VOA标准英语2008年-EU Leaders Discuss Future After Irish Treaty Re

By Lisa Bryant
Paris
19 June 2008

European leaders are gathered for a two-day summit in Brussels to search for a way forward for the European Union after Irish voters rejected the EU treaty in a referendum last week. From Paris, Lisa Bryant reports it is unlikely a breakthrough will be achieved during the talks.
　

Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen (l) and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso listen to questions from journalists during a media conference at EU headquarters in Brussels, 19 Jun 2008

At a news conference with Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso dismissed chances the 27 European Union leaders gathered in Brussels will reach any kind of quick solution to the crisis facing the bloc¹ after Ireland's rejection² of the Lisbon treaty.

"We agreed that the decision of the Irish people must be respected," said Barroso. "We equally agreed that the right of other member states to reach their own position on the treaty should also be respected. At this evening's dinner of the European Council the [Irish prime minister] will share his analysis of the results of the referendum. I fully³ agree with his view that the vote was not against Europe."

Nineteen European Union countries have approved the treaty, with the British parliament giving it the green light Wednesday. Ireland, with a population that constitutes less than two-tenths of one percent of the entire EU population, is the only member holding a referendum on the treaty and the only country to have rejected it.

A number of member states are pushing for the other EU countries to vote on the treaty. That may increase pressure for Ireland to hold another referendum on the document although Irish voters could vote "no" once again.

Barroso told reporters he expected more discussion on the future of the European Union and its treaty at another summit this October.

Prime Minister Cowen said Ireland would begin talks with fellow EU members, agreeing that a quick fix during this summit was not in the cards.

"It is far too early yet for anyone to put forward proposals," he said. "I fully accept that we will need to work intensively in the coming months to identify what possible solutions may be available to us."

Ireland's rejection of the treaty is particularly a blow to France, which takes over the rotating EU presidency⁴ next month. French President Nicolas Sarkozy has a number of ambitions plans, including a new European-Mediterranean partnership⁵, and aligning⁶ the bloc more closely in matters of immigration, defense⁷ and taxes. Those plans may now face a setback⁸.

1 bloc   

n.集团；联盟

参考例句：

• A solid bloc of union members support the decision.工会会员团结起来支持该决定。
• There have been growing tensions within the trading bloc.贸易同盟国的关系越来越紧张。

2 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。

3 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

4 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。

5 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。

6 aligning   

n. (直线)对准 动词align的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• There are signs that the prime minister is aligning himself with the liberals. 有迹象表明首相正在与自由党人结盟。
• ToolTips provide textual hints that assist in drawing lines and aligning objects. 工具提示提供了协助画线和对象对齐的文本提示。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

7 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

8 setback   

n.退步，挫折，挫败

参考例句：

• Since that time there has never been any setback in his career.从那时起他在事业上一直没有遇到周折。
• She views every minor setback as a disaster.她把每个较小的挫折都看成重大灾难。