VOA标准英语2011--US Offers Full US Support for Greek Econ

US Offers Full US Support for Greek Economic Recovery Plan

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says the United States "unequivocally" supports the economic recovery plan of Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou. Clinton held talks with top Greek officials in Athens in advance of a critical European meeting Thursday on a second financial bailout for Greece.
The United States will have no role in the bailout decision, to be made by the 17 key "Eurozone" countries of the European Union.
But Clinton delivered a strong message of political backing, saying she was pleased to be in Athens in what she termed "challenging times" to demonstrate the United States' "unequivocally strong support" for NATO ally Greece.
The Secretary of State said the Papandreou government's new round of austerity measures and tax hikes are strong medicine and difficult therapy for Greek citizens, but said the United States has every confidence of an eventual¹ economic rebound².
"I have faith in the resilience of the Greek people. And I applaud the Greek government on its willingness to take these difficult steps. Greece has inspired the world before and I have every confidence that you are doing so again. And as you do what you must to bring your economy back to health, you will have the full support of the United States," said the US top diplomat³.
Clinton spoke⁴ at a press event with Greek Foreign Minister Stavros Lambrinidis, newly installed after the recent Greek Cabinet shakeup.
Speaking through an interpreter, he said that while many on both sides of the Atlantic have "bet on the collapse⁵ of Greece" the Papandreou government will prove them wrong.
"Despite the doomsayers, we are proceeding⁶ and we shall come out of this victorious⁷. Of course we have no magic solutions. But there is no question the sacrifices that the Greek people have made have not only done away with the very real past risk of default, but will create a sound basis for recovery."
The Greek foreign minister said his country needs not only U.S. but European solidarity⁸, a message he said was lost on some E.U. member states in recent months.
A senior U.S. official said while not diminishing the severity of Greece's problems, that country represents only about three percent of the E.U. economy, and the Greek problem is not of a magnitude the European Union cannot deal with.
Clinton's talks here also focused on the Middle East political turmoil⁹, Balkan stability, Greek-Turkish relations, and Cyprus.
Clinton said Saturday the United States would like to see a Cyprus settlement before the island state is to assume the E.U. presidency¹⁰ for the first time next year.
The Greek foreign minister said he thinks progress is possible, but that it mainly requires political will on the part of the Turkish government.
Cyprus has been divided along ethnic¹¹ lines since 1974 when Turkish troops occupied the northern third of the island in response to a coup¹² in Nicosia aimed at a union with Greece.
The senior U.S. official said he is encouraged by the fact that Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders have held more than 80 face-to-face meetings during the past two years. He said they are "close" to an agreement, but that being close is not sufficient.

1 eventual   

adj.最后的，结局的，最终的

参考例句：

• Several schools face eventual closure.几所学校面临最终关闭。
• Both parties expressed optimism about an eventual solution.双方对问题的最终解决都表示乐观。

2 rebound   

v.弹回；n.弹回，跳回

参考例句：

• The vibrations accompanying the rebound are the earth quake.伴随这种回弹的振动就是地震。
• Our evil example will rebound upon ourselves.我们的坏榜样会回到我们自己头上的。

3 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

4 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。

5 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

6 proceeding   

n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报

参考例句：

• This train is now proceeding from Paris to London.这次列车从巴黎开往伦敦。
• The work is proceeding briskly.工作很有生气地进展着。

7 victorious   

adj.胜利的，得胜的

参考例句：

• We are certain to be victorious.我们定会胜利。
• The victorious army returned in triumph.获胜的部队凯旋而归。

8 solidarity   

n.团结；休戚相关

参考例句：

• They must preserve their solidarity.他们必须维护他们的团结。
• The solidarity among China's various nationalities is as firm as a rock.中国各族人民之间的团结坚如磐石。

9 turmoil   

n.骚乱，混乱，动乱

参考例句：

• His mind was in such a turmoil that he couldn't get to sleep.内心的纷扰使他无法入睡。
• The robbery put the village in a turmoil.抢劫使全村陷入混乱。

10 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。

11 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

12 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。