VOA标准英语2012--Greek Leftists Seek Coalition, Reject EU Austerity

Greek Leftists Seek Coalition¹, Reject EU Austerity

The leader of Greek’s leftist Syriza party is beginning talks with other parties on forming a coalition government to reject what he calls "barbaric" austerity measures imposed by the European Union. Voters failed to give any party a majority in Sunday’s election, plunging² Greece into more uncertainty³. The result is part of a wave of anti-austerity feeling that is building momentum⁴ in Europe.

At Syntagma Square in front of parliament, the epicenter of so many anti-government protests in recent years, Greeks gathered to read the newspaper headlines that point to a future once more filled with uncertainty.

If none of the elected parties can form a coalition, the country will have to go to the polls once more. Athens resident Dimitros Gletzakos voiced the fears of many Greeks.

He says he believes that new elections will again bring a mix, a contradictory⁵ and reactionary⁶ result. He says Greeks can no longer take such a result - either emotionally, economically or practically.

Greece’s two main parties saw their share of the vote plummet⁷ in Sunday’s election, to the benefit of rivals on the far left and right.

Dionyssis Dimitrakopoulos, an specialist on Greek politics at Birkbeck College University of London, says there is "wisdom" in the election result. “It punishes the two parties that have brought the country on its knees, basically, so there’s a clear distribution of blame. Secondly⁸, it offers a chance to parts of the left like Syriza to articulate a clear alternative and possibly put it into practice," he said.

Germany, the main driver of the austerity program mandated⁹ in return for EU bailouts, has already said that Greece must adhere to the terms of the deals struck by the previous government.

Dimitrakopoulos says it is the first move in what could be a protracted¹⁰ renegotiation between Greece and the EU. "Part of the problems that exist in Greece now have to do with the recipe that has been partially¹¹ implemented¹² between 2009 or 2010 and now. It’s not only down to Greeks," he said.

In France at the weekend, socialist¹³ Francois Hollande won the presidency¹⁴ on an anti-austerity platform. U.S. economist¹⁵ Paul Krugman claims that as many European countries slip back into recession, there is a growing belief that policymakers got it wrong. “The notion that cutting spending, which depresses the economy, doesn’t actually depress the economy, because somehow it improves confidence and leads to more spending," he said.

Polls have delivered a sudden shock to the continent’s austerity program. Analysts¹⁶ say voters appear to have pushed Europe’s economic path further into unknown territory.

1 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。

2 plunging   

adj.跳进的，突进的v.颠簸( plunge的现在分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降

参考例句：

• War broke out again, plunging the people into misery and suffering. 战祸复发，生灵涂炭。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• He is plunging into an abyss of despair. 他陷入了绝望的深渊。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

4 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。

5 contradictory   

adj.反驳的，反对的，抗辩的；n.正反对，矛盾对立

参考例句：

• The argument is internally contradictory.论据本身自相矛盾。
• What he said was self-contradictory.他讲话前后不符。

6 reactionary   

n.反动者，反动主义者；adj.反动的，反动主义的，反对改革的

参考例句：

• They forced thousands of peasants into their reactionary armies.他们迫使成千上万的农民参加他们的反动军队。
• The reactionary ruling clique was torn by internal strife.反动统治集团内部勾心斗角，四分五裂。

7 plummet   

vi.(价格、水平等)骤然下跌；n.铅坠；重压物

参考例句：

• Mengniu and Yili have seen their shares plummet since the incident broke.自事件发生以来，蒙牛和伊利的股票大幅下跌。
• Even if rice prices were to plummet,other brakes on poverty alleviation remain.就算大米价格下跌，其它阻止导致贫困的因素仍然存在。

8 secondly   

adv.第二，其次

参考例句：

• Secondly,use your own head and present your point of view.第二，动脑筋提出自己的见解。
• Secondly it is necessary to define the applied load.其次，需要确定所作用的载荷。

9 mandated   

adj. 委托统治的

参考例句：

• Mandated desegregation of public schools. 命令解除公立学校中的种族隔离
• Britain was mandated to govern the former colony of German East Africa. 英国受权代管德国在东非的前殖民地。

10 protracted   

adj.拖延的；延长的v.拖延“protract”的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The war was protracted for four years. 战争拖延了四年。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We won victory through protracted struggle. 经过长期的斗争，我们取得了胜利。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 partially   

adv.部分地，从某些方面讲

参考例句：

• The door was partially concealed by the drapes.门有一部分被门帘遮住了。
• The police managed to restore calm and the curfew was partially lifted.警方设法恢复了平静，宵禁部分解除。

12 implemented   

v.实现( implement的过去式和过去分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• This agreement, if not implemented, is a mere scrap of paper. 这个协定如不执行只不过是一纸空文。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The economy is in danger of collapse unless far-reaching reforms are implemented. 如果不实施影响深远的改革，经济就面临崩溃的危险。 来自辞典例句

13 socialist   

n.社会主义者；adj.社会主义的

参考例句：

• China is a socialist country,and a developing country as well.中国是一个社会主义国家，也是一个发展中国家。
• His father was an ardent socialist.他父亲是一个热情的社会主义者。

14 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。

15 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。

16 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。