VOA常速英语2014--俄罗斯人在经济隐忧中庆祝新年

Russians Head Into Holiday Facing Economic Malaise 俄罗斯人在经济隐忧中庆祝新年

MOSCOW—

Russian preparations for the New Year holiday are clouded by economic recession and a tumbling currency, the ruble. Nonetheless, people in the Russian capital appear to be in a festive 1 mood.

俄罗斯人的新年假期笼罩在经济衰退和俄罗斯货币卢布下跌的阴影中。不过，首都莫斯科的居民看起来还是很有节日的情绪。

Despite economic worries, Moscow's residents and visitors are flocking to Christmas fairs to enjoy seasonal 2 and amusements.

尽管有经济上的担忧，莫斯科的居民和游客还是涌向各种庆祝圣诞节的活动场所，感受节日带来的愉悦。

But a fiscal 3 freeze is descending 4. Falling oil prices and Western sanctions have undermined the ruble, driving up prices for imported goods and pushing Russia toward a recession.

但是，财政上的麻烦越来越迫近。持续下跌的油价和西方的制裁对卢布产生了巨大的影响，导致进口物资价格飞涨，迫使俄罗斯一步步走向衰退。

President Vladimir Putin says the economic contraction 5 will last a couple of years at most, but that is little comfort to many Russians, including shopper Soso.

俄罗斯总统普京说，经济紧缩至多只会持续一两年，但是，这并没有让许多俄罗斯人感到放松。居民索索正在购物。

"I'm trying not to think about it. It's very bad, we'll see how it develops. It's a nightmare," said Soso.

他说：“我试着不想这些事情，太糟糕了。我们会看到它将来的发展……这是一场噩梦。”

More Russians will be enjoying winter activities this season since they cannot afford to travel abroad.

今年的新年假期，更多的俄罗斯人可能会留在国内，享受这里的各种冬季活动，因为出国旅行太贵了。

Some take a pragmatic view of holiday business, like roasted chestnuts 6 vendor 7 Galina.

一些人对假日的经济抱持务实的态度，在街上卖烤栗子的加丽娜说：

"It seems to me that those who have money aren't going to economize 8 on chestnuts, right? Maybe the old people, the pensioners 9, or people with small salaries. But people who have money, they'll always have money," said Galina.

“对我来说，那些有钱人是不会省钱不买栗子的，是吧。也许老年人、拿退休金的人和那些薪水不高的人想省钱。但是，有钱人总是有钱。”

Holiday shoppers may be changing their spending habits, but they are still buying, said Maria, who sells knitted gifts.

在假日购物的人可能会改变他们的消费习惯，但是，他们仍然在购物， 出售手工针织礼品的玛丽亚说：

"In connection with our economic problems, people of course, are choosing less expensive and more practical items. But our goods are very marketable, so people are buying them as gifts despite their money problems," she said.

“鉴于我们的经济问题，大家在购物时当然会选择稍微不那么昂贵的、并且也更加实用的物品。但是，我们的产品非常畅销，所以，尽管有钱多钱少的问题，但是大家还是来买我们的产品当礼物。”

As Russia prepares to ring in a wallet-tightening New Year, a man portraying 10 Grandfather Frost, the Slavic Santa Claus, gives some holiday words of advice.

俄罗斯人似乎要准备过一个收紧荷包的新年了，斯拉夫民族的圣诞老人“弗罗斯特爷爷”给大家几个节日的建议：

"I'm neither wizard, nor warlock, nor soothsayer. I'm simply a New Year's winter magician. Your New Year's depends on you. However you want it to be, however you celebrate it, whatever your New Year's wishes will be that night -- that's how the next year will be. Everything depends on you. So, if you have the desire for a better life, then that's how things will turn out," said Grandfather Frost.

“我不是巫师，也不是术士，更不是预言家，我只是新年的冬季魔术师。 你的新年会怎么样取决于你自己。不管你希望它怎么样，不管你希望如何庆祝，不管你那天晚上新年的愿望是什么—这就是下一年的情况。任何事情都取决于你自己。 因此，如果你希望过更好的生活，事情就会这样发展的。”

Despite the holiday magic, less optimistic voices say the Kremlin's failure to diversify 11 the economy and its continued actions in Ukraine threaten to plunge 12 the country into a full-fledged economic crisis.

尽管有节日的魔力，但是一些不那么乐观的人说，因为克里姆林宫没有将经济多元化，在加上俄罗斯在乌克兰的行动，俄罗斯经济有可能跌入全面的危机。