2. YES,PRIME MINISTER 政治技巧、手段赏析

1. 无为政治是最大的有为？
（１）(P29) Instability and change [Two things that the civil service wishes to avoid at all cost-Editor]
作者很到位的评论。我觉得这可以从两方面看：一方面是任何较大的变动都会影响政客的固有利益,另一方面可能他们也知道自己和自己的同事有多么糟糕。。。还不如什么事不做。HA也有类似说法：（P88） “(PM and BW are seeking a better)…But the very words ‘better way’ imply change, always a dangerous notion.” ; (P140) “ We have a system of government with the engine of a lawn-mover and the brakes of a Rolls-Royce.”
(2) (P87) HA: “Although there are lots of things people want the PM to do, lots of things he should do, and any number of things he can do, there are very few things he has to do.”
正如(1)所说，哪怕一个变动都会遇到强大的既得利益集团的阻挠。对于PM来说也是如此。类似的句子还有（竟能如此恭维？）：
（3）（P214）BW: “No. It takes a great deal of strength to do nothing at all.” PM: “Dose it?” BW: “Yes. PM, that’s why people regard you as a strong leader.”



2. 与国防、外交有关的那一切。
(1) (P88) HA: “The only purpose of our defense policy is to make people believe that Britain is defended.”
所以官僚们才致力于采购价格很高的武器，因为价格“很高、听起来很牛逼”但他们心知肚明：这些武器会使用？只是噱头。不过，官僚们会担心记者（人民）对此产生疑虑，不过如果被问到国防上的相关问题，他们有杀手锏“It is national secret.”
（2）（P177） The standard Foreign Office response:
Stage 1:We say that nothing is going to happen
Stage 2:We say that something may be going to happen, but we should do nothing about it.
Stage 3:We say that may be we should do something about it, but there’s nothing we can do.
Stage 4:We say that may be there something we could have done but it’s too late now.
英国版“我方表示强烈谴责和严重关切“？其实1、2阶段是经常出现的，如果要到第3和第4阶段，是不会主动说出来的，只用行动表示。和国防有关的事情中，还有这种常用技巧：
（3）(P261) “We must ensure that if they cannot stand up to outside scrutiny we will make them top secret. This is in any case customary with all defense matters.”



3. 与议事有关的那一切
（1）官僚们怎样通过合法手段给自己涨工资？
 (P147) “The submission papers, which follow shortly, go up to Appendix Q, so there is little chance that the Cabinet will read them all.”
多么精明。把底层员工涨工资的内容写在前面,把自己的要求写在附页ABCD？..不，附页Q。让别人根本没精力看到那里，即把最核心的内容放在最不显眼的位置。这样的“疲劳战术”还可以这样使用：(P149) HA:“ I shall put the matter on the agenda last item before lunch. The agenda is full, so with careful management there will only be about five minutes left.” 大家都想着赶快吃饭了，现在的事情赶快了结吧！（不过，这招没上面的成功率那么高）
（2） 想让有一个正式议案？没那么容易。大家都闲着没事干呢。
（P188） There are nine further preliminary stages after Information Discussions and Formal Proposal:
a. Informal Discussions b. Formal proposals c. Preliminary study
d. Discussion document e. In-depth study f. Revised proposal
g. Policy h. Strategy i. Implementation plan circulated
j. Revised Implementation plan k. Cabinet authorization.
 


4. “对付媒体的复杂提问”
以下是YPM提供的独道方法。记者提问“A lot of people have said that you consider yourself above the law. 回答方式：
(P315) （1）“MAKE IT ALL APPEAR AN ACT. This approach only works for live TV interviews: you know, I’ve come to the conclusion that I don’t agree with what you suggested I should answer when you asked me that question downstairs before the programme began.The real answer is…” 这招针对电视访问,够狠的。无论主持人再怎么辩解，观众至少先起疑心了。

（2） “Take Refuge in a Long Pointless Narrative. If you can ramble on for long enough, no one will remember the question and therefore no one can tell if you answered it or not.” 这招比较普遍了吧，现在估计不好用了。