The Guardian view on closing schools: yet another least-bad option 《卫报》关于关闭学校的观点：又一个没有更好办法的选择
The emergency coronavirus bill, which is about to go before parliament, contained a clause allowing ministers to force schools and nurseries to stay open, with expanded class sizes if necessary. But once again the momentum of events seems to have outstripped the government’s attempts to direct or contain them. 即将提交议会的新冠肺炎紧急法案有一项条款，允许大臣们强制学校和托儿所保持开放，必要时还可扩大班级规模。但事态发展的势头似乎再次超过了政府所能努力加以引导或遏制的范畴。
The capacity of schools to cope with large numbers of infected staff and students reached breaking point this week. Hundreds of institutions across Britain closed their gates and a sense of panic was growing. The government’s response, unveiled in Boris Johnson’s latest press conference, is to turn the country’s schools into surrogate childcare facilities. From next week, they will stay open only for children of key workers including those in the NHS, the police force and the food industry. Importantly, they will also continue to educate and feed vulnerable children – those who have a dedicated social worker or an education, health and care plan. All other students will stay at home for the foreseeable future. 本周，学校应对大量受感染工作人员和学生的能力达到了极限。英国各地的数百家机构关闭了大门，恐慌正在蔓延。鲍里斯·约翰逊（Boris Johnson）在最近一次的记者招待会上公布了政府应对举措，即把本国的学校变成照管儿童的替代场所。从下周开始，学校将仅对包括英国国家医疗服务体系（NHS）、警察系统和食品行业在内的关键岗位职工的子女开放。重要的是，学校还将继续教育弱势儿童并为其提供食物——也就是那些由专门的社会工作者照料或者拥有教育、卫生和护理计划的儿童。 在可预见的将来，其他所有学生都将呆在家里。
It was the prospect of losing key workers to childcare duties which persuaded the government that the schools should stay open as long as possible. To that extent, a circle has been squared. But there will be bemusement in many quarters that this did not come sooner. 正是关键岗位职工会忙于照管儿童的可能性，才促使政府认为学校应当尽可能长时间地开放。英国政府正是通过这项政策来尝试完成这个不可能的任务。但许多家庭或许会对该政策为何未能尽快推行感到困惑。
The government’s decision was presented by Mr Johnson as a practical step to apply “downward pressure” on the upward curve of the epidemic’s trajectory. It was the right move at the right time, he said, while reiterating the scientific advice that schools were not a significant factor in transmission of the epidemic. But as recently as the beginning of this week, the closure of schools did not appear imminent. Once again, the lines between politics, pragmatism and science are blurred and confusing. 政府的决定被约翰逊描述成对新冠肺炎的上升曲线施加“下行压力”的切实可行举措。他表示，现在做出这项举措，时机刚好。他还同时重申了科学建议，即学校不是传播新冠肺炎疫情的重要因素。但是，本周刚开始的时候，关闭学校的做法还显得遥遥无期。政治、务实主义和科学之间的界限又一次变得模糊，让人捉摸不透。
In a crisis where there are only least-bad options, the challenges created by sending most students home are enormous. That parents and pupils now know that school exams will not take place this summer is welcome. The prime minister promised that students will “get the qualifications they need”. But the criteria for awarding them will need to be carefully thought through; they should not penalise those who could have used the time between now and June to make up lost time. 在这场只剩下没有更好办法的选择的疫情危机中，让绝大多数学生待在家里所带来的挑战是巨大的。父母和学生如今都知道学校考试不会在今年夏天进行非常不错。首相承诺，学生将“获得所需的学历证书”。但是授予他们证书的标准需要被充分考虑；学校也不应该惩罚那些本可以将现在到六月份的这段时间用来好好学习但是却没有这样做的学生。
As virtual learning takes its place alongside virtual working in the transformed family home, there will need to be help and advice for millions of overwhelmed parents. The prime minister’s plea that children should, as far as is possible, be kept away from elderly relatives will be painful and difficult for some families to achieve. 在线上学习和线上办公成为家里的主要学习和工作方式之后，数百万不堪重负的父母或将需要帮助和建议。首相要求孩子应该尽可能地远离他们的长辈亲戚，而这对于一些家庭来说，实现起来会很痛苦很困难。
Midway through a week that no one will forget, one of the last remaining bulwarks of normality has been breached. From protecting business and employment to organising education and childcare, extraordinary responsibilities are now devolving to the government. Some cherished liberal norms and rights are also about to be put on hold: the coronavirus bill is expected to receive royal assent next week. It empowers police to detain individuals suspected of having contracted the disease. Mr Johnson reiterated in his latest press conference that he would not hesitate to impose further restrictions on individual conduct, when judged necessary. 没有人会忘记在这周里，仅剩的正常生活里最后的壁垒也被打破了。从保护商业和就业到组织教育和儿童看护，政府承担着不同寻常的责任。一些为人珍视的自由规范和权利也会被搁置一旁：新冠肺炎法案预计下周获得王室批准。它授权警察拘留疑似感染新冠肺炎的人。约翰逊在他最近的记者招待会上重申，必要时他将毫不犹豫地进一步限制个人行为。
Stealthily, steadily, the disease is recalibrating the relationship between individuals, society and the state. There is only one parallel to draw upon. In the Britain of 1939, the Emergency Powers (Defence) Act gave ministers a range of controls over citizens extending to what they ate, how and where they worked, and even what they wore. As a population we are now entering similar terrain. It is a strange landscape, fraught with risk. The government must tread with extreme care. The public will need to demonstrate the kind of forbearance that previous generations showed in wartime. This Wednesday it was the turn of the schools. But there will be more to come. 不知不觉间，此次疫情正在逐渐重新定义个人、社会及国家之间的关系。过去仅有一次可以与此相提并论。在1939年的英国，《紧急权力（国防）法》使大臣们对公民的控制范围扩大到他们的饮食，他们的工作方式和工作地点，甚至他们的穿着。我们整体又陷入了相似的困境。这像是充满着风险的奇怪景象。政府必须谨慎行事。公众需要表现出之前几代人在战时展现出来的从容。这周三仅仅是学校的关闭，但还会有更多的情况在等待着我们。
