VOA标准英语2009年-G8 Labor Summit Discusses Global Welfare P

A three-day summit of the Group of Eight labor¹ ministers and of six other major economies has opened in Rome on to discuss ways to strengthen welfare systems and help the rising number of jobless.
　
A general view of the hall of the first day of the G8 Labor ministers meeting, in Rome, 29 Mar² 2009

Attending the Rome meeting are labor ministers, union representatives and members of business groups and international organizations. Summit host Italian Labor Minister Maurizio Sacconi said he hopes agreement will be reached on a global welfare pact³ aimed at pursuing social stability alongside economic stability.

The three-day "Group of 14" meeting will bring together the G8 leading industrial powers with the emerging giants China, India and Brazil as well as Mexico, South Africa and Egypt at a time when worldwide job losses are sparking fears of social unrest.

Minister Sacconi said the objective is to rebuild confidence, starting above all from social protection, therefore starting from the people. He added the theme chosen for this summit is "People First, Tacking⁴ together the human dimension of the crisis".

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Trade Union Advisory⁵ Committee General Secretary, John Evans, said this is a critical time and governments need to come out with strong measures.

"We are seeing something like a doubling of unemployment taking place at the moment, but there is virtually no increase in spending on active labor-market policies," said Evans. "We need at least a doubling of spending on active labor market policies to begin to deal with this crisis."

He added that at this moment there is a lot of anger over the loss of jobs, incomes, pensions and homes.

There were several protests in European capitals, including Rome, on Saturday before a much-anticipated summit of the Group of 20 developed and developing nations next Thursday in London to discuss the world financial crisis.

In the Italian capital, thousands of students and trade union members took to the streets.

This union representative said what is needed to overcome the current financial crisis is jobs for all, minimum salaries guaranteed to young people, decent pensions, social services and homes.

1 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

2 mar   

vt.破坏，毁坏，弄糟

参考例句：

• It was not the custom for elderly people to mar the picnics with their presence.大人们照例不参加这样的野餐以免扫兴。
• Such a marriage might mar your career.这样的婚姻说不定会毁了你的一生。

3 pact   

n.合同，条约，公约，协定

参考例句：

• 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。

4 tacking   

（帆船）抢风行驶，定位焊[铆]紧钉

参考例句：

• He was tacking about on this daily though perilous voyage. 他在进行这种日常的、惊险的航行。
• He spent the afternoon tacking the pictures. 他花了一个下午的时间用图钉固定那些图片。

5 advisory   

adj.劝告的，忠告的，顾问的，提供咨询

参考例句：

• I have worked in an advisory capacity with many hospitals.我曾在多家医院做过顾问工作。
• He was appointed to the advisory committee last month.他上个月获任命为顾问委员会委员。