Latvia is 'saved from bankruptcy'

Latvia is 'saved from bankruptcy¹' 拉脱维亚从破产中得救

Latvia's prime minister says that he has saved the country from bankruptcy.

 

Valdis Dombrovskis told public radio that the decision late on Thursday to cut 500m lats ($1bn; £607m) from the budget（预算） was "very difficult".

 

But the cuts were needed for the country to receive the next installment（分期付款） of its European Union bail-out loans.

 

The country agreed a 7.5bn euro ($10.5bn; £6.4bn) loan package in December, but must cut the budget deficit（预算赤字） to receive the loans.

 

"The signals we have been getting from the European Commission are positive," he said.

 

The five-party coalition² government（联合政府） agreed to a series of measures with unions and employers.

 

The cuts will include reducing old age pensions by 10% and cutting public sector³ salaries by 20%, but they decided⁴ against increasing income taxes.

 

Parliament will vote on the changes next week.

 

Latvia's currency is pegged⁵ to the euro, but the recession has hit Latvia so badly that many analysts⁶ believe it will have to devalue the lat.

 

Latvia's central bank has been intervening to support the currency this week. (本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑) 

1 bankruptcy   

n.破产；无偿付能力

参考例句：

• You will have to pull in if you want to escape bankruptcy.如果你想避免破产，就必须节省开支。
• His firm is just on thin ice of bankruptcy.他的商号正面临破产的危险。

2 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

3 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

4 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

5 pegged   

v.用夹子或钉子固定( peg的过去式和过去分词 )；使固定在某水平

参考例句：

• They pegged their tent down. 他们钉好了账篷。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She pegged down the stairs. 她急忙下楼。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

6 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。