abruptly resigning after less than a year in office, paving the way for possible snap elections in the world's second-largest economy.

福田是日本一年内第二位辞职的首相。他表示，辞职是希望新领导人能够打破困扰他任期的政治僵局。

Fukuda became Japan’s second prime minister with less than 1 year in office. He said by resignation he hope the new leader could break the political deadlock plaguing his tenure.

Mr Fukuda, the second prime minister to quit in a year, said he had resigned in the hope that a new leader could break the political deadlock that had plagued his term in office.

僵局的形成源于议会中各党派势均力敌，使反对党日本民主党(Democratic Party of Japan)得以阻挠旨在提振日本疲软的经济和实现其全球外交及安全雄心的议案。

The deadlock comes from the balanced power between parties in the parliamentary, which enables the opposition party DPL to block the bills aimed at revive weak Japanese economy and realizing its ambition of global diplomacy and security.

The deadlock arose from a hung parliament in which the opposition Democratic Party of Japan blocked legislation needed to bolster Japan's flagging economy and realise its global diplomatic and security ambitions.

在昨晚仓促召开的新闻发布会上，福田解释了辞职的原因。他表示：“要将民生放在首位，我们必须避免政治真空和政策断层。我们需要一个新的团队。”

During the hastily held news conference last night, Fukuda explained reasons for his resignation. He said:” to prioritize people’s livelihood, we must avoid political vacuum and policy disruption. We need a new team.”

Explaining his resignation to a hastily convened press conference last night, Mr Fukuda said: “In order to put priority on the people's livelihood, a political vacuum must be avoided and there should be no lapse in policies. We need a new team.”

福田康夫现年72岁，是在最年轻的战后领导人安倍晋三(Shinzo Abe)同样突然辞职后，于去年9月接任党魁的。福田还表示：“我认为最好是将权力交给一位新的领导人。”

The 72 year old Fukuda took office last September after the youngest prime minister since WW2 Shinzo Abe resigned abruptly. “I reckon it’s better to hand over the power to a new leader” he said.

The 72-year-old leader, drafted (选拔：为某种，通常是义务性的服务而从一群人中选拔) in last September to take over a party reeling from the equally sudden resignation of Shinzo Abe, Japan's youngest post-war leader, added: “I feel that it would be best to hand over the reins of power to a new leader.”

福田的辞职距他在洞爷湖主持八国集团(G8)峰会还不到两个月。他的辞职，令人对1955年执政至今的自民党(LDP)的能力产生了怀疑。尽管日本民主党未能获胜，但其信任度和民众支持率都在不断攀升。

It’s less than month between Fukuda’s resignation and his presiding G8 summit in lake Toya. His resignation triggers doubt for the ability of ruling LDP since 1955. Although DPJ hasn’t claimed a victory, its credibility and popularity is on the rise.

 Mr Fukuda's resignation, less than two months since he hosted the Group of Eight summit in Toyako, calls into question the ability of the LDP, which has governed since 1955, to cling to power. The opposition DPJ has been growing in confidence and popular support, though it has failed to clinch victory.

这种不确定性出现之际，在出口不断滑坡及食品、能源和大宗商品价格高企的影响下，日本经济已出现减速。近期日本国内生产总值(GDP)的萎缩，结束了其6年多的持续增长——在战后日本，这即使不是速度最快、也是持续时间最长的扩张时期。在这种情况下，日本政府上周出台了11.5万亿日元（合1060亿美元）的一揽子紧急财政刺激计划。

Amid the political uncertainty, export decline, price soaring of food, energy and large commodity, Japanese economy has seen slowdown. Recent shrink of Japanese GDP put an end to its 6 year consecutive growth---the longest lasting expansion period though not the fastest in the postwar Japan. Under such circumstances, Japanese government put forward an emergency financial stimulus plan worth 11.5 trillion yen ( 106 billion dollars).

The uncertainty comes just as Japan has slipped into an economic slowdown, triggered by falling exports and high food, energy and commodity prices. A recent contraction in gross domestic product ended more than six years of continuous growth, the longest, if not fastest period of expansion in post-war Japan. This prompted the government last week to launch an Y11,500bn ($106bn) emergency fiscal stimulus package.

自民党上院议员田村耕太郎(Kotaro Tamura)表示，他对福田辞职感到极为失望。“这太令人难堪了。两位日本领导人均以这种方式认输，让人既沮丧又愤怒。”

Upper house senator of LDP said he was very disappointed about Fukuda’s resignation, it’s too embarrassing. Both Japanese leaders admitted defeat in this way. It’s depressing and outrageous.

Koutaro Tamura, an LDP Upper house parliamentarian, said he was disillusioned by the resignation. “This is deeply embarrassing. For two of Japan's leaders to throw in the towel in this way is depressing and infuriating,” he said.

人们认为，福田近期任命为自民党干事长的麻生太郎(Taro Aso)最有希望接任党魁，但他也会面临其他人的挑战，包括小泉纯一郎(Koizumi)的爱将、日本最具魅力的女政治家小池百合子(Yuriko Koike)。

It is believed the recently appointed LDP secretary general Taro Aso is the most hopeful candidate for party leader yet he also faces the challenge of others including Yuriko Koike the favorite of Koiszumi and the most charming female politician in Japan.

Taro Aso, whom Mr Fukuda recently appointed LDP secretary-general, is considered the favourite to take over the party, though he could be challenged by others including Koizumi protégé (被保护人), Yuriko Koike, Japan's most charismatic female politician.

不论谁在本月的党内竞选中当选自民党党魁，都将自动成为日本首相，但他最迟必须在明年9月份前召集一次大选。

Whoever elected as party leader in the interparty election scheduled this month, he or she will become Japan’s prime minister automatically but he must hold a general election before September 2009 at latest.

Whoever is elected LDP head in a party contest this month would automatically become prime minister, though they would have to call an election by next September at the latest.

田村耕太郎表示，也有可能举行临时选举。

A temporary election is also possible, said Kotaro Tamura.

Mr Tamura said a snap poll was also possible.

如果爱看漫画书的保守派麻生太郎当选，初期支持率可能会高于福田康夫——后者的支持率最近已跌至29%。

If the conservative cartoon fan Taro Aso wins, initial support rate could be higher than Fukuda whose support rate has plummeted to 29%.

A manga comic-reading conservative, Mr Aso is likely to have better initial ratings than Mr Fukuda, whose support rate recently slipped to 29 per cent.

福田昨晚表示，日本民主党的阻挠策略意味着，当前的局面已无法维持下去。

Fukuda said last night, the stimy strategy of DPJ means the current situation could no longer last.

Mr Fukuda last night said the blocking tactics of the DPJ meant the situation had become untenable.