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Photo: AFP
US creates new chaos in Middle East
US President Donald Trump on Monday imposed sanctions on Turkey, raising tariffs on Turkish steel up to 50 percent and halted negotiations over a $100 billion trade deal with Turkey.
美国总统特朗普星期一突然宣布制裁土耳其，将对土耳其钢铁的进口关税提升到50%，并且中止涉及1000亿美元的贸易协议的谈判。
Trump was believed to acquiesce to Turkey’s attacks on Kurdish forces after he announced the withdrawal of the last 1,000 US troops from northern Syria. However, after Turkey’s attacks had been opposed internationally, Washington imposed sanctions in a hurry. The self-contradictory moves of the US were widely criticized.
上周特朗普宣布从土叙边界撤出美军，被普遍认为是他对土耳其越界打击库尔德武装的默许，土耳其军事行动开启并招致全球反对后，华盛顿又紧急举起制裁大棒。这些前后矛盾的表现招来包括美国舆论在内的广泛批评。
Washington’s adjustment of policies in service of its own interests has ignited drastic changes in the Middle East. To sanction Turkey seemed more like a tactic – the Turkish lira devalued less than one percent against the US dollar, while the lira slid to a record low in August 2018 after the US announced it would sanction the country.
在过去一个多星期里，中东局势出现新的颠覆性变化，根源在于美国根据自身的算计调整了政策。白宫紧急制裁土耳其，更像是策略性措施。土耳其货币里拉在美方宣布制裁后的第一时间只有不到1%的跌幅，而上一轮美国宣布制裁，里拉曾应声暴跌。
People around the world are saying that being a US ally is far less beneficial on security. The Kurds have fought alongside US troops against the Islamic State (ISIS), but have been abandoned by the US easily. What a lesson.
现在全世界都在谈论，当美国盟友所对应的安全收益远不像人们之前想象的那样稳定。库尔德人在打击“伊斯兰国”的战争中与美国并肩作战，但美国说抛弃库尔德人，就这样抛弃了，这是最新的殷鉴。
The latest US sanctions on Turkey are also widely regarded as a manifestation of an unstable US policy. The sanctions were more like a move to deal with international public opinion rather than a declaration to defend justice and sovereignty. The White House could change its policy again someday. Many people don’t believe the sanctions on Turkey will last long.
华盛顿对土耳其宣布最新制裁，也被广泛看成美国政策不稳定的新表现。这一制裁更像是应付国际舆论的，不太像白宫准备捍卫主权道义的宣示。很多人会想，白宫的政策说不定哪天就又变了，对土制裁长期坚持下去的可能性很小。
Turkey’s attacks on Kurdish forces have stirred the Middle East. But Turkey is being widely criticized for violating Syria’s sovereignty. Turkey’s target is the Kurds who have contributed a lot in fighting ISIS. Ankara is not convincing to label the Kurdish fighters as terrorists.
土耳其越界打击库尔德武装，搅动了中东很多深层次的是是非非。但是第一，土这样做受到的谴责是普遍的，把叙利亚的主权不当一回事，它打击的对手又是反IS恐怖组织战争中的功臣，安卡拉将那些库尔德武装定义成“恐怖组织”，是很难服众的。
Another absurdity the turbulence in the Middle East has showcased is themutability of US policy due to the country’s selfishness. The US is a superpower with irreplaceable influence in the Middle East. However, opportunism can be seen in US moves, which is preferred by small countries. In addition, deeply affected by US leader’s personality, US policies in the Middle East are quite illogical. This has increased uncertainty in the region.
中东这场变局中的另一大槽点，就是高度自私导致的美国政策易变性。美国是超级大国，又长期在中东有着不可取代的影响力，但当今美国在中东的表现不乏像个别小国那样的投机主义，又受到美国领导人个性的深刻影响。这一切的逻辑在相当程度上是混乱的，加剧了中东局势的不确定性。
Is the US really going to abandon the Middle East? If so, Washington should pull itself from the region smoothly and avoid wrecking havoc in the region or making its people suffer. The US should be blamed for the chaos after withdrawing from the northern Syria.
美国真的要放弃中东吗？如果真是那样，它就应该安排自己平稳撤出的机制，尽量避免或减少撤出地区的局势动荡和当地人民的损失。像美军这样刚一撤出，立刻发生严重战乱，这笔账很大一部分就应该记在导致形势变动的华盛顿的头上。
No one believes that the US will completely leave the Middle East. Washington wants to keep its presence only where it can profit. As for northern Syria from where the US cannot substantially benefit from, it will fly the coop regardless of possible serious consequences.
实际上，没有人相信美国真的会撤出中东，华盛顿只是把算盘扒拉得比以前精多了，专找有利可图的肥的地区留驻。而在叙利亚北部这样的地方它没有油水可捞，就想拍屁股走人，不顾自己的贸然撤出可能导致的严重后果。
US selfishness and mutability have become the biggest reason for instability around the world. Washington has launched trade wars, triggered Turkey’s attack on Kurds, and made UN’s climate campaign difficult to carry out. Regrettably, the US can hardly be constrained within the current international order. Even rising nationalism within the US cannot prevent the US government from making irrational decisions.
美国的自私和易变性已经成为当今世界不稳定的一大新源头。它挑起贸易大战，刺激发生土耳其攻打库尔德人统治区的热战，造成联合国气候行动如此重大的国际合作面临困难。令人遗憾的是，美国在当今的国际体系中几乎不受任何约束，美国国内民族主义情绪上升，也形不成限制政府非理性决策的能力。
Instead of solving the problem, the US is increasingly creating a problem for the world. It is hoped the US can reflect upon itself. As a superpower with far-reaching interests, the US will benefit the most from a benign world order.
美国正越来越多地成为当今世界的问题制造者，而非问题解决者。希望美国社会能够排除民族主义情绪的干扰，对这一情况形成必要的反思。美国毕竟是超级大国，利益触角伸得比任何国家都远，有一个良好的世界秩序，它的受益也必然是最大的。
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