时间:2018-12-19 作者:英语课 分类:VOA双语新闻 2012年1月


英语课

  European leaders hit back Saturday at the downgrade by Standard & Poor's of the credit ratings of nine European nations, calling the move unfounded and inconsistent.

欧洲领导人星期六对标准普尔公司(S&P)下调9个欧洲国家信用评级的举动进行回击,称这一举动是没有根据和不符合标准的。

From Larnaka to Brussels, European Union officials were on the defensive 1 Saturday, downplaying the downgrades while vowing 2 to push through fiscal 3 reforms.

从拉纳卡到布鲁塞尔,欧盟官员星期六进行辩护,对评级机构标准普尔下调信用评级不予重视,同时誓言推动财政改革。

In a widely anticipated move, the rating agency downgraded by a notch 4 the ratings of five European countries, including the region's second-largest economy France. It downgraded four others - Italy, Portugal, Spain and Cyprus - by two notches 5.

标准普尔在广泛的预期中将5个欧洲国家的信用评级下调了一级,其中包括欧洲第二大经济体法国。该评级机构还将意大利、葡萄牙、西班牙和塞浦路斯4个国家的评级调降了两级。

The finance minister of Cyprus called the move "arbitrary and unfounded." The Austrian government also criticized the measure. European Economic and Monetary 6 Commissioner 7 Olli Rehn called the downgrades inconsistent.

塞浦路斯财政部长称这一行动是“武断和没有根据的。”奥地利政府也批评这项行动。欧盟经济和货币事务专员奥利·莱恩称降级是不符合标准的。

Other politicians, like French Finance Minister Francois Fillon, sought to put a positive spin on the news.

其他政治人物、比如法国总理弗朗索瓦·菲永寻求积极地看待这一消息。

At a press conference on Saturday, Fillon said that while S&P had downgraded France's once-sterling AAA to AA+, the agency had also confirmed the French economy was solid, diversified 8 and resistant 9. It noted 10 the government had implemented 11 the necessary reforms and applied 12 a credible 13 strategy to reduce its debt and deficit 14.

菲永星期六在一个记者会上说,虽然标准普尔将法国的信用评级从最高的AAA下调到AA+,但该机构也确认法国经济强劲、多样化、有抵抗力。标普指出,法国政府实行了必要的改革,并采取了可信赖的策略来削减债务和赤字。

Fillon also said a new fiscal discipline pact 15 agreed to by European leaders last month showed they were proactive in addressing the eurozone crisis. In Germany, which retained its AAA rating, Chancellor 16 Angela Merkel called on European leaders to move quickly to adopt the pact, which was spearheaded by France and Germany.

菲永还说,欧洲领导人上个月达成了一项有关财政秩序的新协议,显示出他们前瞻性地解决欧元区危机。德国保持了AAA的信用评级。德国总理默克尔呼吁欧洲领导人迅速行动采纳这项新协议。这项协议是由法国和德国带头制定的。

But S&P has criticized the European Union pact as an insufficient 17 answer to the crisis, an assessment 18 shared by analysts 19 like Tomasz Michaelski of the HEC business school in Paris. Michaelski also doesn't believe the downgrades will prompt European leaders to take bolder steps when they meet at the end of January.

但是标准普尔对欧盟的这项协议提出批评,称它不足以解决当前的危机。分析人士、如巴黎HEC商学院的托马斯·米哈尔斯基同意标普的观点。米哈尔斯基还认为,评级被下调不会促使欧洲领导人在1月底举行会议时采取更大胆的行动。

"I don't believe that there's going to be a general solution to the problem reached at a common European summit," said Michaelski. "I don't believe that can happen. There are so many different interests. Each country is going to have to heal itself."

米哈尔斯基说:“我认为,这个普通的欧盟领导人峰会不会达成解决当前问题的总体方案。我认为不会。存在着太多不同的利益。每个国家将不得不自我痊愈。”

In practical terms, the downgrades mean that some countries may have to borrow money at higher costs. The EU's bailout fund may also be affected 20. But some analysts believe that since so many countries have been downgraded, including the United States last summer, it may have little tangible 21 impact.

从实际的角度来看,评级被下调意味着一些国家的借款成本可能会升高。欧盟救助基金可能也会受到影响。但一些分析师认为,既然许多国家的评级都被下调了,包括去年夏天美国的评级被下调,实际的影响可能微乎其微。

Still others, like Michaelski, say the markets may have anticipated the downgrade and may not react dramatically when they reopen on Monday.

