近日，沙特王国爆发了一场肃贪风暴。有人称，这不过是穆罕默德·本·沙尔曼借反腐之名来清洗其他王子，以巩固王储的权力。据悉，包括十一名沙特王子、四名现任政府部长及十几名前任部长等共计数十人遭到逮捕 (11名王子中还包括沙特首富和全球著名亿万富翁)。长久以来，沙特国王一直尝试打造王室内部的共识，但沙尔曼此次的改弦更张更加倾向于把自己打造成沙特阿拉伯政策的唯一面庞。沙尔曼希望沙特能够摆脱依赖石油的经济计划。若此行未能成功，相信老百姓是不会满意的。
Kingdom on Edge: Saudi Arabia
① Muhammad bin Salman, the crown prince, spent the weekend consolidating his power.
② On November 4th the kingdom announced that scores of people had been arrested in an anti-corruption sweep.
③ The best-known figure was Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, a billionaire businessman and investor.
④ The detainees also include ten other princes, and dozens of current and former ministers.
⑤ Some are reportedly being held in Riyadh's opulent Ritz-Carlton.
⑥ Prince Muhammad has also shaken up the top economic and security posts, dismissing Prince Mutaib bin Abdullah, the commander of the National Guard, once regarded as a possible king.
⑦ To call all of this unprecedented would be an understatement.
⑧ For decades, Saudi kings tried to forge consensus within the sprawling royal family.
⑨ But Prince Muhammad has fashioned himself the sole face of Saudi policy.
⑩ He has ambitious economic plans to wean the kingdom off oil.
⑪ If they falter, Saudis will know whom to blame.
▍生词好句
consolidate /kənˈsɒlɪdeɪt/: vt. 巩固
score /skɔː/: n. 二十
anti-corruption /kəˈrʌpʃ(ə)n/: adj. 反腐的
sweep /swiːp/: n. 彻底扫荡
opulent /ˈɒpjʊl(ə)nt/: adj. 奢华的；奢侈的
dismiss /dɪsˈmɪs/: vt. 解职
unprecedented /ʌnˈprɛsɪdɛntɪd/: adj. 史无前例的
understatement /ˈʌndəsteɪtm(ə)nt/ /ʌndəˈsteɪtm(ə)nt/: n. 轻描淡写；保守的说法
forge /fɔːdʒ/: vt. 打造；形成；使……成为
consensus /kənˈsɛnsəs/: n. 共识
sprawling /sprɔːlɪŋ/: adj. 无序蔓延的
fashion /ˈfaʃ(ə)n/: vt. 形成
sole /səʊl/: adj. 唯一的
wean off /wiːn/: 切断依赖
falter/ˈfɒltə/ /ˈfɔːltə/: vi. 运转不畅
