以下文章来自WX公主号“英语跃进”
Just last month India was taking flak from the West for its relationship with Russia. Not only was the South Asian country refusing to condemn Moscow's brutal assault on Ukraine, but its purchases of discounted Russian oil -- said critics -- were flying in the face of sanctions aimed at crippling the Kremlin's finances.
就在上个月，印度因为与俄罗斯的关系而受到西方的抨击。批评人士说，这一南亚国家不仅拒绝谴责莫斯科对乌克兰的野蛮袭击，而且还购买打折的俄罗斯石油，公然无视旨在削弱克里姆林宫财政的制裁。
And the White House was making its displeasure clear, calling New Delhi "somewhat shaky" and speaking of its "disappointment".
白宫明确表示了不满，称新德里“有些动摇”，并对其感到“失望”。
Then all of a sudden, the West's tune changed. When Biden met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi this month, it was all diplomatic backslapping and soundbites about "a deep connection between our people" and "shared values." Then on Friday UK leader Boris Johnson flew into Delhi to talk up trade ties and pose for costumed photo ops, all while glossing over "differences" regarding Russia.
然后突然之间，西方的调子变了。当拜登本月会见印度总理莫迪时，都是关于“我们人民之间的深刻联系”和“共同价值观”的外交亲密声音。随后，周五，英国领导人鲍里斯·约翰逊飞往德里，谈论贸易关系，摆出盛装的照片，同时搁置双方关于俄罗斯的“分歧”。
Yet India's stance on Ukraine remains largely the same. It is still buying cheap Russian oil -- in fact, it has bought nearly as much in the first months of 2022 as it did in whole of 2021, according to Reuters -- and it remains quiet on Moscow's invasion. As recently as April 7 it abstained from a UN vote suspending Russia from the Human Rights Council.
然而，印度在乌克兰问题上的立场基本保持不变。它仍然在购买便宜的俄罗斯石油——事实上，据路透社报道，它在2022年头几个月购买的石油几乎达到了2021年全年的采购量，并且对莫斯科的入侵依然保持沉默。就在4月7日，联合国暂停俄罗斯加入人权理事会的投票中印度投了弃权票。
India, analysts say, just taught the West a masterclass in international diplomacy.
分析人士说，印度刚刚给西方上了一堂国际外交大师课。
Why India can gain advantage from both sides? Does India have any magic or irresistible charm?
为什么印度能够在西方和俄罗斯之间左右逢源？是有什么魔法，还是有令人难以抗拒的魅力？
The answer is China.
答案是中国。
With India vital to US efforts to counter the rise of China -- seen by the US as potentially an even bigger threat than Russia -- the West needed to bite its tongue.
由于印度对美国遏制中国崛起的战略至关重要——美国认为中国对其的潜在威胁可能比俄罗斯更大——西方容忍了印度的行为。
Or as Harsh V. Pant, a professor in international relations at King's College London, put it, the US realized it needed to treat India as a "new partner that needs to be wooed".
或者正如伦敦国王学院（King's College London）国际关系学教授Harsh V. Pant所说，美国意识到需要将印度视为“需要被拉拢的新伙伴”。
重点词汇
cripple /ˈkrɪp(ə)l/ v. 使残疾；严重损坏，严重削弱
gloss over v. 掩盖，掩饰
stance /stæns/ n. （公开表明的）观点，态度，立场
abstain /əbˈsteɪn/ v. 弃权，不投票
vital to 极重要的；必不可少的
