No-deal Brexit fears rise as parliament sinks May's deal
国会拒绝了特蕾莎梅的协议，这让无协议脱欧的担忧增加
sink，to cause sth to fail
① MPs rejected Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit deal for a third time on Friday, sounding its probable death knell and leaving Britain's withdrawal from the European Union in turmoil on the very day it was supposed to quit the bloc.
国会成员周五第三次拒绝了首相特蕾莎梅的脱欧协议，听起来好像丧钟敲响了，这天英国脱欧要陷入混乱了，这可能会停止集团.
death kness, to signal the end/death of sth
in turmoil, in confusion
bloc, a group of countries working on together
② The decision to reject a stripped-down version of May's divorce deal has left it totally unclear how, when or even whether Britain will leave the EU, and plunges the three-year Brexit crisis to a deeper level of uncertainty.
拒绝特蕾莎梅的直接脱欧协议的决定使得怎么脱欧、什么时候甚至是否脱欧变得完全不确定起来，并使英国三年的脱欧危机变得更加不确定。
stripped-down version, something which has been simplified.
If you strip sth down, you take away all the extra details, or remove the extra details.
③ A succession of European leaders said there was a very real chance Britain would now leave without a deal, a scenario that businesses fear would cause chaos for the world's fifth-biggest economy.
不断有欧盟领导认为又一个真实的机会可以让英国无协议脱欧，但这样经济界可能会担心这会使世界第五大经济体陷入混乱。
a succession of sth, sth that happens one by one
④ With no majority in parliament for any Brexit option so far, it is unclear what will happen next. Options include asking the EU for a long delay, parliament forcing an election, or a "no-deal" exit.
至今国会还没有实现多数人选择脱欧，接下来要发生什么还不清楚。选项包括向欧盟申请延期、国会要求重新选择，或者“无协议”脱欧。
⑤ Britain now has under two weeks to convince the 27 members of the EU that it has an alternative path. The government has been unable to agree a solution in three years; two weeks is asking for a miracle.
英国现在还剩两周时间说服欧盟已经做出另外选择的27位成员。政府三年内都没达成的协议，如果两周内达成，这确实需要奇迹出现。
▍生词好句
sink /sɪŋk/ vt. 使下沉；使低落
knell /nel/ n. 丧钟声
turmoil /ˈtɜ:mɔɪl, ˈtɜ:rmɔɪl/ n. 混乱；骚动
bloc /blɒk, blɑ:k/ n. (具有相似政治目标和利益的国家结成的) 阵营
plunge... to 使下降，落入（更低的水平或程度）
a succession of 一系列的；一连串的
scenario /sɪˈnɑːriəʊ, səˈnerioʊ/ n. 方案；设想
▍词汇拓展
1. sink /sɪŋk/: to cause something to fail / to make something fail
Parliament 'sinks' May's deal.
议会否决了特雷莎·梅的脱欧协议。
Many UK companies will sink after Brexit.
英国退欧后，许多英国公司将受其影响而破产。
2. sounding its probable death knell /nel/: The death knell is usually the special sound of church bells at a funeral – to show that someone has died). We use death knell in a sentence to show that something (an idea / a plan) has died.
The arrival of the internet sounded the death knell for many small local shops.
互联网的到来冲击了当地许多小商店的生意。
The new tax laws sounded the death knell for many small businesses.
新税法断了许多小企业的生路。
3. in turmoil /ˈtɜ:mɔɪl, ˈtɜ:rmɔɪl/: If something is 'in turmoil', it is in a state of confusion or uncertainty.
The London Stock Exchange is in turmoil today.
伦敦证券交易所今天动荡不安。
The industry is in turmoil after the new laws were announced.
新法律颁布后，这个行业陷入了混乱。
4. bloc /blɒk, blɑ:k/: a group of countries working together
5. stripped-down /ˌstrɪpt ˈdaʊn, ˌstrɪpt ˈdaʊn/: If you strip something down, you take away and remove all the extra details. You make it very simple and basic.
Something which has been simplified is 'a stripped-down version'.
The project is too complicated; we need to create a stripped-down version if we want to be successful.
这个项目太复杂了，如果我们想要成功的话，我们需要创建一个精简的版本。
We've created a stripped-down version of the report (it only includes the important parts).
我们已经创建了一个精简版本的报告。
The company is going to release a stripped-down version of the software (a basic / a simple version).
该公司将发布该软件的基础版本。
6. a succession /səkˈseʃən/ of something: things happen one by one / one after another
in quick succession: If something happens in quick succession, it happens very quickly one after another.
The company has fired three managers in quick succession.
公司短时间内接连解雇了三名经理。
The company has released three new phones in quick succession.
该公司短时间内先后发布了三部新手机。
▍拓展内容
1. The options are:
· Asking for a long delay to try to agree a new 'Brexit plan in parliament' (I don't think this is a good idea – we have had three years to agree a plan and we couldn't do it in three years). It is very unlikely that we can agree a new plan.
· An election – to find a new leader (but this doesn't mean we will find a solution to Brexit)
· A no-deal Brexit
2. A Miracle is a very lucky event that is surprising and unexpected: We will need a miracle to rescue the Brexit process.
3. What is happening now?
Politicians have been arguing about Brexit for the past three years about 'how we leave the EU', about what kind of relationship the UK will have after it has left the EU.
The deal (the agreement) is about the relationship the UK will have with the EU after the UK leaves. And this must be agreed by parliament (politicians must vote for it). Last Friday, they voted and the majority voted against Theresa May's deal.
4. Why is the deal important?
Without a deal we will have a 'no-deal Brexit'.
A no-deal Brexit means the UK would leave the European Union (EU) with no agreements about what their relationship would be like in future.
Politicians do not want a no-deal Brexit (it’s a very bad idea) but we will get a no-deal Brexit if politicians cannot agree on a deal.
5. What is a no-deal Brexit?
· British people will not be allowed to travel freely in Europe;
· British people will not be allowed to live in other European countries.
· Transport and trade between the UK and the EU would be seriously affected;
· British companies will pay higher prices for imported products and services;
· Many British companies that rely on Europe as their market as a place to sell their products will close;
· British people living abroad might lose many rights (such as health care / the right to work)
6. Why did politicians vote against May's deal?
The problem is quite simple: about 50% of the elected politicians in Parliament want to stay in the EU and about 50% want to leave the EU. So they cannot agree.
Roughly half of politicians think 'the deal' is too similar to still being in the EU, but the other half think the deal is too far away from our current relationship with the EU (and this will cause problems).
--------From YLYK 每日外刊精读专辑