Friends forever?英法两国之间仅隔一条英吉利海峡，但它有时却像不可逾越的鸿沟。
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BRITAIN and France are separated by the English Channel, a body of water that can be crossed in as little as 20 minutes. But the cultures of the two countries sometimes seem to be miles apart.
英法两国在地域上只隔着一条20分钟内即可穿越的英吉利海峡，但在文化上却好象相去甚远。
Last Thursday Britain and France celebrated the 100th anniversary of the signing of a friendship agreement called the Entente Cordiale. The agreement —signed in London on April 8, 1904— marked a new beginning for the countries following centuries of wars and love-hate partnerships.
上周四是两国签订友好条约一百周年纪念日。该条约于1904年4月8日在伦敦签署，它标志着两国关系掀开了崭新的一页，而两国几个世纪的战争和恩恩怨怨也就此成为历史。
But their relationship has seen ups and downs over the past century. Just last year, there were fierce disagreements over the Iraq war—which British Prime Minister Tony Blair supported despite French President Jacques Chirac speaking out against it.
但是，回首过去的一百年，两国关系跌宕起伏。就在去年，两国在伊拉克战争问题上产生严重分歧。英国首相托尼?布莱尔支持对伊开战，而法国总统雅克?希拉克持反对态度。
This discomfort is expressed in Blair and Chirac's body language at international meetings. While the French leader often greets German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder with a hug, Blair just receives a handshake.
这种分歧从两人在国际会议上的肢体语言中可见一斑。法国领导人经常用拥抱来问候德国总理施罗德，而和布莱尔，只是握手而已。
However, some political experts say the war in Iraq could in fact have helped ties. "The British population was against war," said Francois Heisbourg, director of the Paris-based Foundation for Strategic Research. "So it could have actually helped bring the two sides closer."
然而，有些政治专家却说，伊战实际上有助于推动两国关系的发展。位于巴黎的战略研究基金会主任Francois Heisbourg评论说，“英国民众对战争的反对有利于加强两国关系。”
The history of divisions may well be because of the very different ways in which the two sides see the world.
两国有着分歧的历史传统，许多时候都源于看待世界的方式不同。
"The French think Britain is not doing its best to become part of Europe by not introducing the single European currency," said Geoff Hare, a former lecturer in French politics and language at Newcastle University in Britain. "France has spent the past 15 to 20 years making itself seen as part of the European Union."
英国Newcastle 大学前法国政治和语言讲师Geoff Hare说，“法国人认为，英国没有引入欧洲统一货币表明英国没有尽力融入欧洲。而在过去的15到20年时间里，法国则一直努力证明自己是欧洲联盟的一部分。”
But this doesn't stop 12 million Britons taking holidays in France each year. However, only 3 million French come in the opposite direction.
但这些分歧阻挡不了每年到法国度假的1200万英国人。同时，每年也有300万法国人去英国。
Surveys show that most French people feel closer to the Germans than they do the British. And the research carried out in Britain has found that only a third of the population believes the French can be trusted.
调查显示，大多数法国人感觉他们和德国人比和英国人更为亲近。而英国的研究证实，只有三分之一的英国人认为法国人值得信赖。
Perhaps this bad feeling comes because the British dislike France's close relationship wi
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