The International Monetary Fund, the European Union and World Bank have agreed to a $25 billion economic rescue package for Hungary to strengthen confidence in its economy. It has been described as the largest financial aid measure for an emerging-market economy since the start of the worldwide financial troubles, and the first for an EU-member country.
国际货币基金组织、欧洲联盟和世界银行同意向匈牙利提供一个250亿美元的一揽子经济拯救计划,以增强市场对匈牙利经济的信心。这个拯救计划是自从全球金融危机爆发以来国际社会向新兴市场经济体所提供的最大的金融援助项目,同时也是欧盟成员国接受的第一个国际援助。
They still sing Hungarian folksongs while baking bread and cookies at an old pensioners club in Budapest. But they may soon sing the blues when hearing of government plans to freeze or reduce their pensions.
这是在布达佩斯的一个老年人俱乐部,人们一边烤着面包和点心,一边唱着匈牙利民歌。可是当他们听到政府计划冻结或削减他们的养老金的时候,他们的调子恐怕就会显得垂头丧气了。
Hungary's Socialist-led government also wants to suspend salary bonuses for state employees.
匈牙利社会党人领导的政府还准备暂时停止向国企雇员发放奖金。
Cutting spending is a key condition for Hungary to receive more than $25 billion in international aid as it struggles with the worst global financial crisis in 80 years.
在匈牙利挣扎著应付80年来最糟糕的全球金融危机的时候,削减支出是匈牙利得到250多亿美元国际援助的一个关键条件。
The International Monetary Fund says it will grant Hungary a standby loan of nearly $16 billion while the European Union has offered over $8 billion and the World Bank more than $1 billion.
国际货币基金组织说,它将给匈牙利提供将近160亿美元的备用贷款。与此同时,欧盟同意提供80多亿美元,世界银行提供10多亿美元。
Hungary is particularly hard hit. Last year it had Europe's largest budget deficit, with most of its overspending on social benefits.
这次金融危机对匈牙利的打击尤其严重。去年,它的财政赤字是欧洲最大的,大部分的超额花费都被用在社会福利上。
In addition, most households took loans and mortgages in foreign currencies, such as euros, Swiss francs or Japanese yen, because interest rates were better. With the Hungarian currency, the forint, plunging to record lows, many Hungarians are unable to pay-off their financial obligations.
另外,大多数家庭的借贷和房屋贷款都是以欧元、瑞士法郎或是日元这些外币来计算的,因为这些货币的利率比较好。随著匈牙利货币福林贬值到创记录的低水平,很多匈牙利人变得无力偿还他们的债务。
But Hungary's main center-right opposition party, Fidesz, has criticized the government for accepting the financial rescue package, saying it could compromise the country's sovereignty.
但是匈牙利中间偏右的主要反对党青年民主联盟-匈牙利公民联盟对政府接受金融援助计划提出批评,说此举可能使匈牙利的主权受到损害。
Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany shrugs off this criticism. He says the loans Hungary receives will not restrict the country's right to make its own political decisions and introduce reforms.
匈牙利总理久尔恰尼对这个批评不以为然。匈牙利总理久尔恰尼(Gyurcsany)说,匈牙利得到的贷款不会限制匈牙利的政治决策权,也不会限制改革进程。
"We will remain an independent country," he added.
这位总理还说:“我们将保持国家独立。”
But Mr. Gyurcsany admits his government can "not take up the responsibility to pay automatically 13th month wages and pensions, because we do not know from where to cover these expenses."
不过,久尔恰尼承认,他的政府“不能承担自动支付‘第13个月’的工资和退休金的责任,因为我们不知道这笔费用从什么地方出。”
One in five Hungarians, about 1.5 million people, are expected to be impacted by the measures.
估计这些措施将会对五分之一的匈牙利人,也就是150万民众,造成影响。
Hungarian pensioners find it difficult to prepare for the upcoming holiday season without their bonus extra month's pay.
如果拿不到相当于一个月工资的额外奖金,匈牙利领取退休金的人员恐怕就会感到难以为今年的节日进行筹措了。
"We are always counting how many nights we have to sleep to receive the 13th month pension," said one woman.
“我们每天晚上都在数着再过多少个晚上就能够拿到这“第13个月”的退休金了。”
But bread-and-butter concerns seem far removed from the daily reality of traders at the Budapest Stock Exchange, seen as a key indicator of Hungary's overall economic situation.
不过,对面包和奶油的担心要跟布达佩斯股票交易所的交易员们每天所面对的现实相比就差得太远了。股票交易所被人们视为匈牙利整体经济状况的晴雨表。
Men in suits are glued to their computers as they try to cope with unprecedented volatility in Hungary's stock market. The Hungarian forint and the Budapest Stock Exchange were both significantly higher Wednesday, but nobody knows for how long after weeks of turmoil.
西装革履的交易员们坚守在电脑旁,试图应付匈牙利股市前所未有的震荡。匈牙利货币的币值和布达佩斯股市星期三大幅度走高,但是经过几个星期的震荡,没有人知道这种形势会持续多久。
Hungary's financial situation is closely monitored by Europe's other former Communist countries, where governments have slashed economic growth forecasts and expect budget revenues to dwindle. Analysts say it comes at a time when their ability to borrow more on international debt markets has been squeezed by the global credit crunch.
The larger-than-expected rescue for Hungary, the biggest for an emerging market economy since the global crisis began, is the first for an EU member. It also dwarfs the $2 billion and more than $16 billion sums offered by the IMF earlier to fellow strugglers Iceland and Ukraine.
国际社会对匈牙利的救援超过了预期规模,对于一个发展中经济体来说,这是全球金融危机开始以来最大的一笔援助,在欧盟成员国中更是绝无仅有。相比之下,国际货币基金组织早些时候分别向冰岛和乌克兰提供的20亿美元和160亿美元的救援资金就显得相形见绌了。 |