英語視頻暢談歐美人文風情89：追憶新加坡鐵腕總理 - 李光耀

　　The first-ever Prime Minister of Singapore, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, is one of the longest-serving ministers in history and has continued to rule behind the scenes, despite having stepped down as Prime Minister in 1990. Many have claimed that Singapore is a modern police state, but despite this, under Lee's leadership, the tiny Southeast Asian island nation has achieved a great deal in the last 50 years, growing from a colonial port backwater to a powerful economic superpower that holds its own—not just in Asia, but also in the world.

　　新加坡史上首任總理，內閣資政李光耀，是史上在位最久的總理之一，且持續(xù)在幕后主政，盡管他在 1990 年已卸下總理位置。許多人聲稱新加坡是個現(xiàn)代的極權國家，但即便如此，在李光耀的領導下，這個小小的東南亞島國在過去五十年來取得許多成就，從一個殖民港口的落后狀態(tài)成長為一個不被擊敗的有力經濟強權--不僅在亞洲，還在全世界。

　　From a country weakened by the Second World War, overrun by communists, and experiencing numerous racial riots, after a much-anticipated merger with Malaysia failed, Lee succeeded in building up the nation, calming down racial tensions, and driving investment into Singapore by inviting foreign companies in. Today, Singapore's GDP represents 0.48 percent of the world's economy, and is much higher than the other nations in Asia. In fact, the country is considered to be one of the most expensive places to live in the world.

　　始于一個被二次世界大戰(zhàn)削弱的國家、被共產主義者侵擾，且經歷許多次種族暴動的國家，在一次和馬來西亞備受期待的合并失敗后，李光耀成功壯大國家、穩(wěn)定種族緊張情勢，并借由吸引外商進入來驅使投資進到新加坡。如今，新加坡的國內生產總值相當于全球經濟的百分之零點四八，比其他亞洲國家高出許多。事實上，這國家被認為是全世界最貴的居住地之一。

　　While Lee has been criticized as being authoritarian and intolerant of dissent, and Singapore being more prone to nepotism rather than meritocracy, it cannot be denied that Lee is a remarkable statesman, and his governance has brought Singapore into an era of power and wealth many countries can only envy at.

　　雖然李光耀被批評是獨裁主義者而且不容異議，且新加坡政治偏向裙帶關系而非功績主義，不可否認李光耀是個出色的政治家，而他的統(tǒng)治將新加坡帶領到一個許多國家只能眼紅的權力和富裕時代。

　　Whoever governs Singapore must have that iron in him—or give it up! This is not a game of cards. This is your life and mine. I've spent a whole lifetime building this, and as long as I am in charge, nobody is going to knock it down.

　　不管是誰治理新加坡，在他心中一定要擁有那鐵的意志--不然就放棄!這可不是紙牌游戲。這是你我的生命。我花了一輩子打造這一切，只要是我在管，就沒人能將它毀掉。

　　And even from my sickbed, even if you are going to lower me into the grave and I feel that something is going wrong, I'll get up.

　　即便是從我的病榻，就算是你們即將把我放進墳墓里，如果我感覺到有什么事出錯了，我就會爬起來。