作者 艾倫-若定（Alan Riding ）
如果英法關(guān)系開(kāi)始于1904年4月8日簽署的《友好協(xié)議》（Entente Cordiale），那麼兩國關(guān)系的記錄看起來(lái)應該不會(huì )很糟糕。這個(gè)協(xié)議使兩國在殖民地的競爭得以緩和；在兩次世界大戰中，兩國均為反對德國的盟國；最終，英法在歐盟范圍內互相合作，而同時(shí)又稍微帶有競爭的色彩。
不過(guò)問(wèn)題是，大部分英國人和法國人都認為，"友好協(xié)議"只不過(guò)是措詞而已，他們實(shí)際上并不相信它。
本周伊麗莎白女王為紀念這個(gè)協(xié)議簽署100周年而對法國進(jìn)行國事訪(fǎng)問(wèn)，這既是一個(gè)讓人回憶什麼分裂了兩個(gè)鄰居的時(shí)機，同樣也是一個(gè)回想什麼團結了兩國的機會(huì )。在這里，歷史則遠在1904年之前。英國人從1066年、法國人從百年戰爭之后，兩國政府和人民就懷著(zhù)嫉妒與敵意的復雜感情看待對方。即使在今天，他們之間的友好經(jīng)常是出于必要，而不是由于信念。
不過(guò)英法關(guān)系已發(fā)生了根本性變化，但這并不是《友好協(xié)議》的結果，而是因為60年前的諾曼底登陸使法國相信，那時(shí)的美國是英語(yǔ)世界--對法國人來(lái)說(shuō)就是盎格魯-薩克森人--毫無(wú)爭議的領(lǐng)袖，即使法國人還有點(diǎn)疑惑，當倫敦屈于美國的壓力而結束了1956年英法在蘇伊士的冒險時(shí)，它的這一信念得到了堅定。
結果，從那時(shí)起，英吉利海峽兩岸形成了基本上不對稱(chēng)的關(guān)系：現在，當法國向西看時(shí)，它將美國看作自己的競爭對手，而不是英國；當英國向東看時(shí)，它仍然將法國看作有時(shí)阻礙它與歐洲關(guān)系的國家。因此，當法國人癡迷于美國而有點(diǎn)漠視英國時(shí)，英國人對法國的愛(ài)恨仍然非常熱烈。當今法國總統希拉克和英國首相布萊爾的關(guān)系就講述了這個(gè)故事的一部分。
英法兩國在伊拉克問(wèn)題上拔刀相向，而人數令人吃驚的一批英國人竟贊同希拉克的反戰主張而批評布萊爾的親美立場(chǎng)。不過(guò)英法兩國政府的關(guān)系中同樣令人氣惱是希拉克明顯傾向于與德國結成歐洲戰略同盟，而不是與英國。法國人在政治上不可靠的觀(guān)點(diǎn)成為保守的英國新聞界的佐料，那些小報更不放過(guò)任何一個(gè)機會(huì )提醒人們"法國人的忘恩負義"，他們曾在第二次世界大戰中被英美救了出來(lái)的。形成對比的是，法國的報紙并沒(méi)有被英國的政治行為所激怒，而僅僅理所當然地認為倫敦會(huì )屈服于華盛頓。
英吉利海底隧道敘述著(zhù)一個(gè)不同的故事。雖然英國不愿意接受島國隔離狀態(tài)的結束，但是今天歐洲之星公司（Eurostar）的乘客57%是英國人，而只有26%為法國人。換一種說(shuō)法，就是英國人熱愛(ài)法國--它的城市、它的村莊、它的田園風(fēng)情以及它的生活藝術(shù)。大批英國人在這里度假，買(mǎi)第二所房子，但常常在懷著(zhù)摯愛(ài)之情重建時(shí)毀了它們。但對法國人來(lái)說(shuō)，英國提供了較低的稅收并能感受到城市的金融脈搏，相對而言，它很少能吸引旅游觀(guān)光者。
這是英國人再一次回應法國人，而不是相反。他們的矛盾心情從來(lái)沒(méi)有遠離過(guò)他們。沒(méi)有什麼事能比打敗法國的橄欖球隊或足球隊更使英國人高興了，然而法國人卻是阿森納、切爾西以及其他英國足球隊的最佳球星。沒(méi)有什麼事能比前往法國普羅旺斯（Proven?al）的家并囤積起紅酒更讓英國人更快樂(lè )了，但是很少人愿意費勁去學(xué)法文（當越來(lái)越多的法國人說(shuō)英語(yǔ)的時(shí)候，他們有一種復仇的感覺(jué)）。
伊麗莎白女王的訪(fǎng)問(wèn)還給了英國和法國的報紙一個(gè)測量?jì)蓚€(gè)遠鄰如何看待對方的機會(huì )。結果并不令人吃驚。巴黎中間偏左的《自由日報》與倫敦的《衛報》（The Guardian）聯(lián)合出版了星期一增刊，其頭版整個(gè)版面上是個(gè)綠色大青蛙的照片，其上面的大字標題是：我愛(ài)你，我也不愛(ài)你。
更說(shuō)明問(wèn)題的也許是為這兩份報紙而進(jìn)行的BVA-ICM民意測驗的結果。當問(wèn)及最贊賞是什麼時(shí)，民意測驗中80%的英國人選擇了法國藝術(shù)和文化，而69%的法國人提到了英國音樂(lè )，可能是流行音樂(lè )?？梢灶A測的是，64%的英國人同樣喜歡法國的烹飪，而只有6%的法國人推許英國食品。令人奇怪的是，51%的英國人對希拉克印象良好，而布萊爾受到了49%的法國人的喜愛(ài)。
這次民意測驗同樣涉及到個(gè)人態(tài)度問(wèn)題。當要求指出一些典型特征時(shí)，76%的法國人認為英國人"信守原則"，而69%的英國人認為法國人富有"想像力"。在一些不太討人喜歡的性情方面，如"勾引他人"、"傲慢"和"膽小"等，英國人給法國人的分數要高于法國人給英國人的分數。如何看待英國和法國在今日歐洲中所處的位置也許最能說(shuō)明《友好協(xié)議》這一政治遺產(chǎn)了：85%的法國人和73%的英國人信任西班牙人，84%的法國人和69%的英國人信任德國人，而只有51%的英國人信任法國人，55%的法國人信任英國人?！禤èlerin》雜志上周刊登的另一份民意調查說(shuō)，法國人感覺(jué)同德國最親近，而英國只名列第五位。
而且法國人一直熱愛(ài)伊麗莎白女王和英國王室家族，這難道是因為他們擁有德國血統的緣故嗎？
附：網(wǎng)址與原文
http://www.iht.com/articles/513443.htm
News Analysis: A century of British-French love (and hate)??
