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One former chancellor of the Exchequer, Kenneth Clarke, accused Mr. Johnson of setting impossible conditions for the negotiations,
前财政大臣肯尼斯·克拉克对约翰逊进行了多番指责，称其为谈判设置的门槛过高，
attaching as much blame as possible to the European Union for the failure to get a deal
将达成协议失败的责任尽可能推到欧盟身上，
and then seeking to hold a “flag-waving election” before the disadvantages of leaving without an agreement become apparent.
还企图在硬脱欧暴露出明显的弊端之前举行一场“充斥着爱国主义情绪的选举。”
The bitter dispute has taken Britain into new political territory.
这场激烈的争端已经将英国推入了新的政治领域。
Last week, Mr. Johnson provoked outrage by curtailing Parliament’s sessions in September and October,
上周，约翰逊削减了国会9月和10月的议程，
compacting the amount of time lawmakers would have to deal with the most crucial decision the country has faced in decades.
缩短了议员们处理该国几十年来面临的最关键的抉择的时间，此举掀起了众怒。
Mr. Johnson’s allies argue that it is the rebels who are subverting the principles of Britain’s unwritten constitution
约翰逊的盟友辩称，是反叛分子在颠覆英国不成文宪法的规定，
by seizing control of the proceedings of Parliament that are normally the preserve of the government.
是他们控制了议会程序，而议会程序通常是政府的保留权利。
The European Commission said on Tuesday that
欧盟委员会周二表示，
while the frequency of meetings between its Brexit team and the British negotiator, David Frost, had increased,
尽管其脱欧事务团队与英方谈判代表戴维·弗罗斯特的会面频率有所增加，
little headway had been made toward avoiding a hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland.
双方在避免爱尔兰和北爱尔兰之间出现硬边界这一问题上几乎毫无进展。
Asked whether the British government was using reports of its talks with the commission for political purposes at home,
当被问及英国政府是否将其与欧盟委员会的会谈报告用于国内政治目的时，
the commission’s spokeswoman, Mina Andreeva, said that the body was “an honest broker, as always.”
该委员会发言人米娜·安德列娃表示，该机构“一直是一个真诚的中介，这次也不例外”。
She said she could not “report any concrete proposals having being made that we have seen.”
她说，她不能“透露我们已经看到的任何正在提出的具体建议”。
Mr. Hammond, a senior member of the cabinet two months ago,
两个月前任委员会高级成员的哈蒙德周二向BBC透露，
told the BBC on Tuesday that Mr. Johnson’s claim of progress on the negotiations was “disingenuous.”
约翰逊声称谈判已经取得进展的说法“不实”。
To add to the turmoil and confusion,
雪上加霜的是，
the opposition Labour Party suggested it might thwart Mr. Johnson’s attempt to push for a general election, should it come to that.
反对党工党暗示，它可能会阻挠约翰逊推动大选的努力，如果事态真的发展到这一地步的话。
Under a 2011 law, the prime minister needs a two-thirds majority to secure a snap election,
颁布于2011年的一项法律规定，首相需要三分之二的多数票才能提前选举，
although it is possible that the government might try to legislate to set that provision aside,
不过，政府试图通过立法无视这一条款也是可能的，
a move that would mean it needs only a simple majority.
这一举动就意味着，届时首相只需要过半的投票即可提前选举。
There is so little trust in British politics that Mr. Johnson’s opponents fear that he might request an election for Oct. 14
民众对英国政治的信任度几乎已经荡然无存，约翰逊的反对者担心，他可能会要求在10月14日举行大选，
but then switch the date until after Oct. 31 as part of a move to lock in a no-deal withdrawal.
但随后将日期改到10月31日之后，作为锁定无协议脱欧的部分举措之一。
Labour has said that its priority is to stop Britain leaving the European Union without a deal,
工党已经表示，出于对这样的离开对英国经济可能造成的影响的担忧，
because of concerns about what such a departure would mean for the economy.
他们的首要任务是阻止英国无协议脱欧。
But Labour’s stance underscores that the backdrop to everything in British politics
然而，工党的立场也突显出，英国政治的方方面面
is a sense that a general election is looming, with key players maneuvering for the most advantageous moment.
都已经被大选即将到来，关键人物都在为最有利的时刻做准备这一预感笼罩着。
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