VOA标准英语2009年-EU President Calls US Economic Plans a 'Ro

The European Union's Czech presidency¹ sharply criticized Washington's efforts to combat the financial crisis a week before world economic powers are meeting to discuss the issue in London. The remarks come amid worries a separate political crisis in the Czech Republic may undermine its EU leadership.
　
Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, 25 Mar² 2009

The criticism of the Obama administration's economic-stimulus plan came from Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek who said the U.S. spending measures, including bank bailouts, would undermine the stability of the global financial market. He called U.S. plans to spend its way out of recession "a road to hell."

Mr. Topolanek spoke³ at the European parliament in the French city of Strasbourg, just a week before leaders of the G20 group of top economies meet in London to discuss ways to tackle the global crisis.

Europe and the United States have been at odds⁴ over ways to deal with the economic downturn, with Washington pushing the 27-nation European Union to spend more to fight it. But Mr. Topolanek's criticism is particularly sharp, and it has added weight since the Czech Republic is the EU president until the end of June.

Meanwhile, Mr. Topolanek's government faces an uncertain future after it lost a no-confidence vote Tuesday. Mr. Topolanek says he will offer to resign. But he told European lawmakers Czech domestic politics would not affect its EU presidency.

"The sad fact is that the opposition⁵ Social Democrats⁶ undermined the presidency, but I hope that the presidency will be complete successfully," said Topolanek.
　
Czech Republic's PM Mirek Topolanek, left, and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso in Brussels, 19 Mar 2009

The head of the bloc's executive arm, European Commission President, Jose Manuel Barroso, also expressed confidence the Czech presidency would be successful. But he warned Czech politicians not to let their internal divisions undermine efforts to reform the European Union through a key document known as the Lisbon treaty.

"I would like to urge all political leaders not to use this political crisis in a way to put the Lisbon Treaty as a hostage of domestic problems," he said. "This would not be fair to other countries in Europe. Any suggestions to change [the treaty], not to respect the treaty is of course unacceptable."

The Czech Republic is among the few EU countries that has yet to ratify⁷ the treaty. Czech lawmakers have postponed⁸ voting on the treaty several times, and the Czech president, who holds a largely ceremonial role, adamantly⁹ opposes it.

1 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

2 mar   

vt.破坏，毁坏，弄糟

参考例句：

• It was not the custom for elderly people to mar the picnics with their presence.大人们照例不参加这样的野餐以免扫兴。
• Such a marriage might mar your career.这样的婚姻说不定会毁了你的一生。

3 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

4 odds   

n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别

参考例句：

• The odds are 5 to 1 that she will win.她获胜的机会是五比一。
• Do you know the odds of winning the lottery once?你知道赢得一次彩票的几率多大吗？

5 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

6 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 ratify   

v.批准，认可，追认

参考例句：

• The heads of two governments met to ratify the peace treaty.两国政府首脑会晤批准和平条约。
• The agreement have to be ratify by the board.该协议必须由董事会批准。

8 postponed   

vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发）

参考例句：

• The trial was postponed indefinitely. 审讯无限期延迟。
• The game has already been postponed three times. 这场比赛已经三度延期了。

9 adamantly   

adv.坚决地，坚定不移地，坚强不屈地

参考例句：

• "Come over here,"he told her adamantly. “到这边来，”他对她坚定地说。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• His family were adamantly opposed to the marriage. 他的家人坚决反对这门亲事。 来自《简明英汉词典》