2006年VOA标准英语-European Union Set to Expand

By Lisa Bryant
Paris
26 September 2006   

A man reads a newspaper behind a bus window painted with the EU sign and a map of Bulgaria, in Sofia, September 25, 2006

The European Union gives the green light today for Romania and Bulgaria to join the 25-member block in January. The two Eastern European countries may the last to join the EU for a while.

---

The European Commission's recommendation for Romania and Bulgaria to join the European Union comes with some caveats². Both countries must continue reforms in a number of areas, including cracking down on corruption³ and organized crime, and must improve their justice systems and other branches of government. If they fall behind, the two countries risk losing some membership benefits, including EU assistance.

European Union leaders are expected to formally approve their membership in October. With Romania and Bulgaria joining the EU ranks, the block will swell⁴ to 27 members, next year.

The EU is unlikely to admit more members in the near future.

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso believes the bloc¹ should reform its institutions before inviting⁵ other countries to join. Otherwise, he says, the union will be to unwieldy. That news may disappoint prospective⁶ EU candidates, such as Turkey, Croatia and Serbia.

Still, experts like former EU Commissioner⁷ Yves Thibault de Silguy believe reforming the EU's institutions is vital.

In an interview on France Info radio Tuesday, Thibault de Silguy said, when EU institutions were first established, they were intended for a far-smaller body of nations. He says future enlargement will be even more difficult, because EU hopefuls like the Balkan countries and Turkey are very different countries from the Western European countries that form the bloc's core.

The proposed European Constitution would have facilitated institutional reform. But the charter has been on hold, since France and the Netherlands rejected it, last year.

1 bloc   

n.集团；联盟

参考例句：

• A solid bloc of union members support the decision.工会会员团结起来支持该决定。
• There have been growing tensions within the trading bloc.贸易同盟国的关系越来越紧张。

2 caveats   

警告

参考例句：

• I would offer a caveat for those who want to join me in the dual calling. 为防止发生误解，我想对那些想要步我后尘的人提出警告。 来自辞典例句
• As I have written before, that's quite a caveat. 正如我以前所写，那确实是个警告。 来自互联网

3 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

4 swell   

vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强

参考例句：

• The waves had taken on a deep swell.海浪汹涌。
• His injured wrist began to swell.他那受伤的手腕开始肿了。

5 inviting   

adj.诱人的，引人注目的

参考例句：

• An inviting smell of coffee wafted into the room.一股诱人的咖啡香味飘进了房间。
• The kitchen smelled warm and inviting and blessedly familiar.这间厨房的味道温暖诱人，使人感到亲切温馨。

6 prospective   

adj.预期的，未来的，前瞻性的

参考例句：

• The story should act as a warning to other prospective buyers.这篇报道应该对其他潜在的购买者起到警示作用。
• They have all these great activities for prospective freshmen.这会举办各种各样的活动来招待未来的新人。

7 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。