VOA标准英语2008年-Politicians Trying to Keep EU Treaty Alive

By Lisa Bryant
Paris
16 June 2008

Politicians are scrambling¹ to keep the European Union treaty alive after Irish voters rejected the charter in a referendum last Thursday. European foreign ministers met in Luxembourg, while President Nicolas Sarkozy of France, which takes over the rotating EU presidency² in July, held talks in Prague. Lisa Bryant has more from Paris.

Where should Europe go after more than half of Ireland's voters rejected the European Union treaty in a referendum last week? On Monday, European politicians had no answers.
　

Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Haris Silajdzic (l) and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana in Luxembourg, 16 Jun 2008

Meeting with fellow EU ministers Monday in Luxembourg, Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel of Slovenia, which currently holds the rotating EU presidency, told reporters it is too early to talk about reviving what is known as the Lisbon Treaty.

"I would be risky³ to say we are going to bring the treaty back to life now, at the moment when we are facing a blockade or how shall I put it, this moment of truth. It is time for a little bit of thinking and analysis and listening," said Rupel.

Irish Foreign Minister Michael Martin was equally cautious, saying the Irish rejection⁴ of the charter must be taken into account.

"We have to consult widely with our colleagues and we have to seek a way forward in view of what has happened," he said. "It is equally important to point out that there are consequences arising from the vote last Thursday - consequences for the union itself, for the treaty and indeed for Ireland."

In theory, all 27 members of the European Union have to approve the new treaty for it to go into effect. The document paves the way for creating a full-time⁵ EU president and a more powerful foreign policy head. So far, 17 nations have approved the treaty, with only Ireland rejecting it by referendum.

Now, Britain, France and Germany are among those members pushing for the rest of the EU members to vote on the charter. If they approve the treaty, it may step up pressure on Ireland to hold a second vote.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy of France, whose country takes over the EU presidency in July, met in Prague with government leaders of Slovakia, Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic to try to find a solution to the crisis. EU heads of state are also expected to address the matter during a summit Thursday and Friday in Brussels.

1 scrambling   

v.快速爬行( scramble的现在分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞

参考例句：

• Scrambling up her hair, she darted out of the house. 她匆忙扎起头发，冲出房去。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• She is scrambling eggs. 她正在炒蛋。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

3 risky   

adj.有风险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险，但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
• He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。

4 rejection   

n.拒绝，被拒，抛弃，被弃

参考例句：

• He decided not to approach her for fear of rejection.他因怕遭拒绝决定不再去找她。
• The rejection plunged her into the dark depths of despair.遭到拒绝使她陷入了绝望的深渊。

5 full-time   

adj.满工作日的或工作周的，全时间的

参考例句：

• A full-time job may be too much for her.全天工作她恐怕吃不消。
• I don't know how she copes with looking after her family and doing a full-time job.既要照顾家庭又要全天工作，我不知道她是如何对付的。