VOA常速英语2007年-Strikes Continue to Impact France

By Lisa Bryant
Paris
20 November 2007

A national transportation strike marked its seventh day in France, Tuesday - even as civil servants took to the streets for a separate one-day strike.  Lisa Bryant has more on the demonstrations¹ from Paris.

Teachers, postal² workers, air-traffic controllers and other  civil servants walked off their jobs Tuesday, calling for better salaries and working conditions.  Many French schools were closed;  airports reported flight delays and cancelations;  mail went undelivered;  and, many newspapers were not on sale in kiosks because printers also joined the protesters. A massive march began in Paris Tuesday afternoon,  joining others around the country.

The one-day strike comes as transportation workers around the country  continue to protest against proposed cuts of special pension benefits they have enjoyed for decades.  The proposals are part of a package of reforms the center-right government of President Nicolas Sarkozy wants to push through to help make France more competitive and to reduce public spending.

The number of picketing³ transportation workers has dwindled⁴ since the  strike began a week ago, but traffic remained snarled⁵ and public transportation slowed - particularly in the Paris region. The French government says the strike is costing the country hundreds of millions of dollars a day, a point reiterated⁶ Tuesday by French budget minister Eric Woerth.

In an interview on France-Inter radio, Woerth said the transportation walkout is costing between $440 million and $586 million, daily, and will have long-term consequences, if it continues.

 The strike has touched a wide array of sectors⁷.  Stores, hotels and  theaters complain of a sharp drop in business and the steel giant ArcelorMittal complains needed supplies traveling by rail remain undelivered.

A number of French universities are also closed, as students protest still other government reforms in the country's higher education. 

1 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

2 postal   

adj.邮政的，邮局的

参考例句：

• A postal network now covers the whole country.邮路遍及全国。
• Remember to use postal code.勿忘使用邮政编码。

3 picketing   

[经] 罢工工人劝阻工人上班，工人纠察线

参考例句：

• mass picketing of the factory 罢工工人集体对工厂的封锁
• "And my chaps were also there to prevent picketing! “我的人也是防着女工们要拦厂！ 来自子夜部分

4 dwindled   

v.逐渐变少或变小( dwindle的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Support for the party has dwindled away to nothing. 支持这个党派的人渐渐化为乌有。
• His wealth dwindled to nothingness. 他的钱财化为乌有。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 snarled   

v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的过去式和过去分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说

参考例句：

• The dog snarled at us. 狗朝我们低声吼叫。
• As I advanced towards the dog, It'snarled and struck at me. 我朝那条狗走去时，它狂吠着向我扑来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 reiterated   

反复地说，重申( reiterate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• "Well, I want to know about it,'she reiterated. “嗯，我一定要知道你的休假日期，"她重复说。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Some twenty-two years later President Polk reiterated and elaborated upon these principles. 大约二十二年之后，波尔克总统重申这些原则并且刻意阐释一番。

7 sectors   

n.部门( sector的名词复数 )；领域；防御地区；扇形

参考例句：

• Berlin was divided into four sectors after the war. 战后柏林分成了4 个区。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Industry and agriculture are the two important sectors of the national economy. 工业和农业是国民经济的两个重要部门。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》