Alan Riding/NYT NYT
Tuesday， April 6， 2004
PARIS If the history of Anglo-French relations had begun with the signing of the Entente Cordiale on April 8， 1904， the record would not look too bad. The agreement led to easing of colonial rivalry， alliances against Germany in two world wars and eventual collaboration， tinged with competition， within the European Union.
The problem is that most Britons and French know "entente cordiale" only as a phrase - and they do not really believe it.
Queen Elizabeth’s state visit to France this week to mark the accord’s 100th anniversary， then， is as much an occasion to remember what divides as what unites the neighbors. And here history began long before 1904. Since 1066 for the British and the 100 Years War for the French， governments and peoples have viewed each other with a mixture of envy and hostility. And even today， their cordiality is often more out of necessity than conviction.
Yet， Anglo-French relations have also changed fundamentally， not as a result of the Entente Cordiale， but because the D-Day landings 60 years ago persuaded the French that the United States was now the undisputed leader of the English-speaking - "Anglo-Saxon" to the French - world. And if any doubt existed， this was confirmed when London bowed to American pressure to end the Anglo-French Suez adventure in 1956.
As a result， since then， a basic asymmetry has shaped cross-channel relations: when France looks west， it now sees the United States， not Britain， as its competitor; but when Britain looks east， it still sees France controlling， at times blocking， its relationship with Europe. Thus， while the French are obsessed with the United States and somewhat indifferent to Britain， the British remain passionate about their love-hate for France. Relations today between President Jacques Chirac of France and Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain tell part of the story.
They crossed swords over Iraq， with a surprising number of Britons sharing Chirac’s opposition to the war and criticizing Blair’s pro-American stance. Yet， almost as irritating to Anglo-French government relations is Chirac’s clear preference for a strategic European alliance with Germany rather than Britain. The idea that the French cannot be trusted politically is therefore daily fodder for the conservative British press， with the tabloids never missing an occasion to remind of "frog ingratitude" at being "saved" by Britain and the United States in World War II. In contrast， French newspapers， rather then becoming exercised about British political behavior， simply take for granted that London is subservient to Washington.
The channel tunnel tells a different story. Britain reluctantly accepted ending its insularity， but today 57 percent of Eurostar passengers are Britons， while only 26 percent are French. Put differently， the British love France - its cities， its villages， its countryside， its art de vivre. They vacation here in vast numbers and buy second homes， often ruins that they lovingly rebuild. But for the French， while Britain offers lower taxes and the financial pulse of the City， it draws relatively few of them as a tourist destination.
Once again， then， it is the British responding to the French， rather than the other way around. And their ambivalence is never far away. Nothing gives Britons more pleasure than beating France in rugby or soccer， yet French players are the top stars of Arsenal， Chelsea and other British soccer teams. Nothing delights Britons more than to head for their Proven?al home and stock up on wine， yet few bother to learn French (and feel vindicated since more and more French speak English).
Still， Queen Elizabeth’s visit has given British and French newspapers a chance to gauge how the distant neighbors view each other. And the results are not surprising. The left-of-center Paris daily Libération， which published a joint supplement Monday with the London daily The Guardian， ran a front-page photograph of a large green frog under the headline， "I love you， moi non plus" - "I love you， neither do I."
More telling， perhaps， were the results of a BVA-ICM poll carried out for the two newspapers. Asked what they most admired， 80 percent of Britons in the poll chose French art and culture， while 69 percent of the French named English music， presumably pop. Predictably， 64 percent of Britons also liked French cuisine， while only 6 percent of the French approved of English food. And surprisingly， 51 percent of Britons had a good image of Chirac， while Blair was liked by 49 percent of the French.
The poll also addresses personal attitudes. Asked to pick some typical characteristics， 76 percent of the French considered Britons "faithful to their principles，" while 69 percent of Britons thought the French "imaginative." On less pleasing traits， such as "seductive，" "arrogant" and "cowardly，" Britons gave higher marks to the French than the French did to Britons. Where Britain and France are seen to fit into Europe today， however， perhaps says most about the legacy of the Entente Cordiale. While 85 percent of the French and 73 percent of Britons trust the Spaniards and 84 percent of the French and 69 percent of Britons trust the Germans， only 51 percent of Britons trust the French and 55 percent of the French trust the British. Another poll published last week by Pèlerin magazine said the French feel closest to Germany， with Britain ranking fifth in the list.
And yet the French have always loved Queen Elizabeth and the British royal family. Could it be because they have German blood?
The New York Times
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