英国首相安迪·伯纳姆可能通过提出让英国重新加入欧盟的方案，改变了目前的局面。然而，在脱欧公投后的十年间，英国重新加入欧盟的前景依然十分渺茫；布鲁塞尔方面首先希望看到伦敦方面的具体计划和行动。
– British Prime Minister Andy Burnham may have shifted the dial by floating a return for his country to the European Union. But after a roller-coaster decade since the Brexit vote, the UK rejoining is only a distant prospect and Brussels is waiting first to see what London wants next.
“这是一个积极的信号，有助于改善双方的关系氛围，”一位不愿公开姓名的欧盟官员对法新社表示。
“It’s positive. It improves the tone,” one EU official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP.
“但我们不会改变我们的立场——仅仅因为背景音乐听起来很悦耳就改变态度。”今年7月上任的伯纳姆打破了英国首相的常规做法，为英国重新加入欧盟的可能性打开了大门。这位前曼彻斯特市长打破了前任凯尔·斯塔默所设定的种种限制，表示英国的选择可能包括维持现状、加入欧盟的关税同盟或单一市场，或者最终完全实现欧盟成员国资格。
“But we’re not going to change our approach because there’s nice music in the background.”Burnham – who took power in July – this week broke a taboo for a British premier by opening the door to the UK’s possible return to the fold. Smashing through red lines set by his cautious predecessor Keir Starmer, the former mayor of Manchester said potential options might include staying as is, joining the EU’s customs union or single market, or eventually going “all the way”.
这位新任英国领导人的积极表态得到了多位欧盟领导人的积极响应。法国总统埃马纽埃尔·马克龙用英语打趣道：“欢迎回来！”他说：“如果英国愿意回归，而且首相也朝着这个方向努力，那么这对英国和欧洲来说都是好消息。”
The positive vibes from the new UK leader drew a warm response from several of his European counterparts. “Welcome back,” quipped French President Emmanuel Macron in English. “If the British want to come back and if the prime minister is moving in that direction, I think that is very good news both for his country and for Europeans,” he said.
不过，布鲁塞尔方面的官方回应要谨慎得多。欧盟委员会发言人巴拉兹·乌尔瓦里表示：“英国政府应该明确自己希望如何发展与欧盟的关系；我们愿意听取他们提出的任何方案。”由于在过去十年中曾与六位不同的英国首相打交道，布鲁塞尔的外交官们已经对英国领导人的豪言壮语持谨慎态度。当被问及是否对英国再次提出新的合作要求感到沮丧时，一位欧盟官员简洁地回答：“是的。”
But the official response in Brussels was far more cautious. “It is for the UK government to set out how it wishes to develop its relationship with the EU going forward,” said European Commission spokesman Balazs Ujvari. “We remain open to engaging on the options it may put forward.”After dealing with six different prime ministers in a decade, diplomats in Brussels have grown wary of putting too much stock in their grand words. “Yes,” replied one succinctly, when asked if there was frustration at yet another fresh start from the UK. Summit’s gotta give?
对于伯纳姆来说，首要的考验就是与欧盟领导人乌尔苏拉·冯德莱恩和安东尼奥·科斯塔举行峰会，并达成一系列具体的合作成果。
The first test for Burnham will be locking in a summit with EU leaders Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa that can deliver an initial set of concrete results.
双方官员表示，他们希望在11月举行这一会议，但具体日期尚未敲定。
Officials on both sides say they are hoping to hold it in November– but the exact date is not fixed yet.
这次会议原本定于6月举行，旨在巩固斯塔默备受吹捧的与布鲁塞尔关系的“重启”，但在他去职后被取消。
The meeting was originally set for June to cement Starmer’s much-vaunted “reset” with Brussels, but was scrapped when he was dumped from office.
伯纳姆面临的谈判议题依然如故——达成一项允许双方年轻人工作和学习的协议，减少对动植物产品的检查，以及对接碳交易体系。摆在眼前的还有同样的棘手问题。
On the table for Burnham are the same issues – a deal for young people to work and study on both sides, cutting checks on plant and animal products, and linking up carbon trading schemes. There are also the same headaches.
欧盟国家希望英国允许欧洲学生以更优惠的价格在英国学习，而伦敦则对布鲁塞尔旨在优先发展本土产业的“欧洲制造”计划感到担忧。
EU countries want the UK to allow European students to study there more cheaply, while London is worried about a “Made in Europe” plan from Brussels to prioritise its own industries.
这位欧盟官员警告称，若没有“重大进展”，尤其是关于青年计划的进展，布鲁塞尔仍然不愿向伦敦做出任何让步。
The EU official warned that Brussels still was not willing to make any concessions to London without “significant advances”, most notably on the youth scheme.
随着伯纳姆上任后带来的全新氛围，一场成功的峰会可能会为更具雄心的努力奠定基础。
With the new mood music after Burnham’s arrival, a successful summit could lay the grounds for more ambitious efforts.
英国智库查塔姆研究所（Chatham House）的专家塞巴斯蒂安·梅拉尔（Sebastien Maillard）表示：“这可以起到恢复信任并在更好基础上重新开始的作用。”
“It can serve to restore trust and start afresh on a better footing,” said Sebastien Maillard, an expert at the British think tank Chatham House.
尽管如此，他表示英国重新加入欧盟的想法似乎仍然完全“不切实际”。他向法新社表示：“这步子迈得太大、也太快了。”
Nevertheless, he said that the idea of Britain rejoining the bloc still seemed completely “unrealistic”. “It’s too big, too soon,” he told AFP.
布鲁塞尔对英国是否能够接受欧盟关于重新加入的新条件存有重大疑虑。在长达数十年的成员国期间，伦敦曾就某些规则的“豁免权”进行谈判，并拒绝加入欧元单一货币或申根旅行区。
In Brussels there are major doubts over whether Britain could ever accept new terms from the bloc for rejoining. During its decades-long membership, London negotiated “carve outs” from some rules and refused to join the Euro single currency or Schengen travel zone.
伯纳姆本人从未掩饰他希望英国回归的愿望——他此前曾表示，希望看到英国“在我有生之年”重返欧盟。
Burnham himself has never hid his desire for Britain to return – having previously said he hopes to see it back in the EU “in my lifetime”.
他本周对英国广播公司（BBC）表示：“但这并不意味着现在就是时候。”
“But it’s not necessarily the case that that is now,” he told the BBC this week.