埃德蒙顿，阿尔伯塔省——在加拿大石油资源丰富的阿尔伯塔省，选民以压倒性多数支持留在加拿大，周二公布的早期公投结果为总理马克·卡尼在美国总统唐纳德·特朗普发动贸易战和并吞威胁之际推动国家统一提供了助力。
EDMONTON, Alberta — Voters in Canada's oil-rich Alberta province overwhelmingly backed remaining in Canada, with early referendum results Tuesday delivering a boost to Prime Minister Mark Carney's push for national unity amid U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war and annexation threats.
根据阿尔伯塔选举局的非官方统计，已计入超过100万张选票，其中77%支持留在加拿大，23%支持启动分离进程。
With more than 1 million votes counted, 77% supported remaining in Canada, while 23% backed beginning a process toward separation, according to unofficial results from Elections Alberta.
此次公投并非直接投票决定独立。若获批准，将使阿尔伯塔走上未来就从加拿大分离进行投票的道路。
The referendum wasn't a direct vote on independence. Approval would have set Alberta on a path toward a future vote on separation from Canada.
“阿尔伯塔人作出了明确选择，”卡尼说。“他们选择团结，共同建设，互相照顾。最重要的是，阿尔伯塔人选择了加拿大。”卡尼表示，这一结果将使加拿大人能够共同前进，加快多元化贸易、推进重大基础设施项目，并将加拿大打造为全球能源强国，阿尔伯塔将位于其核心。然而，阿尔伯塔的分离主义者却看到了一线希望。
"Albertans made a clear choice," Carney said. "They chose unity, to build together, and to take care of each other. Above all, Albertans chose Canada." Carney said that the result would allow Canadians to move forward together and accelerate efforts to diversify trade, develop major infrastructure projects and make Canada a global energy powerhouse, with Alberta at its center. Alberta's separatists, however, saw a silver lining.
“我们还没有最终结果。我认为数字会有所波动，但可以公平地说，至少有四分之一的阿尔伯塔人认为阿尔伯塔需要得到更好的对待，”分离主义运动领袖基思·威尔逊说。
"We don't have the final results. I think the numbers are going to fluctuate, but it is fair to say that at least a quarter of Albertans feel that Alberta needs to be treated better," said Keith Wilson, a leader of the separatist movement.
阿尔伯塔省长丹妮尔·史密斯对早期结果表示欢迎，称这些结果显示了对留在加拿大的广泛支持。
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith welcomed the early results, saying they showed widespread support for remaining in Canada.
“阿尔伯塔人投票支持在统一的加拿大中拥有更强大的阿尔伯塔，”史密斯在社交媒体上发布。
"Albertans have voted for a stronger Alberta in a united Canada," Smith posted on social media.
史密斯在其执政的联合保守党内部受到分离主义者的压力，尽管她反对独立，却仍发起了公投。她表示将于周二晚上就结果和阿尔伯塔的未来发表讲话。
Smith, who called the referendum amid pressure from separatists within her governing United Conservative Party, or UCP, despite opposing independence, said that she would address the province Tuesday evening about the results and Alberta's future.
“我们是一个从海岸到海岸再到海岸团结一致的坚实国家，”前阿尔伯塔副省长、永远加拿大（Forever Canadian）反分离运动的领袖托马斯·卢卡苏克对支持者说。
"We are a solid country that's united from coast to coast to coast," Thomas Lukaszuk, a former Alberta deputy premier who led the Forever Canadian campaign against separation, told supporters.
由于投票站开放较晚，超过100个投票站被迫延长投票时间，周一的计票结果因此推迟公布。
Results were delayed after late openings forced more than 100 polling stations to extend voting hours Monday.
阿尔伯塔省拥有全球第四大已探明石油储量，是牛仔之乡，也是保守派的大本营，其政治文化长期以来与美国西部而非加拿大大部分地区更为相似。当地民众对渥太华加拿大联邦政府的不满根深蒂固，但传统上并未转化为对独立的广泛支持。
Alberta, home to the world's fourth-largest proven oil reserves, is cowboy country and a conservative stronghold whose political culture has long had more in common with the American West than much of Canada. Resentment toward Canada's federal government in Ottawa runs deep, but hasn't traditionally translated into widespread support for independence.
