VOA标准英语2010年-Britain Makes Huge Cuts to Avert Debt

Britain's Chancellor¹ of the Exchequer² George Osborne holds his Budget Box as he poses for the media outside his official residence at 11 Downing Street in central London, 22 Jun 2010

Britain's new coalition³ government has passed an emergency budget after warning the state of the country's finances is much worse than anticipated.

The Clapham Park Estate was once voted one of the worst social housing developments in London.  The window frames are crumbling⁴, the apartments are dark and damp and the estate suffers from high levels of crime, drug use and unemployment.  Many of the residents are reliant on state handouts⁵ to get by.  It is places like this that could be hit hardest by cuts in housing and social benefit.

The apartment blocks were due to be demolished⁶ and rebuilt, but the money has run out.  Vernon de Maynard is chair of the local residents' association.

"We are asking when we are going to get decent homes," he said.  "They tell us 2016, or 2017 plus ... so again it is the little person at the bottom of the scale who gets it in the neck."

Britain's new chancellor, George Osborne of the Conservative Party, claims the previous Labor⁷ Party administration took the country to the edge of bankruptcy⁸.

In an emergency budget he outlined, public spending will be slashed⁹ by one quarter over five years, heralding¹⁰ widespread job losses in the public sector¹¹ and cuts to Britain's welfare state. 

The new budget has been met with angry protests.

"Eighty percent, four-fifths of dealing¹² with this deficit¹³ that we are now in, through the bankers and all the problems that they caused, is to be borne by public services workers and the services that they provide," said Dave Prentis general secretary of the public service union, 'Unison¹⁴'.

Britain's government spent more than $1.25 trillion on bailing¹⁵ out banks following the economic crisis.  It has helped push the deficit in Britain to more than 11 percent of GDP, one of the highest debts in Europe.

The government says Britain, like Greece or Spain, is in danger of losing its triple-A credit rating, so it is slashing¹⁶ spending to balance the books.

Susan Anderson from the Confederation of British Industry, which represents private businesses, says the government is right to take drastic action.

"The U.K. is facing a considerable period of austerity," said Anderson.  "We have got one of the highest deficits¹⁷ in the OECD, we know we need to take action.  We think the government has taken the right balance between cutting public spending and some tax increases."

With its own sterling¹⁸ currency, Britain has been able to keep the euro currency crisis at arm's length.  But Europe is Britain's biggest trading partner, and any problems there hit the British economy.

Economics Professor Wendy Carlin, of University College London, says there is a further risk that simultaneous cuts across the continent will make things worse.

"The problem is if all the big countries in Europe cut spending at the same time it is very difficult to see where the extra sources of demand are going to come from to sustain growth," said Carlin.

Just a mile from the bustle¹⁹ of London's financial district lies Borough²⁰ Market.  Among the pricey food and drink stalls, Michele Marconi arranges the exotic blooms at her flower shop, Chez Michele.  They are the type of luxury item that are vulnerable in a downturn, and which now face an increase in sales tax to 20 percent.  Michele takes a philosophical²¹ viewpoint.

"In my position I cannot do a lot, I just have to follow what happens," said Marconi.  "They are probably going to buy less flowers, but I think if you still maintain quality your customers will always come back."

Such optimism is reflected in the general public.  A recent poll showed 59 percent of British people support the government's spending cuts.  Its message about the danger of the debt appears to be getting through.

But the full effects of the cuts will only be felt in the coming years.  More protests like this seem certain as British society faces it biggest transformation in a generation
 

1 chancellor   

n.(英)大臣；法官；(德、奥)总理；大学校长

参考例句：

• They submitted their reports to the Chancellor yesterday.他们昨天向财政大臣递交了报告。
• He was regarded as the most successful Chancellor of modern times.他被认为是现代最成功的财政大臣。

2 exchequer   

n.财政部；国库

参考例句：

• In Britain the Chancellor of the Exchequer deals with taxes and government spending.英国的财政大臣负责税务和政府的开支。
• This resulted in a considerable loss to the exchequer.这使国库遭受了重大损失。

3 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

4 crumbling   

adj.摇摇欲坠的

参考例句：

• an old house with crumbling plaster and a leaking roof 一所灰泥剥落、屋顶漏水的老房子
• The boat was tied up alongside a crumbling limestone jetty. 这条船停泊在一个摇摇欲坠的石灰岩码头边。

