英國開始公投，決定是否留在歐盟
Voting began Thursday in Britain’s historic election that by the end of the day will decide whether the country remains in the European Union.
As voters went to polling stations, public opinion polls showed the two sides in a dead heat.
Turnout was expected to be high, culminating a bitter, two-month campaign that centered largely on immigration, a highly sensitive and divisive issue in a nation whose immigration rate has doubled since 2000.
Prime Minister David Cameron has led the call to remain. On Thursday, he made a final pitch to convince undecided voters. “We are stronger, we are better off in a reformed European Union,” he said. Cameron and other opponents of a Brexit say Britain’s economy will be badly damaged if it breaks away from the 28-nation bloc.
Analysts say Cameron’s political future hangs in the balance depending on the outcome of the poll. If the voters’ decision Thursday is to leave the EU, pundits say Cameron will lose his mandate and have little choice but to resign, something the British leader has until now said he will not do.星期四，英國開始舉行歷史性公投，最終決定英國是否要繼續留在歐盟。
選民前往投票站之際，民調顯示留歐派和脫歐派勢均力敵。
預計投票人數會很多。兩個月來，兩派之間的激烈辯論主要圍繞着高度敏感並引發分歧的移民問題。自2000年以來，英國的移民速度增加了一倍。
卡梅倫首相是留歐派的領袖。星期四，他做了最後努力，爭取說服尚未拿定主意的選民。他說，留在一個經過改革的歐盟，英國會更好更強大。卡梅倫和其他反對脫歐的人士說，如果英國脫離擁有28個成員國的歐盟，經濟將遭受嚴重損失。
分析人士說，卡梅倫的政治前途將取決於星期四的公投結果，如果脫歐派贏得公投，卡梅倫幾乎別無選擇，只能辭職，但卡梅倫一直表示不會辭職。
