VOA慢速英语 临近期限希腊给出解决建议

AS IT IS 2015-07-01 Greece Offers a Proposal as Time Limit Runs Out 临近期限希腊给出解决建议

Greece has made a proposal shortly before it was about to default on a loan payment and European leaders agreed to consider it in an emergency conference call on Tuesday.

The country’s leaders had said it is not able to make a payment of $1.8 billion to the International Monetary¹ Fund. But the office of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said his government is proposing a two-year deal to avoid default. It says Greece is offering to "fully² cover" the country's financial needs with the simultaneous restructuring of debt."

Jeroen Dijsselbloem is the President of the Eurogroup. He said the finance ministers of countries using the euro would discuss the Greek proposal during a teleconference late Tuesday evening.

In Washington, President Barack Obama said the Greek financial crisis is "an issue of substantial concern," but more for Europe than the United States. Mr. Obama said the U.S. does not believe the financial turmoil³ will result in "a major shock" to the American economy.

Greece and its creditors⁴ have held heated negotiations⁵ for weeks. Talks ended last weekend with no agreement. And the financial situation in the country has grown worse.

Mr. Tsipras went on national television Sunday to announce a six-day bank closure and cash restrictions⁶. He spoke⁷ hours after the European Central Bank said it would not continue an emergency loan program that had permitted Greek banks to remain open in recent weeks.

Prime Minister Tsipras also announced a plan to hold a referendum, or popular vote, in Greece on July 5th. The vote would let the Greek people decide whether to accept international creditors' latest demands in exchange for new loans.

Greece’s creditors are demanding continued financial reforms before releasing billions of dollars from a financial rescue package. The plan has helped Greece pay its debts, but the country has been in recession for years.

Mr. Tsipras urged a "no" vote in the referendum. However, European leaders said rejecting reforms would amount to Greece withdrawing from the Eurozone and politically leaving Europe.

Greek banks remained shut on Tuesday, and its stock market closed.

The Greek finance ministry⁸ said it would open about 1,000 bank branches across the country to permit people receiving pensions to withdraw enough money to get through the week.

Mr. Tsipras said Monday he will respect the outcome of Sunday's referendum. But he warned that his far-left government will not be the one to carry out the new reforms. While Mr. Tsipras spoke on national television late Monday, protesters demonstrated in Athens against additional financial cuts.

Words in This Story

default –n. failure to make a payment

turmoil –n. a state of confusion or disorder⁹

referendum – n. a popular vote on a specific issue or law

pension(s) –n. a payment plan operated by a government or company that pays retirees

1 monetary   

adj.货币的，钱的；通货的；金融的；财政的

参考例句：

• 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。

2 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

3 turmoil   

n.骚乱，混乱，动乱

参考例句：

• His mind was in such a turmoil that he couldn't get to sleep.内心的纷扰使他无法入睡。
• The robbery put the village in a turmoil.抢劫使全村陷入混乱。

4 creditors   

n.债权人，债主( creditor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They agreed to repay their creditors over a period of three years. 他们同意3年内向债主还清欠款。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Creditors could obtain a writ for the arrest of their debtors. 债权人可以获得逮捕债务人的令状。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

6 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

7 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。

8 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

9 disorder   

n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调

参考例句：

• When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后，他发现屋子里乱七八糟。
• It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。