VOA标准英语2009年-Eastern Europe Faces Freezing Temperatures and
时间:2019-01-13 作者:英语课 分类:VOA标准英语2009年(一月)
With freezing temperatures across most of Europe, there was heated anger, especially in Eastern Europe on Wednesday, about the suspension in natural gas deliveries from Russia through Ukraine. The gas crisis comes at a difficult time for leading politicians, especially in Bulgaria, where some 2,000 people demanded the government's resignation on Wednesday over allegations of corruption 1.
Protesters in Sofia, Bulgaria demonstrate against government over gas cut-off, 14 Jan 2009
The shortages of natural gas from Russia added to anger of protesters who braved the cold in Bulgaria's capital, Sofia, to demand the resignation of the country's Socialist-led government.
They were upset that Bulgaria remains 2 one of the poorest countries in Europe, despite being a member of the European Union.
What began as a peaceful protest of students, farmers and medical workers in front of the parliament building, turned violent when masked youths threw snow and rocks at police, and vandalized several police vehicles.
Officials say several people were injured, including six police officers. Dozens of protesters were detained.
Bulgarians are not the only East Europeans frustrated 3 during this unseasonable cold winter. There have been reports of people freezing to death across the region, which is heavily dependent on Russian gas via Ukraine.
Russia says neighboring Ukraine is holding up the transport of Russian natural gas to Europe. Moscow cut all gas supplies to the West last week in a pricing dispute with Ukraine. Kyiv blames Moscow for the supply disruption.
In Hungary, where reserves are running low, officials say some 40 people have died this month from frigid 4 temperatures, often because heating systems do not work properly due to a lack of natural gas pressure.
More deaths have been reported across Eastern Europe, where many people are now searching forests for wood to use as heating fuel.
Fearing more deaths, Hungary's government has ordered municipalities and energy companies not to cut off people who do not pay their gas bills.
In Slovakia's capital, Bratislava, people expressed their frustration 5 with their leaders on Slovak television. "They have to give the natural gas to us," one middle aged 6 bus driver said. "Because it is too cold. A lot of people can freeze to death."
Slovakia's Prime Minister, Robert Fico, who visited Moscow on Wednesday, has not ruled out restarting a Soviet-era nuclear reactor 7 despite European Union protests as gas reserves are expected to run out by the end of the month.
People in Bratislava told Slovak television they need energy -- nuclear, if necessary. "We need to have normal temperatures at home this winter," one man said. "So if they want to restart the nuclear reactor and keep the operation within international rules, I think it's okay," he added.
Slovakia, which depends on Russia for nearly all of its natural gas imports, has already declared a state of energy emergency to conserve 8 its gas reserves. That has forced several companies including French and South Korean car makers 9, to suspend production.
Similar measures have been introduced in Hungary and other East European countries.
- The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
- The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。
- He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
- The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。
- It's very easy to get frustrated in this job. 这个工作很容易令人懊恼。
- The bad weather frustrated all our hopes of going out. 恶劣的天气破坏了我们出行的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- The water was too frigid to allow him to remain submerged for long.水冰冷彻骨,他在下面呆不了太长时间。
- She returned his smile with a frigid glance.对他的微笑她报以冷冷的一瞥。
- He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
- He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。
- He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了,也老点了。
- He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老,然而记忆力还好。
- The atomic reactor generates enormous amounts of thermal energy.原子反应堆发出大量的热能。
- Inside the reactor the large molecules are cracked into smaller molecules.在反应堆里,大分子裂变为小分子。
- He writes on both sides of the sheet to conserve paper.他在纸张的两面都写字以节省用纸。
- Conserve your energy,you'll need it!保存你的精力,你会用得着的!