民进党前主席绝食抗议台湾新建核电厂

A high-profile Taiwanese anti-nuclear activist began a hunger strike on Tuesday to protest construction of the island's fourth nuclear power plant, in what could become another challenge for the already beleaguered President Ma Ying-jeou.

Presidential Office of Republic of China台湾总统马英九写给林义雄的字条。周二台湾一位知名反核运动人士展开绝食以抗议岛内修建第四核电厂，这或使已陷入困境的总统马英九面临又一挑战。

Lin Yi-xiong, the former chairman of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party and a longtime anti-nuclear activist, vowed to sustain on only water until the government suspends construction of the northern Taipei plant.

素来反对核能的民进党前主席林义雄誓言只喝水来维系生命，直至政府暂停在台北北部修建核电厂。

Less than 24 hours after Mr. Lin began his strike, both Mr. Ma and Premier Jiang Yi-hua tried to visit him, only to be turned away. Hunger strikes aren't uncommon in the oft-fractious island, but Mr. Lin is the first striker who has received personal attention from the president and the cabinet leader.

在他展开绝食不到24小时，马英九和行政院长江宜桦便试图前去探视，但遭到回绝。绝食抗议在台湾并不罕见。但林义雄作为抗议者受到总统和行政院长的特别关注则尚属首次。

With virtually no natural resources of its own, Taiwan imports more than 95% of its energy, with much of it coming from Australia, the Middle East and Africa. The government argues that with the island's three existing nuclear plants going offline in phases by 2025, a fourth plant is necessary to ensure energy security. Last year, the government agreed to hold a national referendum to decide the plant's fate, but the timing of the vote hasn't yet been decided and meanwhile construction is continuing.

台湾本地能源资源极度匮乏，超过95%的能源依靠进口，其中大多来自澳大利亚、中东和非洲。政府称台湾现有的三个核电厂将在2025年完成除役，因而有必要修建第四核电厂以确保能源安全。去年政府同意举行全民公投以决定核电厂的命运，但投票时间尚未敲定，而与此同时核电厂的施工仍在继续。

Nuclear energy is a contentious issue that has divided Taiwan for more than two decades. Opponents, spurred by the 2013 Fukushima nuclear disaster, say the new plant is riddled with safety problems and that the earthquake-prone island should instead focus on developing alternative forms of energy. The government maintains that the plant is safe.

20多年来台湾社会对核能问题一直争议不休。在2013年日本福岛核电站发生泄漏事故的影响下，反核人士称新核电厂存在安全隐患，而地震多发的台湾应当注重发展可替代能源。台湾政府坚称核电厂是安全的。

Shortly before he began his protest, Mr. Lin told the press he was 'sorry my 20 years of efforts have failed to move those in power.'

林义雄在禁食不久前对报社记者说：“我非常惭愧我努力了20年，没有感动我们的掌权者。”

Analysts say that given his clout and the public's already-ballooning opposition to nuclear power, Mr. Ma's ruling Nationalist Party, or Kuomintang, would face more arduous battles ahead of local elections later this year if Mr. Lin dies as a result of his hunger strike.

分析师称，考虑到林义雄的影响力以及公众日益反对核电的态度，如果林义雄因为绝食抗议而死亡，那么在今年晚些时候台湾举行的地方选举之前，马英九所在的国民党将面临更加艰难的选战。

Mr. Ma--whose approval rating is currently 14%, according to a poll by Taiwan Indicator Survey Research--relied on his accommodative China policies to win re-election in 2012. But these same policies have also become his Achilles heels recently, with more people questioning whether the warmer trade ties with China have benefited Taiwan's average workers.

据台湾指标调查研究公司(Taiwan Indicators Survey Research)的民调显示，马英九当前的支持率为14%。2012年马英九凭藉他开放的中国大陆政策赢得连任。但如今这些政策也成为他的软肋，越来越多的人质疑两岸加强贸易合作到底有没有让台湾普通工人受益。

In mid-March, the growing doubts over closer ties with China ignited Taiwan's longest-running student protest, which left the legislature paralyzed for 24-days. Mr. Lin was an outspoken supporter for the movement.

3月中旬，台湾人对加强两岸经贸合作的质疑引发了台湾持续时间最长的学生抗议活动，导致台湾立法机构被占24天。林义雄是这场学生运动的强烈支持者。

At 73, Mr. Lin is regarded across party lines as one of the most influential political figures in Taiwan since the 1970s. As a dissident, he was jailed multiple times during the island's martial law era (1949-87).

现年73岁的林义雄被公认为上世纪70年代以来台湾最有影响力的政治人物之一。作为一名持不同政见的人士，他曾在台湾戒严时期(1949-1987)多次被判入狱。

In 1980, while Mr. Lin was imprisoned as a dissident, his mother and his seven-year old twin daughters were found stabbed to death in the basement of their home. His oldest daughter survived the attack with severe injuries. The case remain unsolved, and the house, which has been turned into a church, is where Mr. Lin is staging his fast.

80年代林义雄因政见不同而被关押在监狱，他的母亲和当时七岁的双胞胎女儿被发现在家中地下室被杀身亡。其长女虽然脱险，但多处受伤。此案至今仍未侦破。林宅如今已被建成教堂，林义雄便是在此教堂进行绝食。

'If I die, please wrap me up with the bed sheet and put me inside the crematory. Place my ashes in the old unwanted bottle lying around in the house. You will be sad over Dad's death, but I hope the shorter the duration will be, the better,' Mr. Lin wrote in an open letter to his surviving daughter.

林义雄在写给长女的信中交代：“如果我死了，用床单将我裹起来，丢进焚化炉；骨灰要装在家里的旧瓶旧罐里；爸爸死了，你当然会伤心一阵子，但我希望这时间越短越好。”

Other anti-nuclear activists plan to join Mr. Lin in protest by staging a demonstration in front the Presidential Office on Saturday.

台湾其他反核团体计划周六在马英九办公场所前举行示威活动以声援林义雄。

Jenny W. Hsu

Jenny W. Hsu