VOA标准英语2012--Greek Election Could Decide Future in Eurozone

Greek Election Could Decide Future in Eurozone

The Greeks are getting well practiced at this. For the second time in six weeks, Sunday morning in Athens involves a journey to the voting booth.

It’s mid¹ morning and Papagou, a well-off suburb near the center of the city. The ministry² of defense³ is nearby. The mindset here tends to be conservative, resistant⁴ to change. Many are pensioners⁵.

This two election observers from the Communist party admit their views are a hard sell in this neighborhood.

Most people say they are voting for the main center-right party, New Democracy, even though it governed Greece in the years before the financial crisis.

This three voters all give the same reason.

“I think it is the best chance to stay in the euro which I think is the only course we have to go on now," said Thannos.

“They guarantee the existence of Greece within the eurozone, which is the most important thing today," said Anna.

“With the left, we are going to crash immediately, or within the next couple of months," said Apostolos.

A couple of kilometers away from some of the wealthier suburbs, in the central district of Archanon, and there’s a different atmosphere. There is higher unemployment, and many voters are concerned about illegal immigration, and its links to violent crime. And they are prepared for a break with the past.

The left wing coalition⁶ Syriza, with a strong showing in opinion polls, wants to renegotiate the austerity measures that are part of the bailout. A voter named Labros supports them. “The debt is 160%, the economy is broken, if you see in Athens all the shops, everything is closed, is dead, we need hope," he said.

A party called Mutiny demands Greece leaves both the euro and the EU so it could wipe out its debts. Dmitris supports them - and felt so strongly he travelled from Holland to vote. “I felt the urge to come and participate in the elections and send a message that this whole situation should not continue, we have to put a stop to it," he said.

Greeks are angry about the cost of austerity. People from every walk of life have demonstrated against job losses and cuts in salary and pensions.

Anger has spilled over into the TV studio with candidates attacking each other physically⁷, not just verbally.

But Greeks are exhausted⁸. They want a stable outcome from this election. They do not want to see a voting booth again for a while.

1 mid   

adj.中央的，中间的

参考例句：

• Our mid-term exam is pending.我们就要期中考试了。
• He switched over to teaching in mid-career.他在而立之年转入教学工作。

2 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

3 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

4 resistant   

adj.(to)抵抗的，有抵抗力的

参考例句：

• Many pests are resistant to the insecticide.许多害虫对这种杀虫剂有抵抗力。
• They imposed their government by force on the resistant population.他们以武力把自己的统治强加在持反抗态度的人民头上。

5 pensioners   

n.领取退休、养老金或抚恤金的人( pensioner的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He intends to redistribute income from the middle class to poorer paid employees and pensioners. 他意图把中产阶级到低薪雇员和退休人员的收入做重新分配。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I am myself one of the pensioners upon the fund left by our noble benefactor. 我自己就是一个我们的高贵的施主遗留基金的养老金领取者。 来自辞典例句

6 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。

7 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

8 exhausted   

adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的

参考例句：

• It was a long haul home and we arrived exhausted.搬运回家的这段路程特别长，到家时我们已筋疲力尽。
• Jenny was exhausted by the hustle of city life.珍妮被城市生活的忙乱弄得筋疲力尽。