万花筒 2011-11-21&11-23 债台高筑 意大利出售名胜古迹广告位

 We've told you about the economic convulsion in Italy that threatens to take down the mighty¹ countries of Europe and send a shock wave across the Ocean to American 401(k)s. Well, tonight, Italians are talking about an unconventional hale merry idea, placing ads on some of the most beloved and recognizable tourist attractions in the world. A new member of our ABC news team, Kelly Cobiella, has the story from Rome. Kelly. 

 

Diane. Rome is ground zero for what could be a global financial catastrophe². Italy's financial mess is massive³, 2.5 trillion dollars of debt, bigger than the entire economy. And the government is putting everything one the table. 

 

When it comes to treasures, Italy has more than its share. Who can forget Michelangelo's David, or that leaning tower in Pisa. In the past few years, some of these monuments have become billboards--the Roman Colosseum, the canals of Venice. The money-making deal wrapping the bridge of size earned more than $2 million from companies like Bulgari. To keep things afloat, this country will need to borrow 408 billion next year. How many monumental ads will Italy have to sell? More than 272,000, certainly not a workable answer. 

 

--Is it a guarantee that Italy will survive this? 

 

--Unfortunately it is not guaranteed. 

 

So what should they do? Trading in the scandal-ridden Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi for an economics⁴ professor named Mario Monti is the first step. Then comes sacrifice--higher taxes, cuts to the social programs Italians have grown so used to. The people we met told us they are already suffering. 

 

--I've been unemployed⁵ for one year so I've already given up some....

 

--Would you be willing to pay higher taxes? 

 

--Well, if I could, yes. But I think we don't have enough money to even eat sometimes. 

 

--What would you give up for Italy. 

 

--Give up Berlusconi. 

 

When Berlusconi tried to introduce cuts last month, Italians let him know what they thought on the streets. The alternative would be much worse of bankrupt⁶ Italy, dragging the rest of Europe and the US down with it. 

 

Mario Monti,the presumed⁷ next Prime Minister of Italy, apparently⁸ saw this coming. He's been working on his own financial reform package for the past four months. No hints on what's in it tonight. But Diane, you can bet Italy along with the rest of the world is anxious to find out.

1 mighty   

adj.强有力的；巨大的

参考例句：

• A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
• The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。

2 catastrophe   

n.大灾难，大祸

参考例句：

• I owe it to you that I survived the catastrophe.亏得你我才大难不死。
• This is a catastrophe beyond human control.这是一场人类无法控制的灾难。

3 massive   

adj.巨大的，大规模的，大量的，大范围的

参考例句：

• A massive sea search has failed to find any survivors.经过大规模的海上搜救仍未找到幸存者。
• He drank a massive amount of alcohol.他喝了大量的烈酒。

4 economics   

n.经济学，经济情况

参考例句：

• He is studying economics,which subject is very important.他正在学习经济学，该学科是很重要的。
• One can't separate politics from economics.不能把政治与经济割裂开来。

5 unemployed   

adj.失业的，没有工作的；未动用的，闲置的

参考例句：

• There are now over four million unemployed workers in this country.这个国家现有四百万失业人员。
• The unemployed hunger for jobs.失业者渴望得到工作。

6 bankrupt   

n.破产者；adj.破产的；vt.使...破产

参考例句：

• That factory has gone bankrupt.那家工厂倒了。
• The enemy's scheme went bankrupt.敌人的计谋破产了。

7 presumed   

以为，假定( presume的过去式和过去分词 )； 推定； 妄行； 冒昧地做某事

参考例句：

• If a person is missing for seven years,he is presumed dead. 假如一个人失踪七年，即看作已经死亡。
• Her good nature can be presumed upon once too often. 不妨再利用一次她那善良的天性。

8 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。