David Cameron, Britain’s prime minister, is putting in place plans to hold on to power and deliver his promised referendum on EU membership even if he fails to win an outright majority in a knife-edge general election on Thursday.

英国首相戴维•卡梅伦(David Cameron)正制定计划以谋求继续掌权，并打算即使不能在大选中赢得压倒性多数席位，也要按照此前承诺，就英国是否脱离欧盟(EU)举行公投。英国大选将于周四举行，结果仍十分难以预测。
But opposition Labour party leader Ed Miliband is making similar plans to form a minority government and could become prime minister even if he finishes second, thanks to the expected support of the separatist Scottish National party, which is forecast to win by a landslide north of the border.
不过，反对党工党(Labour)的领袖埃德•米利班德(Ed Miliband)也在制定类似计划，寻求组建一个少数党政府。他的选票即使落后于卡梅伦，仍有可能成为英国首相，因为奉行分离主义的苏格兰国家党(Scottish National Party)预计会支持米利班德，而该党预计会在英国北部取得压倒性胜利。

Opinion polls put the Conservatives and Labour neck-and-neck on about 34 points each, promising one of the most uncertain outcomes for decades in a British election, which until 2010 usually delivered a clear parliamentary majority to one of the two main parties.

民调显示，保守党(Conservatives)和工党(Labour)的支持率旗鼓相当，均为34%左右。这一局面令此次大选很可能成为数十年来英国大选中结果最难确定的一次。在2010年以前，英国两大主要政党中的一家通常会在大选中赢得明确的议会多数席位。
The Tories insist they detect some last-minute momentum in their favour. Allies of the Conservative leader say Mr Cameron would “move quickly” to begin talks with his current coalition partners, the pro-European Liberal Democrats, if he emerges with the most seats on May 7.
保守党人士坚称，大选前最后一刻的选情中有一些利于他们的迹象。卡梅伦的盟友表示，如果卡梅伦5月7日赢得最多席位，他会“尽快采取行动”，与现有联盟伙伴、亲欧洲的自由民主党人(Libreal Democrats)展开磋商。
The prime minister made clear yesterday that his plan to hold an “in-out” referendum by 2017 on Britain’s EU membership was a red line, saying: “I would not lead a government that doesn’t have that referendum in law and carried out.”
周日，卡梅伦明确表示，在2017年以前就英国是否脱离欧盟开展公投，是他的最后底线。他说：“我不会领导一个法律上不认可也不实施这一公投的政府。”
Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg signalled he could give Mr Cameron his referendum in exchange for his own party’s red lines, including more spending on schools, healthcare and a “fairer” deficit reduction plan.
自由民主党领导人尼克•克雷格(Nick Clegg)则表示，他可能会支持卡梅伦的公投计划，以换取推行自己所在党派的政治主张底线——包括加大对学校、医疗保健的开支，以及提高减赤方案“公平程度”。
The FT’s election calculator gives Mr Cameron 274 seats and Mr Miliband 270 — both well short of the 325 target for a House of Commons majority — leaving both dependent on the backing of other parties.
按照英国《金融时报》大选计算器的估计，卡梅伦预计会获得274个席位，米利班德预计会获得270个席位，都将大大低于获得议会下院多数席位所需的325个席位。这一局面意味着双方都需要得到其他政党的支持。
If Mr Cameron emerges as the leader of the biggest party he is expected to begin talks with the Lib Dems and also the Democratic Ulster Unionist party, which is demanding more public spending in Northern Ireland.
如果卡梅伦成为议会最大政党的领导人，预计他会启动与自由民主党及民主统一党(DUP)的磋商。民主统一党的主张是要求加大对北爱尔兰的公共开支。
Some Conservatives expect him to make his move on Friday, the day after polling day, to establish momentum, but even Lib Dem and DUP support may not take him over the finishing line.
部分保守党人预计，卡梅伦会在投票日之后的周五开始行动造势。然而，即使他得到自由民主党和民主统一党的支持，可能也无法确保取得最终胜利。
The SNP, which is opposed to austerity and wants to scrap Britain’s nuclear deterrent, has said it would help Mr Miliband into power in a hung parliament and “lock David Cameron out of Downing Street”.