German Chancellor Angela Merkel stressed the importance of the euro currency to Germany and the wider European Union in her New Year's address. Some analysts have predicted the crises in the Euro Zone, however, could force the union to break up in the coming decade.
德国总理默克尔强调欧元对德国和整个欧盟至关重要。但是一些分析人士预测，欧元区的危机可能迫使欧盟在未来十年中解体。
Merkel said Friday that Germany remains committed to the euro. She said Europe is in the middle of a great test. And despite upheaval during 2010, now is the time to support the currency.
默克尔星期五说，德国决心继续支持欧元。她说，欧洲正在经历一场巨大的考验。尽管2010年动荡剧烈，但现在需要支持欧元。
In the past year sovereign debt crises in Greece and Ireland threatened financial stability across the euro zone. The EU bailed out Greece and Ireland, and set up a mechanism to help future euro countries in trouble.
过去一年中，希腊和爱尔兰发生的主权债务危机让整个欧元区的金融稳定受到了威胁。欧盟向希腊和爱尔兰伸出了援手，并制订了相关机制，向未来陷入危机的欧元区成员国提供救助。
That euro fund is worth about $600 billion in loan guarantees from member nations. Around one-quarter of that sum was paid in by Germany.
欧元救助基金总值大约6千亿欧元，由成员国负责提供信贷担保，大约四分之一由德国承担。
Merkel said Friday, though, that Germany has come out of the euro crises strengthened. The euro, she said, is the foundation of prosperity in Europe.
但是默克尔星期五说，德国经历过欧元危机后，现在变得更加强大。她说，欧元是欧洲繁荣的根基。
But a recent poll suggests many in Germany are not happy about bailing out their euro neighbors. Earlier this month, 49 percent of people polled by the German newspaper Bild said they want Germany's former currency, the deutschmark, back.
但最近一项民调显示，德国很多人并不赞成对其他成员国提供救助。德国《图片报》(Bild)本月早些时候进行的民调显示，49%的受访者说，他们希望重新使用德国以前的货币马克。
Those tensions may only get worse in the coming year. The economies of other Euro Zone countries are in danger and may need bailouts of their own. A Britain-based research group, the Center for Economics and Business Research, said Friday that Spain and Italy will have to refinance more than $500 billion of bonds next year.
这些紧张情绪明年可能继续升温。欧元区其他成员国现在同样面临危险，自身需要救助。设在英国的欧洲经济与产业研究中心(Center for Economic and Business Research)星期五说，西班牙和意大利明年将必须再发行5千多亿欧元的国债，才能避免破产。
The research group said that could mean a new crisis for the Euro Zone and might even lead to the union disbanding. It said that over the next 10 years, there's only a one in five chance of the euro currency area surviving in its current form.
该中心认为，这可能引发欧元区一场新的危机，甚至可能导致欧盟解体。如果不变革，欧元区未来十年不解体的机率只有五分之一。 |