VOA标准英语2012--Greeks Divided as Election Stalemate Looms Again

 

Greeks Divided as Election Stalemate Looms¹ Again

Industrial disputes do not get much worse than this. The workers at the Hellenic Halyvourgia steel plant have been on strike for more than 200 days. Yorgos Sifonios is president of the workers’ union. He showed letters of solidarity² from unions across the world.

“The Union has undertaken collective action, which has roused the whole of Greece's working class. Our strike has become a landmark³, a model of how all workers must fight,” Sifonios said.

The factory’s owner laid off 50 workers last year, blaming falling demand. The company declined an interview.

The workers say production was actually increasing. Among those on the picket⁴ line is Panayiotis Papanikolaou, who has worked at the factory for more than 20 years.

“Right now, I think most of the workers will support and vote for Syriza - not PASOK or New Democracy - because Syriza supports the workers,” Papanikolaou said.

Greek unemployment hit a record 21.7 percent in February. More than half of young people have no job.

Alex Tsipras, the 37-year-old leader, of the Syriza Party, has vowed⁵ to cancel the austerity program insisted on by the European Union in return for financial bailouts.

Results from Friday, the last day of polling before the June 17 election, show Syriza and New Democracy - which supports the bailout - each holding around 26 percent.

Anastasios Georgiadis is director of Kapa Research, which carried out the poll.

“Based on today’s information, it will be no easier to form a government than it was on May 7 [after the first election],” Georgiadis said.

Analysts⁶ say the economic crisis has polarized Greek politics. Nikos Christodoulou from Merit Securities says the markets would punish a Syriza victory.

“The market wants a more pro-European government which would implement⁷ the reforms and would not attack the bailout agreement,” Christodoulou said.

Athens residents flocked to the beach Saturday and Sunday to enjoy the sun and try to forget about the crisis.

In less than two weeks, they return to the polls knowing another economic storm could soon follow. 

1 looms   

n.织布机( loom的名词复数 )v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的第三人称单数 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近

参考例句：

• All were busily engaged,men at their ploughs,women at their looms. 大家都很忙，男的耕田，女的织布。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The factory has twenty-five looms. 那家工厂有25台织布机。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 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。

3 landmark   

n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标

参考例句：

• The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history.俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。
• The tower was once a landmark for ships.这座塔曾是船只的陆标。

4 picket   

n.纠察队；警戒哨；v.设置纠察线；布置警卫

参考例句：

• They marched to the factory and formed a picket.他们向工厂前进,并组成了纠察队。
• Some of the union members did not want to picket.工会的一些会员不想担任罢工纠察员。

5 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

6 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

7 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。