VOA标准英语2010年-Workers' Strikes Hit London, France

Strikes taking place across France and London have closed down major transport routes and turned transport links into chaos¹.

 

London's Tube workers went on a 24-hour strike starting Monday evening that left commuters struggling to make it to work Tuesday morning.

Buses were diverted from central London because streets were at a standstill. Many people were on foot.

This London worker didn't arrive at work until two in the afternoon.

"Normally it takes me 45 minutes and today it took me five hours," she said.  "I think it was totally unnecessary; it should have been avoided rather than costing all the people trouble because there's been a lot of traffic and disruptions all over."

Thousands of workers on London's transport system walked out because they say proposed job cuts will hurt the service and create safety risks.

Bob Crow is leader of transport union RMT. VOA asked him if the strike is successful.

"Very successful," said Crow.  "There's been major disruption and I think London Underground know we're serious now about trying to defend our members' interest."

London wasn't the only European city to be hit by workers' strikes on Tuesday. In Paris and across France unions mounted major strikes in protest against planned pension reforms. Train and air travel, as well as schools and hospitals were disrupted by the strikes.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy says he'll raise the retirement³ age from 60 to 62, a plan that has met with virulent⁴ protest from many French workers. Union leaders said they hoped up to two million people would take to the streets.

Across Europe, 65 is a common retirement age.  Germany and Britain have plans to raise that threshold to 67 or beyond.

British Union leader Crow says workers across Europe are fighting for their rights.

"Workers in France are fighting back, they're fighting back all over the place - Greece, in Ireland, in Portugal, in Spain," added Crow.  "And it's quite clear that people are not prepared to be pushed around, they're prepared to stand up and fight."

In London, the strike was set to carry on into the evening. Tuesday afternoon, one worker said she was dreading⁵ the commute² home.

"When it's cold and wet I don't think I'm going to like walking very much, so yeah, it will probably annoy me a lot more then. And I'm dreading trying to get home tonight," she explained.

London's Tube workers have more strikes planned for October and November.
 

1 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

2 commute   

vi.乘车上下班；vt.减(刑)；折合；n.上下班交通

参考例句：

• I spend much less time on my commute to work now.我现在工作的往返时间要节省好多。
• Most office workers commute from the suburbs.很多公司的职员都是从郊外来上班的。

3 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。

4 virulent   

adj.有毒的，有恶意的，充满敌意的

参考例句：

• She is very virulent about her former employer.她对她过去的老板恨之入骨。
• I stood up for her despite the virulent criticism.尽管她遭到恶毒的批评，我还是维护她。

5 dreading   

v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• She was dreading having to broach the subject of money to her father. 她正在为不得不向父亲提出钱的事犯愁。
• This was the moment he had been dreading. 这是他一直最担心的时刻。