尽管该提案显然未能通过，分离主义领导人表示，他们已将一项边缘诉求发展成一场不会消失的运动。卡尼此前曾敦促阿尔伯塔省民众投下支持团结的决定性一票。
Despite the proposal's apparent failure, separatist leaders have said they turned a fringe cause into a movement that won't disappear. Carney earlier urged Albertans to deliver a decisive vote for unity.
“投票吧，就像加拿大的未来取决于此——因为事实确实如此，”他周五在他长大的埃德蒙顿举行的一场集会上说。
"Vote like Canada's future depends on it, because it does," he told a rally on Friday in Edmonton, where he grew up.
前省长贾森·肯尼表示，分离主义政党传统上只能获得1%或2%的选票。他说，对新冠限制措施的愤怒帮助动员了活动人士，这些人后来投身分离主义运动。
Separatist parties traditionally attracted only 1% or 2% of the vote, former Premier Jason Kenney said. Anger over COVID-19 restrictions helped mobilize activists who later embraced the separatist movement, he said.
特朗普的贸易战以及将加拿大变为美国第51个州的威胁，帮助卡尼在阿尔伯塔省争取到了支持——自由党总理在该省历来不受欢迎。
Trump's trade war and threats to make Canada the 51st U.S. state have helped Carney rally support in Alberta, where Liberal prime ministers have historically been unpopular.
分离主义倡导者杰夫·拉思表示，如果有30%的阿尔伯塔省民众投票支持启动分离程序，他会非常兴奋。他希望史密斯被赶下联合保守党领袖的位置，并表示该党可能会分裂，有可能催生一个新的支持独立的政党。
Separatist advocate Jeff Rath said that he would be thrilled if 30% of Albertans voted to begin the separation process. He wants Smith ousted as UCP leader and said that the party could splinter, potentially creating a new pro-independence party.
韦恩赖特选民达斯汀·德根哈特表示，阿尔伯塔省民众长期以来一直受到加拿大联邦政府的不公正对待。
Dustin Degenhardt, a Wainwright voter, said that Albertans have long been mistreated by Canada's federal government.
“阿尔伯塔实际上一直被当作一个殖民地来对待，”他在周一投票后说。“他们想从我们这里拿走、拿走、再拿走，却什么都不回报。”另一位韦恩赖特选民泰勒·麦艾萨克支持分离。
"Alberta has essentially been treated as, you know, a colony," he said after voting Monday. "They want to take and take and take from us, and not return anything." Taylor MacIsaac, another Wainwright voter, backed separation.
“我个人认为分离对阿尔伯塔有好处，作为一个在阿尔伯塔农村长大的非常保守的人，”她说。
"I think it'll be good for Alberta to separate personally, as a very conservative individual that grew up in rural Alberta," she said.
来自埃德蒙顿、59岁的戴夫·马尔卡批评说，与其把钱花在“关于公投的公投”上，不如投入医疗保健。
Dave Malka, 59, of Edmonton, criticized spending money on a "referendum on a referendum" rather than healthcare.
马尔卡表示，在特朗普威胁加拿大的当下，“这似乎发生在最糟糕的时刻——我们本应团结一致，结果却在自相内斗。”来自卡尔加里、35岁的杰克·格雷厄姆穿着枫叶图案的裤子和一件加拿大冰球夹克参加了卡尼的集会。他希望这次投票能终结这场争论。
With Trump threatening Canada, Malka said, "It seems to be happening at the absolute worst time when we should be united; instead we're fighting among ourselves." Jake Graham, 35, of Calgary, attended a Carney rally wearing maple leaf pants and a Canada hockey jacket. He hopes that the vote ends the debate.
“我希望这能在未来很长一段时间内平息这件事，希望结果清晰而果断，让这些抱怨声消失一阵子，让我们能成为一个团结的加拿大，”他说。
"I hope this squashes this for a long time to come and that it's clear and decisive, that these grumblings disappear for a while and we can be a united Canada," he said.