VOA英语2010年-European Austerity Measures Draw Protests

A new wave of strikes in Greece disrupted transportation and closed schools, banks and courts Wednesday, while similar protests took place in other European Union countries against government austerity measures.

Greeks took to the streets for the second day of strikes and protests during the seventh general strike this year against new government austerity measures to reduce the high public debt and budget deficit¹. Protests are also taking place in France, Luxembourg, Belgium and the Czech Republic at the calling of European trade unionists.

The common theme: widespread public discontent against spending cuts and other tough measures European governments are adopting to turn around their sagging² economies and prevent the debt crises that have hit Greece and Ireland from spreading further.

John Monks³ is general secretary of the Brussels-based European Trade Union Confederation:

"I think that the message we are trying to send out today is that European Union governments are all embarking⁴ in varying speeds on the road to austerity," Monks said. "And that austerity will really begin to bite generally in the New Year, and at that time there is a real risk of the European economy plunging⁵ down into a recession."

Portugal and Spain are also battling high debts and deficits⁶, and ratings agencies warned this week they may cut Belgium's credit rating along with Madrid's.

But Monks believes the solution for Europe is fiscal⁷ stimulus⁸, not more cuts.

"When we got growth into the European economy, then the debts become relatively⁹ easy to manage," he added. "That is what we need at the moment, and that is what our message is today across the many capitals of the European Union."

The protests occurred on the eve of a European summit in Brussels, in which leaders are expected to approve a permanent bailout fund for ailing¹⁰ countries sharing the euro currency.

1 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

2 sagging   

下垂[沉，陷]，松垂，垂度

参考例句：

• The morale of the enemy troops is continuously sagging. 敌军的士气不断低落。
• We are sagging south. 我们的船正离开航线向南漂流。

3 monks   

n.修道士，僧侣( monk的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The monks lived a very ascetic life. 僧侣过着很清苦的生活。
• He had been trained rigorously by the monks. 他接受过修道士的严格训练。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 embarking   

乘船( embark的现在分词 )； 装载； 从事

参考例句：

• He's embarking on a new career as a writer. 他即将开始新的职业生涯——当一名作家。
• The campaign on which were embarking was backed up by such intricate and detailed maintenance arrangemets. 我们实施的战争，须要如此复杂及详细的维护准备。

5 plunging   

adj.跳进的，突进的v.颠簸( plunge的现在分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降

参考例句：

• War broke out again, plunging the people into misery and suffering. 战祸复发，生灵涂炭。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• He is plunging into an abyss of despair. 他陷入了绝望的深渊。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 deficits   

n.不足额( deficit的名词复数 )；赤字；亏空；亏损

参考例句：

• The Ministry of Finance consistently overestimated its budget deficits. 财政部一贯高估预算赤字。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Many of the world's farmers are also incurring economic deficits. 世界上许多农民还在遭受经济上的亏损。 来自辞典例句

7 fiscal   

adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的

参考例句：

• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
• The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。

8 stimulus   

n.刺激，刺激物，促进因素，引起兴奋的事物

参考例句：

• Regard each failure as a stimulus to further efforts.把每次失利看成对进一步努力的激励。
• Light is a stimulus to growth in plants.光是促进植物生长的一个因素。

9 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

10 ailing   

v.生病

参考例句：

• They discussed the problems ailing the steel industry. 他们讨论了困扰钢铁工业的问题。
• She looked after her ailing father. 她照顾有病的父亲。