VOA双语新闻:英国工人抗议雇主可雇用外籍工人
时间:2019-01-04 作者:英语课 分类:VOA双语新闻 2009年2月
With the recession biting and unemployment rates rising, Britain is the latest European country to experience social unrest. At issue in the U.K.; the practice of legally employing foreign European workers in certain sectors 1 while some Britons remain unemployed 2.
英国经济衰退日益严重,失业率不断上升。英国成了出现大规模抗议的又一个欧洲国家。在英国,很多人对一些行业里雇主可以合法雇佣来自欧洲其他国家的外籍工人,而英国本国的工人却失业这种现象感到不满。
The economic strains that first appeared in the U.S. subprime market last year are now being measured in terms of growing social unrest here in Europe as people confront an uncertain future under the backdrop of growing unemployment.
去年最先在美国次级房屋贷款市场内出现的经济困境,现在已经传播到欧洲。很多国家得失业日益严重,人们对未来缺乏信心,对现状也越来越不满。
Over just the past week, angry demonstrators have hit the streets of Iceland, Russia and France.
过去一个星期来,在冰岛、俄罗斯和法国,抗议者纷纷走上街头。
That unrest has now reached the shores of Britain. At an oil refinery 3 on the eastern coast near the town of Grimsby, British workers are calling for a change of policy.
眼下,这股潮流已经抵达英伦三岛。在英国东岸格里姆斯比城附近的一个炼油厂,抗议的英国工人要求政府对现有政策进行改革。
At issue, the legal employment there of hundred of Italian and Portuguese 4 contractors 5 while many Britons cannot find any work.
这些人对数百名来自意大利和葡萄牙的外籍工人可以合法地被雇佣,而很多英国人却找不到工作非常不满。
Keeping abreast 6 of developments at the World Economic Forum 7 in Davos, Switzerland, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown warns now is not the time for Europe to look inward. "There is an implicit 8 protectionism I am afraid in what is happening at the moment and we have got to deal with this. What is happening now is that countries which have had foreign banks investing in them are seeing the withdrawal 9 of capital. So, it is no accident that crises have been sparked in the eastern European countries in recent weeks because of the flight of capital and then the need to rely on the International Monetary 10 Fund to protect them," he said.
英国首相布朗跟目前正在瑞士达沃斯举行的世界经济论坛保持一致,他提醒民众,对欧洲各国来说,当前绝不应当是闭关自守的时刻。他说:“从目前的局势来看,我担心保护主义正在抬头,而我们必须克服这种倾向。那些此前由外国银行投资的国家,现在纷纷面临资本撤出的现象;所以说,最近几个星期来,我们看到了外资回流给东欧一些国家造成危机、这些国家紧接着就需要依靠国际货币基金组织来保护他们。”
But the noisy discontent may only be starting. At least a dozen demonstrations 11 were staged Friday across the country at energy plants in sympathy with the original protest.
但是,各种抗议和不满的声音可能才刚刚开始。上星期五,在英国各地,至少有十几家能源加工厂发起了抗议活动,人们纷纷对最初在格里姆斯比发生的抗议活动表示同情和支持。
The national mediation 12 service has moved in to talk with unions and employers here to try to calm the dispute before it gets out of hand.
英国国家调解部门目前已经到现场和工会及雇员们交谈,希望局势能够稳定下来,而不是进一步恶化。
Gordon Brown maintains that international cooperation is key in solving such issues. "We should not retreat from the idea that we can solve these problems and still believe in the idea of an open, free market, flexible, inclusive and sustainable globalization," he said.
英国首相布朗坚持说,国际间的合作对解决眼下的难关至关重要。他说:“我们应当坚信,这些问题会得到解决的。我们应当对自由开放的市场经济充满信心,对富有灵活性、包容性、以及可持续性的全球一体化经济,充满信心。”
But locals are demanding that Mr. Brown fulfills 13 the promise he made two years ago when he championed the call for British jobs for British workers.
但是地方上的人都要求布朗首相兑现他两年前曾经做出的许诺,那就是,把英国的工作留给英国人来做。
- Berlin was divided into four sectors after the war. 战后柏林分成了4 个区。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- Industry and agriculture are the two important sectors of the national economy. 工业和农业是国民经济的两个重要部门。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
- There are now over four million unemployed workers in this country.这个国家现有四百万失业人员。
- The unemployed hunger for jobs.失业者渴望得到工作。
- They built a sugar refinery.他们建起了一座榨糖厂。
- The purpose of oil refinery is to refine crude petroleum.炼油厂的主要工作是提炼原油。
- They styled their house in the Portuguese manner.他们仿照葡萄牙的风格设计自己的房子。
- Her family is Portuguese in origin.她的家族是葡萄牙血统。
- We got estimates from three different contractors before accepting the lowest. 我们得到3个承包商的报价后,接受了最低的报价。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- Contractors winning construction jobs had to kick back 2 per cent of the contract price to the mafia. 赢得建筑工作的承包商得抽出合同价格的百分之二的回扣给黑手党。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- She kept abreast with the flood of communications that had poured in.她及时回复如雪片般飞来的大批信件。
- We can't keep abreast of the developing situation unless we study harder.我们如果不加强学习,就会跟不上形势。
- They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
- The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。
- A soldier must give implicit obedience to his officers. 士兵必须绝对服从他的长官。
- Her silence gave implicit consent. 她的沉默表示默许。
- The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
- They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。
- The monetary system of some countries used to be based on gold.过去有些国家的货币制度是金本位制的。
- Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。
- Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
- The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。
- The dispute was settled by mediation of the third country. 这场争端通过第三国的斡旋而得以解决。
- The dispute was settled by mediation. 经调解使争端得以解决。