◎俞智敏
Ukraine failed to anticipate the angry Western reaction to its treatment of jailed ex-prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko and the dispute risks ruining its hosting of the Euro 2012 football, observers said.
觀察家表示，烏克蘭未能預料到西方國家對前烏國總理泰莫申科在獄中待遇的憤怒反應，以及這項爭議可能危及烏國所主辦的2012歐洲盃足球賽。
The Euro 2012 tournament co-hosted with Poland was set to be a glorious showcase for the ex-Soviet country：but President Viktor Yanukovych appears to have scored a massive own goal by allowing it to be overshadowed by the Tymoshenko case.
由烏國與波蘭共同主辦的2012歐洲盃足球賽原本應是展示這個前蘇聯國家光明面的好機會：但亞努科維奇總統卻似乎讓泰莫申科案蓋過球賽鋒芒，自己重重踢進了一記烏龍球。
Austria has announced it will boycott all matches hosted by Ukraine, a move that reportedly could be matched by Germany. All European Union commissioners will also be absent, while at least seven EU heads of state are shunning a summit to be hosted by Yanukovych in Yalta this month.
奧地利已宣布將杯葛所有在烏國舉行的比賽，據說德國也可能跟進。歐盟所有執委也將缺席球賽，而至少有7位歐盟領袖已婉拒參加亞努科維奇本月在雅爾達主持的一場高峰會。
Tymoshenko, who was jailed for seven years on charges of abuse of power in October, upped the stakes in her standoff with the authorities last month by going on hunger strike and claiming she had been beaten by prison guards.
被控濫權的泰莫申科去年10月被判處7年有期徒刑，上個月她在獄中與當局對峙時展開絕食抗議，聲稱她曾遭獄卒毆打，使情勢更加危急。
With an efficient PR machine fronted by the opposition leader’s telegenic, London School of Economics-educated daughter Yevgeniya, the Western reaction led by Germany has been tough. And it clearly caught the Yanukovych government off guard.
在這位反對派領袖長相搶眼、又曾就讀於倫敦政經學院的女兒葉芙根尼亞所使出的有效公關攻勢下，以德國為首的西方國家反應相當強硬。亞努科維奇對此顯然完全沒有防備。
"No one expected that Germany would kick up such a fuss,"said a Ukrainian source close to the presidency, admitting that the administration had not drawn up any response to the crisis. （AFP）
「沒人料到德國會挑起這麼大的事端，」一名接近總統的烏克蘭消息人士說，並坦承烏國政府並未就這場危機準備好任何回應。（法新社）
新聞辭典
up/raise the stakes：片語，指提高比賽的獎金或酬勞，亦可引申為讓情勢更危急或難以忽視，例句：The stowaways are trying to raise the stakes by refusing to eat until they are given money and aid.（偷渡者試圖以拒食方式對當局施壓，直到他們獲得金錢和援助為止。）
catch off guard：片語，指讓人措手不及，沒有提防，例句：One of the larger airlines caught its rivals off guard yesterday by suddenly announcing a cut in fares.（其中一家大型航空公司昨天突然宣布機票降價，讓競爭對手來不及應變。）
kick up a fuss/row：片語，指挑起事端、引發騷亂，例句：The customer kicked up such a fuss about the food that the manager came to apologize.（客人對食物大發牢騷，經理不得不出面道歉。）
文章出處：自由時報電子報中英對照新聞
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