A group of powerful and increasingly influential states is poised to join the UN Security Council in elections this week, promising to alter the dynamics of the body’s decision-making.
数个实力强大、影响力日增的国家本周将通过选举加入联合国安理会(UN Security Council)，有望改变该机构的决策机制。
In the contest for five of the 10 regionally based rotating seats, India and South Africa are standing unopposed, while the General Assembly will determine on Tuesday which two of Germany, Canada and Portugal will join the 15-member council on January 1.
安理会10个非常任理事国的席位按地区分配并由轮选产生。在对其中5个席位的竞选中，印度和南非没有遭到任何反对，而联合国大会(General Assembly)将于周二决定，德国、加拿大和葡萄牙三国中，会有哪两个国家在明年1月1日成为安理会的15个成员国之一。
Colombia is assured the remaining seat as representative of Latin American and Caribbean nations.
作为拉丁美洲和加勒比海国家的代表，哥伦比亚已肯定会得到剩余的那个席位。
The newcomers will join Brazil and Nigeria, emerging regional powers that have already served the first 12 months of their non-renewable two-year terms.
而巴西和尼日利亚这两个新兴地区强国的两年任期已经过半。期满后，它们不能即行连任。
“It’s a bit unusual to have so many heavy hitters who in the past have positioned themselves for permanent seats,” said Carne Ross, a former British diplomat who heads the New York-based Independent Diplomat consultancy.
“（参选的）有那么多个曾经试图获得常任理事国席位的国家，这有些不同寻常，”前英国外交官卡恩•罗斯(Carne Ross)表示。如今他是纽约咨询机构独立外交组织(Independent Diplomat)的负责人。
“It will be interesting to see if you have serious countries ready to stand up to the big boys by forming alliances,” he added.
“看看是否会一些重要国家组成联盟，准备站起来挑战那些老大哥，将非常有意思，”他补充道。
The “big boys” are the five permanent members of the council – the US, Russia, China, UK and France – whose individual veto can overturn any resolution.
“老大哥”指的是安理会的5个常任理事国——美国、俄罗斯、中国、英国与法国。每个常任理事国都拥有推翻任何决议的否决权。
It is virtually impossible for the 10 non-permanent members of the council to stall measures on which all of the big five agree. They require seven votes in order to block a resolution.
获得5大常任理事国一致认可的措施，10个非常任理事国几乎不可能阻挠。阻止一项决议需要7票。
However, as Brazil and Turkey illustrated by their opposition to a fourth round of UN sanctions against Iran this year, the emerging powers are now less disposed to accept the reality of “big power” rule without a struggle.
然而，今年巴西和土耳其对联合国针对伊朗的第四轮制裁投了反对票，说明如今新兴强国已经不那么愿意不加抗争便欣然接受“强国”统治的现实。
The new council will include up to half the Group of 20, an institution that has come to overshadow the UN as a forum for international decision-making on economic issues.
新的安理会将囊括20国集团(G20)近一半的成员。后者在国际经济问题决策方面扮演的论坛角色，已逐渐超越联合国。
It will include all of the Brics – the alliance of emerging powers Brazil, Russia, India and China – and as many as three of the Group of Four that have pledged to support each other’s bids for a permanent seat on the Security Council.
金砖四国（巴西、俄罗斯、印度与中国这个新兴强国联盟）都将成为安理会成员。而四国联盟（巴西、德国、印度和日本）中，最多也将有3个国家获得席位。四国联盟承诺彼此支持，争取成为安理会常任理事国。
The G4 – which comprises Brazil, Germany, India and Japan – completes its own two-year UN term on December 31.
四国联盟的两年非常任理事国任期将于12月31日到期。
“This will be a very particular Security Council with lots of big countries,” said a diplomat from one of the permanent powers. “It may prove less amenable than the previous one.”
“这将是一届非常特别的安全理事会，包括了许多重要国家，”常任理事国之一的一名外交官员表示。“这或许会没有上一届安理会那么容易协调。”
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