特里萨•梅(Theresa May)领导的英国政府就苏格兰再次举行独立公投向苏格兰首席大臣尼古拉•斯特金(Nicola Sturgeon)摊牌，排除了在2019年英国退欧过后很久之前举行二次公投的可能性。
The UK government’s rejection of the Scottish first minister’s call for a referendum before or shortly after Brexit raises the stakes of Scotland’s constitutional debate and risks turning moderate voters against the three century-old union with England.
英国政府拒绝了斯特金提出的在英国退欧之前或之后不久举行独立公投的要求，这加大了苏格兰举行宪法辩论的风险，可能会让温和选民反对苏格兰与英格兰长达300年的联盟。
In an interview with ITV, Mrs May said it was time to put “all of our energy” into getting a good deal with the EU and that voters would be unable to judge the new relationship by spring 2019.
在接受英国独立电视台(ITV)采访时，梅表示，现在应该“把我们所有的精力”放在与欧盟达成一项有利的协议方面，选民们将无法在2019年春季之前评判新的关系。
“We should be working together, not pulling apart,” the prime minister said. “Now is not the time [for another independence referendum].”
“我们应团结合作，而不是分裂，”梅表示，“现在并不是(举行另一次独立公投的)时候。”
Mrs May refused to give any more detail on timing, but Conservative colleagues made clear they were ruling out a Scottish referendum until long after Brexit — and also introduced tough new criteria for one to ever be approved.
梅拒绝就公投时间提供任何更多细节，但她的保守党同僚明确表示，他们将排除在英国退欧过后很久之前举行苏格兰独立公投的可能性，还为批准独立公投出台了严格的新标准。
Ruth Davidson, Scottish Conservative leader, suggested unanimous support in the parliament for a new referendum — the previous one was held in 2014 — would be a precondition.
苏格兰保守党领袖露丝•戴维森(Ruth Davidson)暗示，可能需要议会一致支持新的公投，上一次苏格兰独立公投在2014年举行。
“At an absolute minimum . . . there should be agreement across political parties and from the public at large,” said Ms Davidson, who has previously argued that the UK government should not seek to block a second referendum.
戴维森表示：“至少而言……各个政党乃至公众应该形成共识。”她以前曾辩称，英国政府不应寻求否决二次公投。
Ms Sturgeon said it would be a “democratic outrage” to reject the will of the Scottish parliament, where the Scottish Greens plan to back a motion next week from the minority Scottish National party government demanding a second referendum.
斯特金表示，拒绝苏格兰议会的意愿将是一种“民主暴行”，苏格兰绿党(Scottish Greens)计划下周支持苏格兰民族党(Scottish National party)组建的少数党政府就要求举行二次公投提出的一项动议。
Mrs May’s spokesman called for the vote to be called off.
梅的发言人呼吁取消二次公投。
The first minister said: “If the prime minister refuses to engage on the terms of a referendum before Brexit takes place then she is effectively trying to block the people of Scotland having a choice over their future,”.
斯特金表示：“如果首相拒绝在英国退欧之前商谈公投条款，她实际上就是在试图阻止苏格兰人民拥有对自己未来的选择。”
