Hegemony to rule for evermore?

霸权主义要永远统治下去吗？

The US-led military campaigns in yugoslavia during the 1990s heralded the beginning of a new age of hegemony. Recent advances in military technology have served to heighten an already high degree of military superiority. The british empire, at long last, appears to have found a powerful heir; pax americana-peace imposed by US domination. No longer are america’s interests restricted to its own hemisphere. The seven seas are heaving with the weight of america’s dozen or so aircraft carrier battle groups.

It is probably no heresy to say, though, that this situation cannot be called exactly healthful, hardly a fitting heirship to three centuries of britannia’s pomp and glory. Heredity seems to count for little these days, for how else could this former british colony display such arrogance, apparently feeling no need to heed the advice of some of her best friends and allies? This is no mere hearsay, I have it on good authority that any dissenting opinions are brusquely pushed aside. Be that as it may, the current hectic pace of military engagements may ultimately prove to be the achilles’ heel of american power.

And yet, for the time being, there seems to be no place to escape from attack, as even the last solitary herder tending his flock or herd on a bleak hillside in afghanistan, quietly enjoying a juicy piece of ham or mending the hem of his frock-heedless of the dangers around him—has found out. Those lucky individuals who are merely taken prisoner are unceremoniously herded into holding camps, hemmed in by barbed wire for an indefinite duration.

20世纪90年代，美国指挥的在南斯拉夫的军事行动预示着新霸权主义时代的开始。最近军事技术上的进步又提高了业已强大的军事优势。不列颠帝国似乎终于找到了一个强大的继承人。美国强权下的世界和平——美国控制下实施的和平。美国的利益不再局限于它自己的半球。世界七大洋被美国海上作战集团的十余艘航空母舰的沉重吨位直压得波涛起伏，不得平静。

不过，如果说这种局面不能被称为真正健康的，更不具备对大不列颠三个世纪的壮丽与辉煌的适当的继承权，恐怕不能算异端邪说。现在，遗传似乎没有多大用处，不然，除了明目张胆地对她一些最好朋友和盟国的建议不予理睬之外，还有什么其他方法能使这块前英国殖民地展示她那目空一切的高傲态度呢？这不是道听途说，我可以为此提供可靠资料证明任何不同意见都被轻率地推到一边。尽管如此，现在紧张的交战节奏可能最终被证明是美国权力的弱点（阿基里斯的脚跟）。

但是，目前似乎没有地方可以躲避战火，如同最后一个孤独的牧人在阿富汗一个荒凉的山坡上照管他的羊群或牛群，静静地享受一片多汁的火腿，或者修补外衣的边缘时——没有注意到周围的危险——所发现的。那些只不过沦为俘虏的幸运的人被随便地赶入有刺铁丝网包围的拘留营不定期地关押起来。

Healthful adj.有益健康的

Hearsay n.谣传

Heave v.（用力）举起，提升

Hectic adj.激动的，兴奋的，紧张的

Heed n.关心，注意

Heedless adj.不注意的

Heel n.脚后跟

Hegemony n.霸权，领导权

Heighten vt.提高，升高

Heir n.继承人，后嗣

Heirship n.继承权

Hem n.（衣服或裙子）褶边，边缘。 Vt.包围，关闭

Hemisphere n.半球，半脑

Herald vt.宣传。。。的消息， 预示。。。的来临

Herd n.兽群，人群。 Vt.把。。。赶在一起放牧，成群，群集

Herder n.牧者，牧人

Heredity n.遗传

Heresy n.异端 ，邪说。