This one's the 57 year old crown prince,

這位是 57 歲的老太子

And this one (the one doing all the hand kissing) is his younger cousin.

而這位 (一直在做親手禮的這位) 是他年輕的堂弟

Listen to what the older cousin is saying:

聽聽那位老太子在說什麼：

He's being forced to give up his power and to pass the crown prince title

他被迫放棄權位，把皇太子稱號

to his younger cousin, a guy who's almost half his age.

過繼給他的年輕堂弟，一個年紀幾乎是他一半的小夥子

This is Mohammed bin Salman.

這位是 Mohammed bin Salman

In the West we just call him MBS.

在西方我們只叫他 MBS

And since this moment in June he's consolidated power so swiftly and so thoroughly

自六月開始，他整併權力的速度快速且徹底到

that in Saudi Arabia they just know him as Mr. Everything.

在沙烏地阿拉伯人們稱他為萬事先生

As crown prince, MBS will become king

作為太子， MBS 將會成為國王

And with all of this new power, MBS is seeking to assert his dominance throughout the Middle East

有了這個新的權力， MBS 正在中東地區力求支配權的主張

One of his big policies has been a vehement opposition to Saudi Arabia's neighbor, Iran.

他其中一項大政策會和沙烏地阿拉伯的鄰居，伊朗，針鋒相對

On that note he's found an ally in the White House.

針對這點，他找來了白宮的盟友

Inside the kingdom, MBS is also seeking to cement his authority

在王國裡， MBS 同樣在力求鞏固他的權威

and his dominance over the Royal Family.

和他對於皇室家庭的掌控

Saudi Arabia's young crown prince arresting hundreds of his own cousins

沙烏地阿拉伯的新太子逮捕了幾百位他自己的堂表兄弟

Crackdown on corruption

肅清貪污

11 princes and nearly 40 current or former officials detained,

11 位王子和近 40 位現任及前任官員遭到扣押

reportedly being held at the lavish Ritz Carlton.

據傳被扣留在奢華的麗思卡爾頓酒店

(Yes, if you're a Saudi Prince, "jail" is the Ritz Carlton.)

(是的，如果你是沙烏地阿拉伯王子，「監獄」就會是麗思卡爾頓酒店)

MBS called this a corruption crackdown and he branded himself as the financially responsible anti

MBS 稱之為鎮壓貪污，並稱呼自己為負責肅清經濟貪污的

corruption leader.

領導者

But we're talking about a guy who recently purchased one of the most expensive homes

但我們在講的這個人可是最近剛買下世上最昂貴的其中一棟住宅

in the world and who last year spent half a billion dollars on a painting.

在去年還花了五億元買一副畫作

He clearly had other motives for this crackdown beyond fiscal responsibility.

除了財政責任外，他肯定還有其他執行鎮壓的動機

One thing to realize is that the Saudi royal family is made up of thousands of members

要知道的一件事是，沙烏地皇室家族成員近上千人

who use public money generated from oil revenues to fund their unthinkably excessive lifestyles.

這些人利用來自石油收入的公款，供應他們難以想像奢靡的生活方式

So it wouldn't be hard for MBS

所以對於 MBS 而言

to crack down on anyone he wants to.

想鎮壓任何他想鎮壓的人都不難

Coming into power, MBS' second big move

掌權後，MBS 的第二大行動

was to loosen the strict moral and social rules of the kingdom.

就是放寬王國中的道德和社會規範

He stripped the religious police of their right to make arrests.

他褫奪了宗教警察逮捕人民的權力

He expanded women's right in society including giving them the right to drive.

他擴大女性在社會上的權力，包括給與她們駕車的權力

On the surface, these are progressive social reforms meant to modernize Saudi society.

表面上，這些是旨在使沙烏地社會現代化的激進社會改革

But like the anti corruption crackdowns, the move is another effort to seize power.

