VOA标准英语2008年-France Calls for European Union to Ease Gas Tax

By Lisa Bryant
Paris
27 May 2008

The French government has called for the European Union to suspend certain gas taxes and for OPEC to increase production as part of a series of measures to ease the high cost of oil - which has topped $130 a barrel. Lisa Bryant reports from Paris European fishermen and British truckers are protesting soaring diesel¹ prices.

During an early morning radio interview, French President Nicolas Sarkozy outlined plans for domestic energy subsidies² and heating fuel rebates³ for poorer French.

Mr. Sarkozy also said he would ask the European Union to consider suspending some value-added tax on oil products if prices continue to rise. But he cautioned the proposal still needs to be accepted by all 27 EU members.

The high oil prices are causing much unhappiness in France - particularly for fishermen, who have blocked ports partly in protest over the cost of diesel fuel, which has almost doubled in just six months. Fishermen in Spain have also joined the work stoppage and other fishermen, in Italy, Greece and elsewhere in Europe say they may join the movement,

In Britain, hundreds of truckers are converging⁴ on London, where they brought a petition for Prime Minister Gordon Brown that demands compensation for high fuel prices. Diesel prices have jumped by nearly 50 percent during the past 12 months and the truckers say they cannot accept government plans for fuel and road tax increases later this year.

The British government has already delayed the planned increase in fuel taxes by six months.

European governments are scrambling⁵ for ways to ease the high cost at the pump, where prices have risen to $2.50 cents a liter or more.

French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde said she would urge her counterparts at a Group of Eight meeting in Japan next month to press OPEC to increase oil production if prices continued to rise.

The Italian government says it will introduce targeted cuts on transportation taxes. In the United States, the House of Representatives passed legislation last week offering incentives⁶ for renewable energy producers.

In France, President Sarkozy cautions that tax cuts and incentives only go so far. He says France must rely more on alternative energy and French must learn to conserve⁷.

1 diesel   

n.柴油发动机，内燃机

参考例句：

• We experimented with diesel engines to drive the pumps.我们试着用柴油机来带动水泵。
• My tractor operates on diesel oil.我的那台拖拉机用柴油开动。

2 subsidies   

n.补贴，津贴，补助金( subsidy的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• European agriculture ministers failed to break the deadlock over farm subsidies. 欧洲各国农业部长在农业补贴问题上未能打破僵局。
• Agricultural subsidies absorb about half the EU's income. 农业补贴占去了欧盟收入的大约一半。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 rebates   

n.退还款( rebate的名词复数 )；回扣；返还（退还的部份货价）；折扣

参考例句：

• The VAT system offers advantages, such as rebates on exports. 增值税有其优点，如对出口商品实行回扣。 来自辞典例句
• In more recent years rate rebates have been introduced for households. 近年地方税的减免已适用于家庭。 来自辞典例句

4 converging   

adj.收敛[缩]的，会聚的，趋同的v.（线条、运动的物体等）会于一点( converge的现在分词 )；（趋于）相似或相同；人或车辆汇集；聚集

参考例句：

• Plants had gradually evolved along diverging and converging pathways. 植物是沿着趋异和趋同两种途径逐渐演化的。 来自辞典例句
• This very slowly converging series was known to Leibniz in 1674. 这个收敛很慢的级数是莱布尼茨在1674年得到的。 来自辞典例句

5 scrambling   

v.快速爬行( scramble的现在分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞

参考例句：

• Scrambling up her hair, she darted out of the house. 她匆忙扎起头发，冲出房去。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• She is scrambling eggs. 她正在炒蛋。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 incentives   

激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 )； 刺激； 诱因； 动机

参考例句：

• tax incentives to encourage savings 鼓励储蓄的税收措施
• Furthermore, subsidies provide incentives only for investments in equipment. 更有甚者，提供津贴仅是为鼓励增添设备的投资。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

7 conserve   

vt.保存，保护，节约，节省，守恒，不灭

参考例句：

• He writes on both sides of the sheet to conserve paper.他在纸张的两面都写字以节省用纸。
• Conserve your energy,you'll need it!保存你的精力，你会用得着的！