VOA标准英语2011--Rural Greeks, Forgotten Victims of Economic Meltdown

Rural Greeks, Forgotten Victims of Economic Meltdown

Images of the riots and strikes in Athens have been broadcast around the world as Europe fights to save Greece from bankruptcy¹. But Greeks in rural areas of the country say that the meltdown is hitting them even harder - and claim they are being ignored by the government.

West Macedonia in the mountainous north of Greece. Here the cold winds of economic hardship are blowing hard.

The town of Ptolemaida owes its existence to one industry - electricity. Power station chimneys loom² on the hillsides. In between, the landscape is scarred with mines which supply the factories with lignite or ‘brown coal’.

The electricity company is state-owned. It faces falling revenues and government cutbacks. For the workers, that spells disaster.

In the nearby town of Kozani, Lefteris Ionnadis helps run a local activist³ group, the ‘Independent Kozani Movement.’

“Our economy has depended on the coal industry for years. Most people living here were employed in the mines, and other industries were neglected. Private businesses have been struggling for decades, and rural economies have taken a big hit," Ionnadis said.

The region has the highest official unemployment rate in Greece at 17%. As one of Europe’s poorest areas, it receives large subsidies⁴ from the EU.

The government plans to sell off state-run utilities to help pay off the country’s debts.

Local people say they are frightened of what the future holds for the region.

“It’s getting really bad here. There are no jobs around. Everything is just rotten really,” said Ilias Keptanis, a resident of Konani.

“I’m a student. I am absolutely sure I will not be employed once I’m done with my studies! I am also pretty sure I will never get a pension in my life. So at the moment we are just waiting for some gift from God,” said Rafaella Adositiou, a student in Kozani.

Kozani’s Mayor is Lazaros Maloutas. He says the austerity cuts are backfiring for the Greek economy.

“5.5 billion euros are being cut from the real economy, of what is a fairly small country. If we stick only to such austerity measures, the country will plunge⁵ deeper and deeper into recession. We need investment," Maloutas said.

Campaigner Lefteris Ionnadis - who monitors the environmental impact of the mines and power stations - says the government should push ahead with plans to convert the power stations into hubs for renewable energy.

“From an ethical⁶ point of view, the electricity company should fund this transition, as they were the ones who exploited our natural resources and mineral wealth for a long time. According to our calculations, such fair compensation could create, in the next 10 years, 3,000 jobs in the green industry alone,” Ioannidia said.

The economic meltdown has sparked months of violent protests and strikes in Athens - images and stories that are beamed around the world.

Beyond the capital - in the remote corners of Greece - many people say they are the ignored victims of the debt crisis.

1 bankruptcy   

n.破产；无偿付能力

参考例句：

• You will have to pull in if you want to escape bankruptcy.如果你想避免破产，就必须节省开支。
• His firm is just on thin ice of bankruptcy.他的商号正面临破产的危险。

2 loom   

n.织布机，织机；v.隐现，(危险、忧虑等)迫近

参考例句：

• The old woman was weaving on her loom.那位老太太正在织布机上织布。
• The shuttle flies back and forth on the loom.织布机上梭子来回飞动。

3 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

4 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》

5 plunge   

v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲

参考例句：

• Test pool's water temperature before you plunge in.在你跳入之前你应该测试水温。
• That would plunge them in the broil of the two countries.那将会使他们陷入这两国的争斗之中。

6 ethical   

adj.伦理的，道德的，合乎道德的

参考例句：

• It is necessary to get the youth to have a high ethical concept.必须使青年具有高度的道德观念。
• It was a debate which aroused fervent ethical arguments.那是一场引发强烈的伦理道德争论的辩论。