VOA标准英语2010年-French Workers Vow to Keep Protesting

Strikes continue in France and the country is bracing¹ for another day of demonstrations³ next Thursday over a new retirement⁴ reform bill that the country's Senate passed on Friday. President Nicolas Sarkozy is expected to sign the bill into law soon.

A hundred or so demonstrators waving red flags and many wearing yellow stickers calling for a retirement at sixty gathered in Paris this weekend. They oppose the government's plan to raise the minimum retirement age two tears, to 62 and full retirement from 65 to 67.

The bill has sparked protests for more than two weeks from transport strike that has disrupted rail services and airports, and a blockade on refineries⁵, fuel depots⁶ and ports that has left many gas stations empty. The French government says the reforms are necessary because of a large fiscal⁷ deficit⁸.

These demonstrators are collecting money for the strikers to continue. Patrice Bessac a spokesman for the French Comminist party says it does not matter that the senate just passed the bill. "The law is passed but not the movement," he said.

Labor⁹ unions have called for a nationwide day of action on Thursday. A similar call brought more than a million people into the streets early this week. Students are expected to hold demonstrations as well, but it is Thursday when protestors hope to make a statement.

"I think the demonstration² Thursday is going to be enormous", said one.

The government has used emergency legislation to push the bill through and President Sarkozy has been adamant¹⁰ he will not back down.

Bessac says that is not a good strategy for the President. "Mr Sarozy has just one choice to take back his law and to hear the majority of the French people who demonstrate against this law, so Mr Sarkozy, hear your people, hear the French people, they don't want your law, you have to take back," he said.

The unions promise actions next Thursday and November 6th and say they will continue to call on their workers and other French citizens to keep protesting until the President negotiates with them.
 

1 bracing   

adj.令人振奋的

参考例句：

• The country is bracing itself for the threatened enemy invasion. 这个国家正准备奋起抵抗敌人的入侵威胁。
• The atmosphere in the new government was bracing. 新政府的气氛是令人振奋的。

2 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

3 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

4 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

5 refineries   

精炼厂( refinery的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The efforts on closedown and suspension of small sugar refineries, small saccharin refineries and small paper mills are also being carried out in steps. 关停小糖厂、小糖精厂、小造纸厂的工作也已逐步展开。
• Hence the sitting of refineries is at a distance from population centres. 所以，炼油厂的厂址总在远离人口集中的地方。

6 depots   

仓库( depot的名词复数 )； 火车站； 车库； 军需库

参考例句：

• Public transportation termini and depots are important infrastructures for a city. 公交场站设施是城市重要的基础设施。
• In the coastal cities are equipped with after-sales service and depots. 在各沿海城市均设有服务部及售后维修站。

7 fiscal   

adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的

参考例句：

• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
• The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。

8 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

9 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

10 adamant   

adj.坚硬的，固执的

参考例句：

• We are adamant on the building of a well-off society.在建设小康社会这一点上，我们是坚定不移的。
• Veronica was quite adamant that they should stay on.维罗妮卡坚信他们必须继续留下去。