但就像反貪污鎮壓一樣，這項行動同樣也是為了掌權

Saudi society is built on a

沙烏地社會是建立在類似一種

sort of pact between the royal family – just called the house of Saud – and a vast religious establishment,

契約上面，契約雙方是皇室家庭 -- 就稱為沙特家族 -- 和一個由保守的伊斯蘭傳教士統領的

run by conservative Islamic clerics.

巨大宗教機構

The clerics give the Saud family legitimacy, by giving them their blessing as rulers of the kingdom.

這些傳教士透過給與作為王國統治者的祝福，賦予沙特家族正當性

In exchange, the family allows the clerics to strictly enforce their uncompromising, puritanical

作為交換，皇族允許傳教士王國國內嚴格執行他們

version of Islam within the kingdom.

強硬且極端保守版本的伊斯蘭教

This Faustian bargain means that Saudi princes, like MBS and others,

這個浮士德式的交易意味著沙烏地王子們，像是 MBS 和其他人

can live these indulgent lifestyles and make deals with the West,

可以過著這種放縱的生活方式並且和西方做交易

but still retain religious legitimacy in the eyes of the public.

但在公眾眼裡依然持有宗教正當性

It's a balance that has kept the Kingdom stable in this very volatile region.

這是在這個非常不穩定的區域內維持王國穩定的權衡之術

But now, MBS has violated his family's part of the bargain, arresting hard line clerics

但現在， MBS 已經侵犯了他家族這邊的交易條件，逮捕了秉持強硬路線的傳教士

who might speak out against his progressive reforms.

因為這些人可能會出聲反對他進步的改革

This could shake one of the foundational pillars of Saudi society.

這有可能會撼動沙烏地社會其中一支基礎台柱

The third way MBS is shaking up the kingdom is his plans for the economy.

MBS 第三個撼動王國的方式就是他的經濟政策

The kingdom's revenue comes almost entirely from oil.

王國的收入幾乎全來自石油

Demand for oil has remained solid for decades and Saudi Arabia reaped the rewards of that.

石油需求在幾十年來都很穩固，而沙烏地阿拉伯坐享其成

But in 2014, the price of oil started to drop.

但是於 2014 年，石油價格開始下跌

And it became clear that betting the entire kingdom's economy on this one resource,

很明顯地，看來把整個王國的經濟全賭在這唯一的來源上

was a dangerous strategy for the future.

在未來會是一個危險的策略

So MBS wants to end what he calls this “Oil Addiction,” in order to prepare for

所以 MBS 希望終止他所謂的「石油癮」，好替一個不再仰賴石油的世界

a world after oil.

做準備

He's laid out a vision of privatizing a lot of sectors within the Saudi economy.

他已經著眼於將沙烏地經濟體中許多的部門私有化

And breaking up this giant, government-owned oil business.

進而瓦解這個巨型的政府獨有石油生意

But this reform could also create more instability.

但是這項改革同樣會製造更多不定性

Thanks to the endless oil money, Saudi citizens are entitled to a lifelong set of benefits,

多虧了無盡的石油錢財，沙烏地公民終其一生享有益處

like free healthcare and subsidized housing.

比如免費的健康照護和住宅補助

But as MBS tries to privatize the economy

但隨著 MBS 試圖私有化經濟

and move away from oil,

從石油轉移

this subsidized lifestyle that so many Saudis enjoy

這種許多沙烏地公民享受的補助生活方式

could be threatened and the public support that has kept this monarchy so solid for so many years

將會受到威脅，多年來維持政體穩固的公眾支持

could begin to dwindle.

也可能開始衰減

The kingdom of Saudi Arabia is on the brink of one of the biggest transformations in its history.

沙烏地阿拉伯王國正要歷經他們歷史上最大的轉變

As this young leader consolidates power

在這位年輕領導鞏固權力

to upend the status quo, he may also upend the

顛覆現況的同時，他也有可能顛覆

pillars that have kept the kingdom one of the more stable countries in the Middle East.

讓這個王國維持較為穩固的中東國家的立基