VOA常速英语2017--马歇尔计划70周年纪念

June marks the 70th anniversary of the European Recovery Program, better known as the Marshall Plan. It was one of the most successful U.S. foreign policy initiatives of the 20th century, praised by Winston Churchill as “the most unselfish act by any great power in history”.

六月是欧洲复兴计划（又称马歇尔计划）的70周年纪念。该计划是20世纪最成功的外交政策举措之一，被丘吉尔盛赞为“人类历史上最大公无私的壮举”。

In the late 1940s, recovery from the devastation¹ of the Second World War proved to be extraordinarily² difficult for the economically devastated³ countries of Europe. Two years after the war ended, Europe still had a long way to go just to catch up to pre-war agricultural and industrial output. Unemployment was high and food shortages persisted, further slowing down the recovery.

20世纪40年代末，经济衰败的各欧洲国家很难从二战的重创中恢复过来。二战结束的2年后，要赶上二战前的农业和工业输出水平，欧洲还有很长的路要走。失业率居高不下，粮食紧缺状况持续不退，这些都进一步放缓了经济复苏的步伐。

In an effort to stabilize⁴ Europe and restore its industrial and agricultural production, the United States initiated⁵ the Marshall Plan, named after then-Secretary of State George Marshall. Between April 1948 and December 1951, the United States poured $13 billion in direct investment into 17 Western European countries, including former foes⁶ Germany and Italy. In today's money, that's around $130 billion. East European countries were also offered aid but had to decline it on orders of the Soviet⁷ Union.

为了稳定欧洲的情况，恢复欧洲的工农业生产，美国发起了马歇尔计划，该计划是以时任国务卿乔治 马歇尔的名字命名的。1948年4月-1951年12月期间，美国向17个西欧国家豪掷了130亿美元的直接投资，其中甚至还包括美国此前的敌人德国和意大利。这笔资金相当于今天的近1300亿美元。东欧国家也得到了美国的援助，只不过对前苏联的援助力度有适当的减弱。

The investment jump-started Western Europe's heavy-industry base, provided jobs for millions of people, stabilized⁸ the economic and political systems and raised the Gross National Product of the Marshall Plan countries by 15 to 25 percent. By 1951, it was clear that the initiative had met its objective of restoring the confidence of the European people in the economic future of their own countries and of Europe as a whole, and Western Europe was well on the way to a bright future.

这笔投资为西欧的重工业奠定了基础，为无数人提供了就业岗位，稳定了其经济体系和政治体系，将参与马歇尔计划的国家的GNP提升了15%-25%。截至1951年，该计划已有目共睹地实现了这样一个目标：恢复欧洲民众对本国和整个欧洲未来经济发展的信心，让西欧在奔向光明未来的路上大步前进。

The Marshall Plan not only helped Europe recover and spurred rapid economic growth; it laid the foundation for the long-term peace and prosperity that both the United States and Europe have enjoyed for nearly three-quarters of a century, said Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

马歇尔计划不仅助力欧洲恢复经济并促进欧洲的经济快速发展；它还奠定了长期和平繁荣的基础，而和平与繁荣是美国和欧洲近75年来的标签，美国国务卿蒂勒森如是说道。

Perhaps more importantly, the Marshall Plan laid the foundation for the transatlantic bond and partnership⁹ that has helped Europe remain whole, free, at peace, and prosperous. Today, as we face new threats to our security, unity¹⁰, and prosperity, the Marshall Plan reminds us of what is possible when the United States and Europe work together.

或许更为重要的是，马歇尔计划为跨太平洋的纽带与合作打下了基础，这种纽带与合作助力欧洲始终保持着其完整性，并始终处于自由、和平与繁荣的状态。今天的我们面临着安全、团结与繁荣方面的新威胁，马歇尔计划提醒我们美国与欧洲的联手可以实现什么。

1 devastation   

n.毁坏；荒废；极度震惊或悲伤

参考例句：

• The bomb caused widespread devastation. 炸弹造成大面积破坏。
• There was devastation on every side. 到处都是破坏的创伤。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 extraordinarily   

adv.格外地；极端地

参考例句：

• She is an extraordinarily beautiful girl.她是个美丽非凡的姑娘。
• The sea was extraordinarily calm that morning.那天清晨，大海出奇地宁静。

3 devastated   

v.彻底破坏( devastate的过去式和过去分词)；摧毁；毁灭；在感情上（精神上、财务上等）压垮adj.毁坏的；极为震惊的

参考例句：

• The bomb devastated much of the old part of the city. 这颗炸弹炸毁了旧城的一大片地方。
• His family is absolutely devastated. 他的一家感到极为震惊。

4 stabilize   

vt.（使）稳定，使稳固，使稳定平衡；vi.稳定

参考例句：

• They are eager to stabilize currencies.他们急于稳定货币。
• His blood pressure tended to stabilize.他的血压趋向稳定。

5 initiated   

n. 创始人 adj. 新加入的 vt. 开始，创始，启蒙，介绍加入

参考例句：

• He has not yet been thoroughly initiated into the mysteries of computers. 他对计算机的奥秘尚未入门。
• The artist initiated the girl into the art world in France. 这个艺术家介绍这个女孩加入巴黎艺术界。

6 foes   

敌人，仇敌( foe的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They steadily pushed their foes before them. 他们不停地追击敌人。
• She had fought many battles, vanquished many foes. 她身经百战，挫败过很多对手。

7 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

8 stabilized   

v.（使）稳定， （使）稳固( stabilize的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The patient's condition stabilized. 患者的病情稳定下来。
• His blood pressure has stabilized. 他的血压已经稳定下来了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

9 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

10 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。