Greek Police Clash with Austerity Protesters

 　　Greek police clashed Tuesday with some of the thousands of striking workers in Athens protesting the latest austerity measures the government is seeking to impose to meet the demands of the country's international creditors¹.

　　Some demonstrators charged the steps of parliament and threw rocks at police, who fired tear gas at the protesters and hit some of them with their batons². A handful of protesters burned a German flag and a Nazi³ flag in protest of the role Germany, Europe's biggest economic power, has played in demanding Greek economic reforms. The planned day-long general strike, the second this year, disrupted transportation services, closed government services and schools and shut shops.

　　The protest came as government officials were set to meet later in the day to try again to reach agreement on several austerity measures sought by the country's creditors.

　　The international lenders have demanded that Greece's three fractious political parties jointly⁴ agree to impose new budget cuts. The lenders have said they fear that if there is no uniform consensus⁵, the winner of planned national elections this spring could renege on spending reductions.

　　Greece said late Monday it would abolish 15,000 government jobs this year, while it is still considering a steep cut in the country's minimum wage and other changes.

　　The country's main unions and employers have rejected government plans for more wage cuts, saying they have already sustained significant losses with earlier spending cuts and tax increases.

　　Despite weeks of negotiations⁶, Greece has been unable to complete an agreement with large international financial institutions to cut $130 billion of the country's debt, half the amount it owes them. In addition, the Athens government is seeking to work out details of a new $170 billion bailout, its second in two years, from the European Union, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary⁷ Fund.

　　Greece says it needs the debt relief and new funding to avoid defaulting next month on $19 billion of its financial obligations, something analysts⁸ say could trigger a worldwide recession. Caretaker Prime Minister Lucas Papademos met through much of the early hours of Tuesday with EU and IMF lenders about the perilous⁹ financial condition of Greece, now in its fifth straight year of recession with high unemployment.

1 creditors   

n.债权人，债主( creditor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They agreed to repay their creditors over a period of three years. 他们同意3年内向债主还清欠款。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Creditors could obtain a writ for the arrest of their debtors. 债权人可以获得逮捕债务人的令状。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 batons   

n.（警察武器）警棍( baton的名词复数 )；（乐队指挥用的）指挥棒；接力棒

参考例句：

• There were many riot policemen with batons. 有许多带警棍的防暴警察。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Chinese police fight? Number one is a person with batons to fight! 满街飘的中国国旗，是一个老华侨在事发时那出来分给大家的，很感动，真的，从来一向多一事不如少一事的中国人今天团结到一起站出来反抗。 来自互联网

3 Nazi   

n.纳粹分子，adj.纳粹党的，纳粹的

参考例句：

• They declare the Nazi regime overthrown and sue for peace.他们宣布纳粹政权已被推翻，并出面求和。
• Nazi closes those war criminals inside their concentration camp.纳粹把那些战犯关在他们的集中营里。

4 jointly   

ad.联合地，共同地

参考例句：

• Tenants are jointly and severally liable for payment of the rent. 租金由承租人共同且分别承担。
• She owns the house jointly with her husband. 她和丈夫共同拥有这所房子。

5 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？

6 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

7 monetary   

adj.货币的，钱的；通货的；金融的；财政的

参考例句：

• The monetary system of some countries used to be based on gold.过去有些国家的货币制度是金本位制的。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。

8 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

9 perilous   

adj.危险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• The journey through the jungle was perilous.穿过丛林的旅行充满了危险。
• We have been carried in safety through a perilous crisis.历经一连串危机，我们如今已安然无恙。