新西蘭人投票否決更換國旗 New Zealand votes No to new flag
The process lasted nearly two years, considered more than 10,000 designs and cost $26m but in the end it came to nothing: New Zealanders are sticking with colonial symbolism by keeping their current flag.
整個過程耗時近兩年，考慮了超過1萬種設計，花費了2600萬美元，但是最終卻什麼都沒改變：新西蘭人選擇保留目前的國旗，守護殖民時期的象徵。
Results of a referendum that ended on Thursday will come as a blow to John Key, the country’s popular prime minister, who spearheaded the push for a new flag and described it as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to change the national symbol.
週四結束的公投結果將打擊該國頗具人氣的總理約翰•基(John Key)，他是支持新國旗的先鋒，並形容此次公投爲一代人僅有一次的更換國家象徵的機會。
Voters did not share the sentiment. More than 56 per cent of ballots — about 1.2m votes — were in favour of keeping the century-old Union Jack-anchored design rather than the alternative option of a silver fern on a black and blue background
選民們卻沒有感同身受。超過56%的選票——約120萬張——支持保留以聯合王國國旗圖案爲主、使用了一個世紀的設計，否決了黑藍背景下銀蕨的替代方案。
“New Zealand has voted to retain our current flag,” Mr Key tweeted shortly after the results were announced. “I encourage all NZers to use it, embrace it and, more importantly, be proud of it.”
“新西蘭投票保留了我們目前的國旗，”基在結果宣佈後不久在Twitter上稱，“我鼓勵所有新西蘭人使用和接受它，更重要的是以它爲豪。”
The referendum sparked renewed debate across the Asia-Pacific region on national and colonial identity and the relationship with the UK.
此次公投在部分亞太國家引發了有關國家和殖民身份認同以及與英國關係的新一輪辯論。
Last year Fiji announced plans to erase the Union Jack from its national flag and is now considering new designs. It hopes to have a new flag in place by October to mark the 45th anniversary of its independence.
去年，斐濟宣佈了從國旗上去除聯合王國標誌的計劃，目前正在考慮新設計。它希望最遲在10月擁有新國旗，以慶祝獨立45週年。
“We need to replace the symbols on our existing flag that are out of date and no longer relevant, including some anchored to our colonial past,” said Frank Bainimarama, Fiji’s prime minister.
“我們需要替換掉現有國旗上過時且不再有意義的符號，包括一些與我們的殖民地歷史相關的符號，”斐濟總理弗蘭克•姆拜尼馬拉馬(Frank Bainimarama)表示。
In Australia there has also been a push to sever colonial-era symbolism. Opposition politicians and state premiers in January signed a joint statement calling for the establishment of a republic, almost two decades after a 1999 referendum on the subject was defeated.
澳大利亞也有去除殖民地時期象徵的努力。1月，反對派政治人士及各州州長簽署了一項聯合聲明，呼籲建立共和國。1999年，針對該主題的公投失敗。
But Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, a staunch republican who led the earlier campaign, blocked the move, saying the timing was not right and that nothing should be done while the current Queen remains on the throne.
但是澳大利亞總理、領導上次公投的堅定的共和主義者馬爾科姆•特恩布爾(Malcolm Turnbull)阻止了這一行動，稱目前的時機不合適，在現任女王仍然在位期間不應該這樣做。
“There are many more urgent issues confronting Australia and indeed confronting the government than the momentum or the desire for Australia to become a -republic,” Mr Turnbull said.
“澳大利亞、實際上是政府，目前面對着很多比鼓動澳大利亞成爲共和國的勢頭或願望更緊要的問題，”特恩布爾稱。