米哈尔斯基等其他分析师说,市场可能已经预料到下调评级,星期一开市时可能不会作出剧烈反应。



1 defensive
adj.防御的;防卫的;防守的
  • Their questions about the money put her on the defensive.他们问到钱的问题,使她警觉起来。
  • The Government hastily organized defensive measures against the raids.政府急忙布置了防卫措施抵御空袭。
2 vowing
起誓,发誓(vow的现在分词形式)
  • President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild its collapsed bridge. 布什总统承诺将帮助明尼阿波利斯重建坍塌的大桥。
  • President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild this collapse bridge. 布什总统发誓要帮助明尼阿波利斯重建起这座坍塌的桥梁。
3 fiscal
adj.财政的,会计的,国库的,国库岁入的
  • The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
  • The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。
4 notch
n.(V字形)槽口,缺口,等级
  • The peanuts they grow are top-notch.他们种的花生是拔尖的。
  • He cut a notch in the stick with a sharp knife.他用利刃在棒上刻了一个凹痕。
5 notches
n.(边缘或表面上的)V型痕迹( notch的名词复数 );刻痕;水平;等级
  • The Indians cut notches on a stick to keep count of numbers. 印第安人在棒上刻V形凹痕用来计数。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • They cut notches in the handle of their pistol for each man they shot. 他们每杀一个人就在枪托上刻下一个V形记号。 来自辞典例句
6 monetary
adj.货币的,钱的;通货的;金融的;财政的
  • 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。
7 commissioner
n.(政府厅、局、处等部门)专员,长官,委员
  • The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
  • He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。
8 diversified
adj.多样化的,多种经营的v.使多样化,多样化( diversify的过去式和过去分词 );进入新的商业领域
  • The college biology department has diversified by adding new courses in biotechnology. 该学院生物系通过增加生物技术方面的新课程而变得多样化。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Take grain as the key link, develop a diversified economy and ensure an all-round development. 以粮为纲,多种经营,全面发展。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
9 resistant
adj.(to)抵抗的,有抵抗力的
  • Many pests are resistant to the insecticide.许多害虫对这种杀虫剂有抵抗力。
  • They imposed their government by force on the resistant population.他们以武力把自己的统治强加在持反抗态度的人民头上。
10 noted
adj.著名的,知名的
  • The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
  • Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。
11 implemented
v.实现( implement的过去式和过去分词 );执行;贯彻;使生效
  • This agreement, if not implemented, is a mere scrap of paper. 这个协定如不执行只不过是一纸空文。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • The economy is in danger of collapse unless far-reaching reforms are implemented. 如果不实施影响深远的改革,经济就面临崩溃的危险。 来自辞典例句
12 applied
adj.应用的;v.应用,适用
  • She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
  • This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。
13 credible
adj.可信任的,可靠的
  • The news report is hardly credible.这则新闻报道令人难以置信。
  • Is there a credible alternative to the nuclear deterrent?是否有可以取代核威慑力量的可靠办法?
14 deficit
n.亏空,亏损;赤字,逆差
  • The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
  • We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。
15 pact
n.合同,条约,公约,协定
  • The two opposition parties made an electoral pact.那两个反对党订了一个有关选举的协定。
  • The trade pact between those two countries came to an end.那两国的通商协定宣告结束。
16 chancellor
n.(英)大臣;法官;(德、奥)总理;大学校长
  • They submitted their reports to the Chancellor yesterday.他们昨天向财政大臣递交了报告。
  • He was regarded as the most successful Chancellor of modern times.他被认为是现代最成功的财政大臣。
17 insufficient
adj.(for,of)不足的,不够的
  • There was insufficient evidence to convict him.没有足够证据给他定罪。
  • In their day scientific knowledge was insufficient to settle the matter.在他们的时代,科学知识还不能足以解决这些问题。
18 assessment
n.评价;评估;对财产的估价,被估定的金额
  • This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
  • What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何?
19 analysts
分析家,化验员( analyst的名词复数 )
  • 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。
20 affected
adj.不自然的,假装的
  • She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
  • His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。
21 tangible
adj.有形的,可触摸的,确凿的,实际的
  • The policy has not yet brought any tangible benefits.这项政策还没有带来任何实质性的好处。
  • There is no tangible proof.没有确凿的证据。
学英语单词
able rating
absolute measurement method
amphiprion perideraion
application for admission
approximate market
aquifar test
attachment site
back-basket store
backswimming
bin system
bituminic
Boolean operators
bother oneself with
Brummagems
Caledon River
chronic heat exhaustion
coddler
common base current gain
concurrent negligences
conduit connection
cyclic ignorable coordinate
dark-sided
deacetylranaconitine
deratization certificate
double resonance
Dänischenhagen
effused-reflexed
equal aquals
equiblast cupola
extra-quranic
fixed points method of calibration
free storage period
frost fog
gas show
green colour
greenlit
Gris-PEG
hamlock
heart-leaved aster
horizontal resolution bars
hot-mix plant
humitas
hypothec bands
income tax on joint venture
indirect analog
individualized manpower training
inquisitivenesses
integrated software line
Interdev
ipropethidine
levy en masse
logistic regression
machine-element
MacS.
make a poor appearance
medical-devices
milli-webers
Moorewood
moorstone
nanobe
neocolonialisms
neutron fluxes
newricall
numerical subroutine library
Orchis kunihikoana
origin of the atmosphere
pale-golds
para-pentyloxy-phenol
payment in arrears
peroxybenzoic acid
pharyngeal opening of eustachian tube
poisonou
propargylchloride
rotary cup atomizing oil burner
rouke
round-necked
sack lunches
sailwing wind generator
sand-castles
self-incompatibillity
sideyways
simple chancre
slow sticking
spanghewed
structural var (svar)
swell-shrink characteristics
tannin idioblast
taran
tedd
tensile stressed skin
third-generation phototypesetter
three-part harmony
transitivity of equivalence relation
ultrahigh voltage transformer oil
uniformly placed
use bit
vicka
vidas
weed control chemicals
wishful thinking
Yerkish