VOA标准英语2010-Pressure Mounts on Greece to Seek Interna

Greek Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou leaves from a meeting with Prime Minister George Papandreou in Athens, 09 Apr 2010

Greece is facing more troubling news as it tries to get its growing debt under control. Fitch Ratings, one of the world's major credit rating agencies, downgraded Greece's status Friday due to concerns  that the government will not be able to pay back $70 billion in debt.  Greece is facing a key deadline in a matter of weeks.

Greece must raise $15 billion by the end of May to cover debt that is due, but nervous investors¹ are helping² to push the government's borrowing costs to record highs.

A recently downgraded debt rating could make Greece's attempt to get the money more difficult.

Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou says his country is not seeking to activate³ a eurozone and International Monetary⁴ Fund (IMF) rescue plan designed to prevent a default.

But he called the plan an important "safety net" and said officials are working out details of how it would work.

Italian Premier⁵ Silvio Berlusconi and French President Nicholas Sarkozy, both pledged support for Athens Friday. "The Greek authorities have taken courageous⁶ measures to  improve the situation of  their public finances. A support package has been approved by all the countries of the eurozone. We are ready to activate it at any time in order to help Greece," he said.

Greece is trying to reassure⁷ investors that recent austerity measures, including cuts in civil servants pay and pension freezes, will allow the country to repay $70 billion in debt. 

Papaconstantiou says those measures   shaved 40 percent off Greece's budget deficit⁸ during the first quarter of this year. But municipal workers fearful of losing their jobs demonstrated their opposition⁹ this week.

Economist¹⁰ Vassilis Vlastarakis, said, "Greece needs 12 billion euros in May. There are several possibilities. One possibility is to issue treasury¹¹ bills. At least it can find at least half of that amount in the next weeks, so the Greek government in my point of view should stop making any comments about the situation. I think they should stick to their program." 

Investment strategist Manos Chatzidakis agreed, saying, "The only thing we can do is show some figures and to be persistent¹² in in our program, in the stability program."

The lessons of the financial crisis are not lost on some Greek youth.  Two young boys who donated 20 euros from their piggy bank were invited, with their grandmother, for a tour of Parliament Friday.
 

1 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

2 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

3 activate   

vt.使活动起来，使开始起作用

参考例句：

• We must activate the youth to study.我们要激励青年去学习。
• These push buttons can activate the elevator.这些按钮能启动电梯。

4 monetary   

adj.货币的，钱的；通货的；金融的；财政的

参考例句：

• The monetary system of some countries used to be based on gold.过去有些国家的货币制度是金本位制的。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。

5 premier   

adj.首要的；n.总理，首相

参考例句：

• The Irish Premier is paying an official visit to Britain.爱尔兰总理正在对英国进行正式访问。
• He requested that the premier grant him an internview.他要求那位总理接见他一次。

6 courageous   

adj.勇敢的，有胆量的

参考例句：

• We all honour courageous people.我们都尊重勇敢的人。
• He was roused to action by courageous words.豪言壮语促使他奋起行动。

7 reassure   

v.使放心，使消除疑虑

参考例句：

• This seemed to reassure him and he continued more confidently.这似乎使他放心一点，于是他更有信心地继续说了下去。
• The airline tried to reassure the customers that the planes were safe.航空公司尽力让乘客相信飞机是安全的。

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 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

10 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

11 treasury   

n.宝库；国库，金库；文库

参考例句：

• The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
• This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。

12 persistent   

adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的

参考例句：

• Albert had a persistent headache that lasted for three days.艾伯特连续头痛了三天。
• She felt embarrassed by his persistent attentions.他不时地向她大献殷勤，使她很难为情。