整个过程耗时近两年，考虑了超过1万种设计，花费了2600万美元，但是最终却什么都没改变：新西兰人选择保留目前的国旗，守护殖民时期的象征。
The process lasted nearly two years, considered more than 10,000 designs and cost $26m but in the end it came to nothing: New Zealanders are sticking with colonial symbolism by keeping their current flag.
周四结束的公投结果将打击该国颇具人气的总理约翰•基(John Key)，他是支持新国旗的先锋，并形容此次公投为一代人仅有一次的更换国家象征的机会。
Results of a referendum that ended on Thursday will come as a blow to John Key, the country’s popular prime minister, who spearheaded the push for a new flag and described it as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to change the national symbol.
选民们却没有感同身受。超过56%的选票——约120万张——支持保留以联合王国国旗图案为主、使用了一个世纪的设计，否决了黑蓝背景下银蕨的替代方案。
Voters did not share the sentiment. More than 56 per cent of ballots — about 1.2m votes — were in favour of keeping the century-old Union Jack-anchored design rather than the alternative option of a silver fern on a black and blue background
“新西兰投票保留了我们目前的国旗，”基在结果宣布后不久在Twitter上称，“我鼓励所有新西兰人使用和接受它，更重要的是以它为豪。”
“New Zealand has voted to retain our current flag,” Mr Key tweeted shortly after the results were announced. “I encourage all NZers to use it, embrace it and, more importantly, be proud of it.”
此次公投在部分亚太国家引发了有关国家和殖民身份认同以及与英国关系的新一轮辩论。
The referendum sparked renewed debate across the Asia-Pacific region on national and colonial identity and the relationship with the UK.
去年，斐济宣布了从国旗上去除联合王国标志的计划，目前正在考虑新设计。它希望最迟在10月拥有新国旗，以庆祝独立45周年。
Last year Fiji announced plans to erase the Union Jack from its national flag and is now considering new designs. It hopes to have a new flag in place by October to mark the 45th anniversary of its independence.
“我们需要替换掉现有国旗上过时且不再有意义的符号，包括一些与我们的殖民地历史相关的符号，”斐济总理弗兰克•姆拜尼马拉马(Frank Bainimarama)表示。
“We need to replace the symbols on our existing flag that are out of date and no longer relevant, including some anchored to our colonial past,” said Frank Bainimarama, Fiji’s prime minister.
澳大利亚也有去除殖民地时期象征的努力。1月，反对派政治人士及各州州长签署了一项联合声明，呼吁建立共和国。1999年，针对该主题的公投失败。
In Australia there has also been a push to sever colonial-era symbolism. Opposition politicians and state premiers in January signed a joint statement calling for the establishment of a republic, almost two decades after a 1999 referendum on the subject was defeated.
但是澳大利亚总理、领导上次公投的坚定的共和主义者马尔科姆•特恩布尔(Malcolm Turnbull)阻止了这一行动，称目前的时机不合适，在现任女王仍然在位期间不应该这样做。
But Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, a staunch republican who led the earlier campaign, blocked the move, saying the timing was not right and that nothing should be done while the current Queen remains on the throne.
“澳大利亚、实际上是政府，目前面对着很多比鼓动澳大利亚成为共和国的势头或愿望更紧要的问题，”特恩布尔称。
“There are many more urgent issues confronting Australia and indeed confronting the government than the momentum or the desire for Australia to become a -republic,” Mr Turnbull said.