Ukraine failed to anticipate the angry Western reaction to its treatment of jailed ex-prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko and the dispute risks ruining its hosting of the Euro 2012 soccer championship, observers said.
The Euro 2012 tournament co-hosted with Poland was set to be a glorious showcase for the ex-Soviet country, but President Viktor Yanukovych appears to have scored a massive own goal by allowing it to be overshadowed by the Tymoshenko case.
Austria has announced it will boycott all matches hosted by Ukraine, a move that reportedly could be matched by Germany. All EU commissioners will also be absent, while at least seven EU heads of state are shunning a summit to be hosted by Yanukovych in Yalta this month.
Photo: EPA
照片：歐新社
Tymoshenko, who was jailed for seven years on charges of abuse of power in October, upped the stakes in her standoff with the authorities last month by going on hunger strike and claiming she had been beaten by prison guards.
With an efficient PR machine fronted by the opposition leader’s telegenic, London School of Economics-educated daughter Yevgeniya, the Western reaction led by Germany has been tough, and it clearly caught the Yanukovych government off guard.
“No one expected that Germany would kick up such a fuss,”said a Ukrainian source close to the presidency, admitting that the administration had not drawn up any response to the crisis.
(AFP)
觀察家表示，烏克蘭未能預料到西方國家對前總理泰莫申科在獄中待遇的憤怒反應，以及這項爭議可能危及烏國所主辦的二○一二歐洲盃足球賽。
由烏國與波蘭共同主辦的二○一二歐洲盃足球賽原本應是展示這個前蘇聯國家光明面的好機會：但亞努科維奇總統卻似乎讓泰莫申科案蓋過球賽鋒芒，自己重重踢進了一記烏龍球。
奧地利已宣布將杯葛所有在烏國舉行的比賽，據說德國也可能跟進。歐盟所有執委也將缺席球賽，而至少有七位歐盟領袖已婉拒參加亞努科維奇本月在雅爾達主持的一場高峰會。
被控濫權的泰莫申科去年十月被判處七年有期徒刑，上個月她在獄中與當局對峙時展開絕食抗議，聲稱她曾遭獄卒毆打，使情勢更加危急。
在這位反對派領袖長相搶眼、又在曾就讀於倫敦政經學院的女兒葉芙根尼亞使出的有效公關攻勢下，以德國為首的西方國家反應相當強硬。亞努科維奇對此顯然來不及應變。
「沒人料到德國會挑起這麼大的事端，」一名接近總統的烏克蘭消息人士說，並坦承政府並未就這場危機準備好任何回應。
（法新社/翻譯：俞智敏）
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1. 展出的是幾幅張大千的名畫。 ˇ There are some masterpieces painted by Chang Dai-chien on exhibition. χ There are some masterpieces painting by Chang Dai-chien on exhibition. 註：現在分詞 painting 表明主動的或未完成的動作，這裏必須用過去分詞。現代英語裡，正句裡的 painted 一字，往往略去。若將 painting 視為名詞，則應加s — paintings. 2. 書前面有簡短的序言。 ˇ There is a short foreword preceding the book. χ There is a short foreword preceded the book. 註：precede 作「在……之前」解。a short foreword 是放在述詞後的主詞，應用現在分詞 preceding 表明主動的動作，句義與 There is a short foreword which precedes the book. 相同。 3. 你知道昨天發生的事故有誰在裡面嗎？ ˇ Do you know anyone who was in the accident that happened yesterday? χ Do you know anyone who was in the accident happened yesterday? 註：錯句中的 happened 是過去分詞，一般過去分詞形式有被動的意義，但 happen 是不及物動詞，不能用作被動形式。若用現在分詞 happening 則表示未完成的動作，與中文原意不合。 請參考下列例句： 我上個月發表的有關創造力的文章，你讀過沒？ ˇ Have you read my article about
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