5 handouts   

救济品( handout的名词复数 )； 施舍物； 印刷品； 讲义

参考例句：

• Soldiers oversee the food handouts. 士兵们看管着救济食品。
• Even after losing his job, he was too proud to accept handouts. 甚至在失去工作后，他仍然很骄傲，不愿接受施舍。

6 demolished   

v.摧毁( demolish的过去式和过去分词 )；推翻；拆毁（尤指大建筑物）；吃光

参考例句：

• The factory is due to be demolished next year. 这个工厂定于明年拆除。
• They have been fighting a rearguard action for two years to stop their house being demolished. 两年来，为了不让拆除他们的房子，他们一直在进行最后的努力。

7 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。

8 bankruptcy   

n.破产；无偿付能力

参考例句：

• You will have to pull in if you want to escape bankruptcy.如果你想避免破产，就必须节省开支。
• His firm is just on thin ice of bankruptcy.他的商号正面临破产的危险。

9 slashed   

v.挥砍( slash的过去式和过去分词 )；鞭打；割破；削减

参考例句：

• Someone had slashed the tyres on my car. 有人把我的汽车轮胎割破了。
• He slashed the bark off the tree with his knife. 他用刀把树皮从树上砍下。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 heralding   

v.预示( herald的现在分词 )；宣布（好或重要）

参考例句：

• It is the heralding of a new age of responsibilities. 那预示着一个充满责任的新时期的开始。 来自互联网
• Streaks of faint light were rising, heralding a new day. 几道淡淡的晨曦正在升起，预示新的一天的来临。 来自互联网

11 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

12 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

13 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。

14 unison   

n.步调一致，行动一致

参考例句：

• The governments acted in unison to combat terrorism.这些国家的政府一致行动对付恐怖主义。
• My feelings are in unison with yours.我的感情与你的感情是一致的。

15 bailing   

（凿井时用吊桶）排水

参考例句：

• Both fountains were going furiously and both pumps bailing with might and main. 两个人的口水只管喷泉似地朝外涌，两个抽水机全力以赴往外抽水。
• The mechanical sand-bailing technology makes sand-washing operation more efficient. 介绍了机械捞砂的结构装置及工作原理，提出了现场操作注意事项。

16 slashing   

adj.尖锐的；苛刻的；鲜明的；乱砍的v.挥砍( slash的现在分词 )；鞭打；割破；削减

参考例句：

• Slashing is the first process in which liquid treatment is involved. 浆纱是液处理的第一过程。 来自辞典例句
• He stopped slashing his horse. 他住了手，不去鞭打他的马了。 来自辞典例句

17 deficits   

n.不足额( deficit的名词复数 )；赤字；亏空；亏损

参考例句：

• The Ministry of Finance consistently overestimated its budget deficits. 财政部一贯高估预算赤字。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Many of the world's farmers are also incurring economic deficits. 世界上许多农民还在遭受经济上的亏损。 来自辞典例句

18 sterling   

adj.英币的(纯粹的，货真价实的)；n.英国货币(英镑)

参考例句：

• Could you tell me the current rate for sterling, please?能否请您告诉我现行英国货币的兑换率？
• Sterling has recently been strong,which will help to abate inflationary pressures.英国货币最近非常坚挺，这有助于减轻通胀压力。

19 bustle   

v.喧扰地忙乱，匆忙，奔忙；n.忙碌；喧闹

参考例句：

• The bustle and din gradually faded to silence as night advanced.随着夜越来越深，喧闹声逐渐沉寂。
• There is a lot of hustle and bustle in the railway station.火车站里非常拥挤。

20 borough   

n.享有自治权的市镇；(英)自治市镇

参考例句：

• He was slated for borough president.他被提名做自治区主席。
• That's what happened to Harry Barritt of London's Bromley borough.住在伦敦的布罗姆利自治市的哈里.巴里特就经历了此事。

21 philosophical   

adj.哲学家的，哲学上的，达观的

参考例句：

• The teacher couldn't answer the philosophical problem.老师不能解答这个哲学问题。
• She is very philosophical about her bad luck.她对自己的不幸看得很开。