VOA慢速英语2014 法国极右翼党派获得俄罗斯银行900万欧元的贷款

 

AS IT IS 2014-12-05 French Party Accepts Loan from Russian Bank 法国极右翼党派获得俄罗斯银行900万欧元的贷款

The National Front in France has admitted taking a huge loan from a bank controlled by Russia. National Front leader Marine¹ Le Pen announced last week that her party had taken an 11-million-dollar loan from the First Czech-Russian Bank. She made the announcement during a visit to Moscow. 

Her admission came as the French government delayed an agreement to deliver two warships³ for Russia. The French president’s office said the situation in Ukraine did not permit delivery of the warships, which carry helicopters.  The ships are being built in the port of Saint Nazaire.

The National Front has campaigned hard for the warship² agreement to be completed. The party’s Gauthier Bouchet spoke⁴ to VOA in October.

“Our position is to protect our industry, to protect our right to trade with every country that we want.”

The National Front has attracted thousands of people in French towns and cities. Opinion studies show it is the country’s most popular party. 

Neil Barnett is with the Center for Policy Studies in London.  He says supporting far-right, anti-European Union parties is part of a Russian strategy.

“To divide European countries from each other, their governments from each other... To spread division within the European Union, but also more broadly to divide Europe from the U.S… Having radical⁵ political forces potentially forming governments in major EU states is a major contribution towards that.”

Last month, pro-Russian rebels held elections in parts of eastern Ukraine. Some Western observers did not think the elections were legitimate⁶. But several parties in Europe accepted invitations to serve as election monitors, observing the voting. 

Neil Barnett called attention to the lists of election observers the Russians brought into Crimea and later into Donetsk and Luhansk. He said the lists contain a variety of European movements that openly sympathize with Russia. He says some may possibly be receiving financial support from Russia.

“This is really an intelligence matter. And so payments that have been happening will have been happening generally covertly⁷ through third parties.”

In Hungary, the Jobbik Party won 20 percent of the vote in elections last April. The party has called for special detention⁸ camps for the Roma people. It also has argued that Jews are a national security risk. 

Also present for the voting in eastern Ukraine were representatives of Italy’s Forza Party, Bulgaria’s Ataka and the Communist Party in Greece.

Relations between Russia and Europe are sharply deteriorating⁹ over Ukraine. Russia’s finance minister says Western sanctions against Russia and falling oil prices would cost his country up to $140 billion a year.

Nicholas Redman is with the International Institute of Strategic Studies. He says Russian President Vladimir Putin is using the economic pain to fuel public opinion against the West.

“Anti-Americanism is something that is being given full rein¹⁰. Some people who are in opposition¹¹ now risk being classed as traitors¹².  Society is in some senses on a phony war footing. The political set up is now conditioned for several years of economic relative hardship.”

Words in This Story

deliver – v. to take something to a person or place

attracted - v. caused someone to choose to do or be involved in something

strategy - n. a careful plan or method for achieving a particular  goal, usually over a long period of time

contribution - n. something that is contributed; something that is given to help a person or a cause, etc.  

legitimate - adj. allowed according to rules or laws

variety – n.  a number or collection of different things or people

1 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

2 warship   

n.军舰，战舰

参考例句：

• He is serving on a warship in the Pacific.他在太平洋海域的一艘军舰上服役。
• The warship was making towards the pier.军舰正驶向码头。

3 warships   

军舰，战舰( warship的名词复数 )； 舰只

参考例句：

• The enemy warships were disengaged from the battle after suffering heavy casualties. 在遭受惨重伤亡后，敌舰退出了海战。
• The government fitted out warships and sailors for them. 政府给他们配备了战舰和水手。

4 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

5 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

6 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。

7 covertly   

adv.偷偷摸摸地

参考例句：

• Naval organizations were covertly incorporated into civil ministries. 各种海军组织秘密地混合在各民政机关之中。 来自辞典例句
• Modern terrorism is noteworthy today in that it is being done covertly. 现代的恐怖活动在今天是值得注意的，由于它是秘密进行的。 来自互联网

8 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。

9 deteriorating   

恶化，变坏( deteriorate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The weather conditions are deteriorating. 天气变得越来越糟。
• I was well aware of the bad morale and the deteriorating factories. 我很清楚，大家情绪低落，各个工厂越搞越坏。

10 rein   

n.疆绳，统治，支配；vt.以僵绳控制，统治

参考例句：

• The horse answered to the slightest pull on the rein.只要缰绳轻轻一拉,马就作出反应。
• He never drew rein for a moment till he reached the river.他一刻不停地一直跑到河边。

11 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

12 traitors   

卖国贼( traitor的名词复数 )； 叛徒； 背叛者； 背信弃义的人

参考例句：

• Traitors are held in infamy. 叛徒为人所不齿。
• Traitors have always been treated with contempt. 叛徒永被人们唾弃。