Eurozone Braces for Greek Election

 PARIS - Eurozone countries will be anxiously watching the outcome of  second-round of legislative¹ elections Sunday in Greece, which may determine the country's future role in the eurozone. 

Greek voters will be choosing between parties that call for two different ways of dealing² with the country's creditors³: either largely adhering to the austerity commitments Athens made in return for bailout funds, or to abandon them and negotiate for better terms.

If Greek voters choose the more radical⁴ Syriza party, which rejects the austerity measures, experts believe Greece will leave the 17-nation eurozone. However, other economists⁶, such as Simon Tilford of the London Center for European Reform, say Greece is heading for the exit regardless of the election's outcome. 

"I struggle to see how Greece can stay within the eurozone. I think for that to happen, the country would need ongoing⁷ support," said Tilford. "I don't just mean loans, but ongoing transfers of money from elsewhere within the eurozone." 

The Greek legislative vote caps a grim week for the currency union, during which Spain and Italy saw their borrowing costs soar, underscoring investor⁸ concerns about their economies. Following talks in Rome on Thursday, French and German leaders said they hope Greece will keep the euro as its currency.

French President Francois Hollande emphasized this in an interview on Greek television. 

Hollande says that if Greeks give the impression they will not meet their bailout engagements, then some eurozone countries will want Athens to leave the currency union. He called for Greece to remain in the eurozone, but also for a relationship built on trust.

Economist⁵ Tilford says European governments have low expectations. 

"Although they know that no Greek government is really going to be able to abide⁹ by the terms of the bailout, because the bailout places unrealistic demands on Greece, they hope that by at least having a committed government there, they will be able to buy some time and that the pressure on Spain and Italy will dissipate," said Tilford.

Divisions are also sharpening about how to tackle the eurozone crisis, with France and Italy calling for more growth measures and Germany sticking by its austerity prescriptions¹⁰. These competing visions will be on the table in Brussels, during a European Union summit later this month.

1 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

2 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

3 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》

4 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

5 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

6 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

8 investor   

n.投资者，投资人

参考例句：

• My nephew is a cautious investor.我侄子是个小心谨慎的投资者。
• The investor believes that his investment will pay off handsomely soon.这个投资者相信他的投资不久会有相当大的收益。

9 abide   

vi.遵守；坚持；vt.忍受

参考例句：

• You must abide by the results of your mistakes.你必须承担你的错误所造成的后果。
• If you join the club,you have to abide by its rules.如果你参加俱乐部，你就得遵守它的规章。

10 prescriptions   

药( prescription的名词复数 )； 处方； 开处方； 计划

参考例句：

• The hospital of traditional Chinese medicine installed a computer to fill prescriptions. 中医医院装上了电子计算机来抓药。
• Her main job was filling the doctor's prescriptions. 她的主要工作就是给大夫开的药方配药。