VOA慢速英语2019 英国与欧盟达成"脱欧"新协议（在线收听）

Britain, European Union Reach Deal on Brexit

British and European Union officials say they have reached a deal on amended terms for Britain’s withdrawal from the EU. The deal was announced Thursday, more than three years after Britons voted to leave the 28-member union.

英国和欧盟官员表示，他们已经就英国退出欧盟的修正条款达成协议。在英国人投票决定退出由28个国家组成的欧盟的三年多之后，该协议在这个周四得以公布。

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson must win a vote in parliament to get the agreement approved.

英国首相鲍里斯·约翰逊必须在议会赢得投票使该协议获得通过。

“We have a great new Brexit deal,” Johnson said. Politicians and the media have been using the term Brexit for the proposed withdrawal.

约翰逊表示：“我们达成了一项伟大的脱欧新协议。”政客和媒体一直使用脱欧一词来表述这一拟议的退出。

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker also expressed satisfaction with the agreement.

欧盟委员会主席让-克洛德·容克也对该协议表示满意。

“It is high time to complete the divorce process and move on, as swiftly as possible, to the negotiation on the European Union’s future partnership with the United Kingdom (UK),” Juncker said in a letter.

容克在一封信件中表示：“现在是时候完成英国脱欧程序且继续前行，并尽快就欧盟与英国未来的伙伴关系进行谈判。”

“Where there is a will there is a deal - we have one!” he wrote on the social networking service Twitter. “It’s a fair and balanced agreement for the EU and the UK and it is a testament to our commitment to find solutions.”

他在社交媒体网站推特上表示：“有意愿就能达成协议，我们达成协议了。对于欧盟和英国来说，这是一项公平、平衡的协议，这证明了我们寻求解决方案的承诺。”

His tweet appeared before the start of an EU meeting in Brussels.

他的推文出现在布鲁塞尔的欧盟会议开始之前。

Johnson must now secure approval for the amended deal in a special session of parliament on Saturday. If approved, the agreement would lead to an orderly withdrawal from the EU on October 31.

约翰逊现在必须在周六的议会特别会议上确保通过这一修正协议。如果获得批准，该协议将会让英国于10月31日有序退出欧盟。

Johnson had threatened to take Britain out of the EU at the end of the month with or without a deal. Many people worried a no-deal Brexit would cause serious damage to the British economy.

约翰逊曾威胁说，无论是否达成协议，都将在月底带领英国退出欧盟。许多人担心无协议脱欧会严重损害英国经济。

The head of Britain’s main opposition Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, said he was “unhappy” with the deal and would vote against it. Lawmakers in his party said they had been told to support calls for a special referendum when they meet on Saturday. A new nationwide vote would reopen the decision to leave the EU.

英国主要反对党工党主席杰里米·科宾表示，他对该协议“不满意”，并将对该协议投反对票。他所在政党的议员表示，他们被告知在周六开会时支持举行一次特别全民公投的呼吁。这次全国性投票将会重新作出脱欧决定。

For the agreement to be approved, Johnson needs the backing of the Northern Irish Democratic Union Party, or DUP. The party has said it will not support the deal.

为了使该协议获得批准，约翰逊需要获得北爱尔兰民主联盟党的支持。该党已经表示不会支持这项协议。

The most difficult part of any Brexit agreement has been the question of the border between Ireland and the British province of Northern Ireland.

英国脱欧协议中最困难的部分在于爱尔兰和英国北爱尔兰省之间的边境问题。

The border is now completely open. The problem was how to keep it open once Britain leaves the EU. Setting up border checkpoints, many feared, would endanger the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, which ended years of conflict in Northern Ireland.

目前该边境是完全开放状态。问题是一旦英国脱离欧盟如何保持它的开放。许多人担心，设立边境检查站将会危及1998年耶稣受难日协议，该协议结束了北爱尔兰多年的冲突。

Leaving the border open would undermine Britain’s desire to control trade agreements.

放开边境将会破坏英国控制贸易协定的意愿。

Negotiators worked this week to find a compromise on the question of the Irish border.

谈判人员本周致力于就爱尔兰边境问题达成妥协。

The amended agreement reached would keep Northern Ireland in the UK trade area. Tariffs will be placed on goods crossing from mainland Britain to Northern Ireland if they are going to Ireland or other EU member states.

达成的修正协定将使北爱尔兰保持在英国贸易区。从英国大陆到北爱尔兰的货物如果要运往爱尔兰或其它欧盟成员国将被征收关税。

However, the Democratic Unionist Party said the new wording was not acceptable. The party supports Johnson’s government.

但是北爱尔兰民主联盟党说新的条款无法接受。该党派支持约翰逊政府。

The prime minister has no majority in the 650-seat parliament. The Reuters news agency notes that he needs at least 318 votes to get a deal approved.

约翰逊首相在650席的议会中不占多数优势。路透社指出，他至少需要318票才能让协议通过。

I’m Susan Shand.

Words in This Story

divorce – n. an official declaration ending a marriage between two people

swiftly – adj. quickly; fast or soon

testament – n. proof or evidence that something exists or is true

commitment – n. an agreement or promise

session – n. a meeting or series of meetings

checkpoint – n. a place where people and vehicles are searched by someone (such as a police officer) before being permitted to continue

undermine – v. to make someone or something weaker or less effective usually in a secret or gradual way

tariffs – n. a tax on good coming into or leaving a country