Back in the day, when Quebec separatism was still a thing, the legendary comedian Yvon Deschamps used to get a big laugh by joking that what Quebecers really wanted was “an independent Quebec in a strong and united Canada.”
地道英文表达词组
Back in the day：遥想当年
Quebec separatism：魁北克独立思想/主义（同样，Taiwan separatism, HongKong separatism, 和 Tibetian separatism 中文的小伙伴就比较熟悉啦）
…be still a thing: …还是个事 （大家比较熟悉的是它的反义词： 这都不是事）
used to get a big laugh by joking that：曾经开玩笑说…（后面接从句）
Now along comes Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, with her “Alberta Sovereignty within a United Canada Act.” Who knew she had such a sense of humour?
地道英文表达词组
along comes…with: 伴随着…和…
a sense of humour：幽默感
such a sense of humour：such 表强调
But while Deschamps appreciated the absurdity of combining two fundamentally contradictory things — Quebec independence and Canadian unity — Smith seems to be quite serious. Perhaps she thinks tacking the words “United Canada” onto the name somehow softens the effect of the law itself.
地道英文表达词组
Tacking…onto: 加上 （这个表达是不是比add高级很多？）
It doesn’t. Whatever the name, and whatever assurances Smith’s government offers about the Alberta sovereignty act, it would in fact upend Canada’s constitutional order.
地道英文表达词组
Offer assurance: 作出保证
It would allow the Alberta government to decide on its own, without reference to the courts, if a federal law was “harmful” to the province’s interests. And if it so decided, it could refuse to enforce that law on its territory. Further, it could order any provincial entities(municipalities, police forces, universities and so on) to ignore the federal law.
英文语法
现在情况的虚拟语气：It would allow the Alberta government to decide on its own, without reference to the courts, if a federal law was “harmful” to the province’s interests.
主句用would，从句动词用一般过去时
地道英文表达词组
it so decided: 它是这样决定的（主语+so+动词：…是…的）
provincial entities：省级机构
That’s bad enough. If it was actually enforced, the law would nullify the authority of Ottawa in areas of its own jurisdiction — not just classic Alberta issues like energy, but even some parts of the Criminal Code, such as legislation on gun control. Quebec sovereigntistsmust be kicking themselves that they didn’t think of this when they held power.
地道英文表达词组
nullify the authority:使…权威无效
Quebec sovereigntists：魁北克主权主义者（延伸一下：Quebec sovereignty意为魁北克主权）
kicking oneself: 自责
…held power：…掌权/执政
But it gets worse, at least for Albertans themselves. The version of the bill introduced this week goes further than Smith had signalled when she was running for the leadership of Alberta’s United Conservative Party. It includes a power grab that would make even Doug Ford jealous.
地道英文表达词组
Get worse: 越来越糟（more and more worse用的比较普遍）
Introduce bill：提出法案 （introduce这里可不是介绍的意思哦）
go further than…：比…更进一步
The sovereignty act doesn’t just challenge Ottawa. Section 4 would also give Alberta’s cabinet unilateral power to amend laws in areas where it decides the province’s interests are threatened by federal measures. The cabinet could do that on its own, without all the messy business involved in going back to the legislature to approve its decisions. The act also puts stricter limits on Albertans’ rights to challenge such cabinet rulings in court.
地道英文表达词组
amend laws：修补法律（可不是change哦）
do that on its own：自己做（就是DIY）
involved in：包括（include的替换）
puts stricter limits on…： 对…施加了更加严格的限制
The irony here is that in the name of protecting Albertans from overreach by Ottawa, Smith proposes to strip them of protection fromoverreach by their own provincial government. Her bill would delegate powers to Alberta’s cabinet of a sort that are usually used only in emergencies, giving it a more or less permanent emergencies law with the supposed menace of federal intrusion as the excuse.
地道英文表达词组
in the name of…: 打着…的名义
proposes to do sth: 提议做某事（可用于替换support和advise）
strip…from…: 剥夺…从…
delegate powers to: 赋予…权利
more or less： 或多或少
with…as the excuse: 以…为借口
Even before that part of the law was made public, former Alberta premier Jason Kenney called the whole idea of the sovereignty act “catastrophically stupid” and warned it would “shred the rule of law.” And this from a man who had already embarked on his own aggressive “Alberta First” policy before being knifed by supporters who didn’t think he was going far enough. Smith is pushing Kenney’s own logic even further — past the breaking point.
地道英文表达词组
make public: 公开
shred the rule of law：破坏法治
embarked on：着手于
be going far enough: 做得不够好
push…even further: 更进一步
This is bad for Alberta and bad for Canada, but the good news is that Smith’s motives are transparently, even laughably, political. Facing a provincial election next May 29, she’s flailing around like a bad drunk in a bar, looking to provoke someone into a fight.
英文语法：并列句，可调换顺序，and可改为逗号
she’s flailing around like a bad drunk in a bar, looking to provoke someone into a fight.
= she’s flailing around like a bad drunk in a bar and looking to provoke someone into a fight.
That someone is the Trudeau government. She knows her best chance to be re-elected is to lure the federal Liberals into a confrontation and pose as the champion of Alberta rights. In that sense this isn’t a serious law, but a bit of political theatre designed to gin up support among voters who don’t know or care about the details.
地道英文表达词组
lure…into…: 引诱…
pose as: 以…姿态出现
In that sense：从这个意义上说
designed to：旨在
gin up: 激起
Obviously, the federal government should not walk into that trap. The federal Liberals should keep their cool no matter what provocations the Smith government sends their way over the next few months. They should refuse to play the role she’s scripted for them in her little re-election drama. Because what’s at stake is no joking matter.
地道英文表达词组
walk into that trap：不仅是走入某地，也可以是中计的意思
keep one’s cool: 保持冷静
no matter what：无论如何/whatever
sent provocation: 发出挑衅
scripted for：为…写剧本
at stake: in danger
From: Toronto Star