Holding together

摘要

In the mid-1980s Rolling Stone magazine published an essay by P.J. O'Rourke, a conservative American humorist, with the splendid title "Among the Euro-Weenies". In it the author poured scorn on Europe, an annoyingly fractured continent with its "dopey little countries", "pokey borders", "itty-bitty" languages and "Lilliputian" drinks measures. The mosaic of countries made the visitor feel claustrophobic: "You can't swing a cat without sending it through customs," he complained.