2021年经济学人 一周要闻 罕见寒潮致美国得州大面积断电(在线收听

The world this week

本周国际要闻

Politics

政治版块

A winter storm that covered three-quarters of America’s Lower 48 with snow brought havoc to southern states. A federal emergency was declared in Texas; temperatures plummeted to -2℉ (-19℃) in Dallas. Millions of Texans were left without power, as were tens of thousands of people in other states. Many blamed antiquated energy grids for not being able to cope with the surge in demand for electricity.

一场冬季暴风雪覆盖了美国南部48个州四分之三的地区,给南部各州带来了严重的破坏。德克萨斯州宣布进入联邦紧急状态;达拉斯的气温骤降至华氏零下2度(摄氏零下19度)。数以百万计的德克萨斯居民失去了电力供应,其他州也有数以万计的人面临同样的困境。许多人指责陈旧的电网无法应对激增的电力需求。

Donald Trump’s impeachment trial for “incitement of insurrection” ended quickly. Fully 57 senators, including seven Republicans, agreed that he had whipped up the mob that stormed Congress on January 6th. But the vote fell short of the two-thirds majority required in the Senate to convict the former president.

特朗普因“煽动叛乱”被弹劾的审判很快就结束了。整整57名参议员,包括7名共和党人,一致认为他煽动了1月6日袭击国会的暴民。但是投票结果没有达到参议院要求的三分之二多数票来判定这位前总统有罪。

Mario Draghi was sworn in as Italy’s prime minister, having secured the support of almost all of the country’s main political parties. The former head of the European Central Bank named a new cabinet in which many of the key positions are held by technocrats like himself. His task is to draw up a plan of reform that can unlock more than 200bn euros ($240bn) in EU COVID-recovery money.

马里奥·德拉吉(Mario Draghi)宣誓就任意大利总理,获得了该国几乎所有主要政党的支持。这位欧洲央行前行长任命了一个新内阁,其中许多关键职位都由像他这样的技术官僚担任。他的任务是起草一份改革计划,以动用超过2000亿欧元(2400亿美元)的欧盟新冠肺炎复苏资金。

England dished out its first 10,000 pounds ($13,900) fines to travellers who broke strict new quarantine rules after returning from a “red list” of 33 countries. Confusingly, the rules are different in Scotland, which now quarantines all international arrivals. One flight that was subject to Scottish rules had only a handful of passengers, despite having 60 seats booked. The others may have taken flights to England and then travelled overland to Scotland, to avoid being cooped up in costly hotels.

英国首次对从33个国家的“红色名单”返英后,违反严格的新检疫规定的旅客处以1万英镑(1.39万美元)的罚款。令人不解的是,苏格兰的规定截然不同,其要求所有国际入境人员都要进行隔离。一架受苏格兰规定约束的航班上,尽管预订了60个座位,但机上只有少数乘客。其他人可能乘飞机去英格兰,然后转陆路前往苏格兰,以避免被封锁在昂贵的酒店里。

Protests continued in Myanmar against a military coup. Many civil servants have stopped work. Public services and many financial transactions are hamstrung. The authorities have arrested democrats, threatened truant bureaucrats with prison and tried to disperse crowds with water cannons and rubber bullets.

在缅甸,反对军事政变的抗议活动仍在继续。许多公务员已经罢工。公共服务和许多金融交易受阻。当局逮捕了民主党人,用监禁入狱威胁罢工的官僚,并试图用高压水枪和橡皮子弹驱散抗议人群。

A court in India acquitted a journalist, Priya Ramani, of libel, after she accused a former government minister of sexual harassment. The case is seen as a milestone for India’s #MeToo movement. Separately, the police arrested Disha Ravi, a green activist, after she posted hints for environmental protesters on how to gain attention. They accused her of “spreading disaffection”.

印度一家法院宣判记者普丽娅·拉马尼(Priya Ramani)诽谤罪不成立,无罪释放,此前她指控一名前政府部长性骚扰。该案被视为印度#MeToo运动的里程碑。另外,环保活动人士迪莎·拉维(Disha Ravi)在向环保抗议者发布如何获得关注的提示后,被警方逮捕。他们指责其“散布不满情绪”。

Carlos Menem, Argentina’s president from 1989 to 1999, died aged 90. A Peronist by political lineage, he adopted some liberal economic policies, lowering trade barriers, cutting subsidies and privatising state firms. But he failed to protect ordinary Argentines’ livelihoods, and allowed rent-seekers to flourish. With his mutton-chop sideburns and fast cars, Mr Menem was probably the most glamorous resident of the Casa Rosada since Evita Perón.

曾于1989年至1999年担任阿根廷总统的卡洛斯·梅内姆去世,享年90岁。他是庇隆主义者政客,他采取了一些自由的经济政策,降低贸易壁垒,削减补贴,并将国有企业私有化。但他没能保护普通阿根廷人的生计,任由寻租者蓬勃发展。梅内姆留着络腮胡鬓角,开着跑车,他可能是继艾薇塔·贝隆以来,玫瑰宫里最迷人的居民。

  原文地址:http://www.tingroom.com/lesson/2021jjxr/521496.html