美国国家公共电台 NPR--Germany announces a multibillion dollar inflation relief package

Germany announces a multibillion dollar inflation relief package

Transcript¹

The German government has announced a $65 billion dollar relief package to help citizens facing soaring inflation and surging energy costs as Russia cuts off its gas supplies to Europe.

A MART?NEZ, HOST:

The German government has announced a $65 billion relief package for its citizens.

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Yeah. This is all designed to help ease the burden of soaring inflation and surging energy costs as Russia cuts off its gas supplies to Europe.

MART?NEZ: NPR's Rob Schmitz is on the line from Berlin to talk about this. Rob, this package comes just a couple of days after Russia's state-owned energy company Gazprom announced an indefinite halt of natural gas in the key pipeline² that supplies Germany and much of Europe. How much of a factor was that in this aid package?

ROB SCHMITZ, BYLINE³: The erratic⁴ supply of natural gas from Russia was a big factor behind this relief package. For months, Gazprom has cut gas supplies through its pipeline to Europe and sometimes resumed those flows. We've seen this over and over. And each time, the company claims it's shutting down the pipelines⁵ for maintenance. But German officials roll their eyes at this. And they say that Russia's obviously using energy as a weapon against the European Union, which is supporting Ukraine and which has imposed a range of sanctions on Russia.

German economy minister Robert Habeck spoke⁶ this weekend about the latest cut in gas deliveries to Germany through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline. Here's what he said.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

ROBERT HABECK: (Speaking German).

SCHMITZ: And he's saying here that Nord Stream 1 should be running at full capacity. But then there's the erratic decisions by the Russian government, which means that Germany should not count on any more gas coming through that pipeline this winter.

MART?NEZ: And how much of a problem will that scenario⁷ be for Germany?

SCHMITZ: Very big problem - but Germany's government has worked very hard to wean itself off of Russian natural gas. Prior to the war, Germany relied on Russia for more than half its natural gas supply. In August, that was down to less than 10%. Now, August is not a month where Germany typically uses a lot of gas. But overall, Germany's been able to sign contracts with other European countries, like Norway and the Netherlands, for alternative gas supplies. And German energy experts I've spoken to say they - will likely not be blackouts this winter for Germany's household sector⁸, but that German industry may suffer.

MART?NEZ: And that's probably not great for the German economy. Which brings us then back to this relief package. How is this going to help Germans get through the winter?

SCHMITZ: This is the third and largest relief package from the government of Chancellor⁹ Olaf Scholz. It'll include one-time payments to families, payments for retirees on pensions, and it promises to reduce the price for public transportation. Energy-intensive German industrial companies will be given tax breaks to help them stay afloat and keep people employed. And all of this aims to counter the impact that inflation has had on the economy here. Prices rose 8% in August alone. The price of groceries rose nearly 17% last month. And natural gas is 10 times more expensive than a year ago. So the pressure on German citizens and companies is very real here.

MART?NEZ: Things are OK right now, Rob. But, I mean, how concerned is the government about social unrest over all this?

SCHMITZ: Very much so - German officials have been warning local police for months that soaring costs may lead to protests. And both left-wing and right-wing groups say they'll begin weekly demonstrations¹⁰ against the government. Labor¹¹ unions have also warned about this. Beyond Germany, we saw big protests over inflation in neighboring Czech Republic over the weekend. Tens of thousands took to the streets in Prague, demanding that their government do more about this. And this could get a lot worse. We've got months before winter begins and this energy shortage starts to inflict¹² real pain here in Europe.

MART?NEZ: That's NPR Berlin correspondent Rob Schmitz. Rob, thanks.

SCHMITZ: Thank you.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 pipeline   

n.管道，管线

参考例句：

• The pipeline supplies Jordan with 15 per cent of its crude oil.该管道供给约旦15%的原油。
• A single pipeline serves all the houses with water.一条单管路给所有的房子供水。

3 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

4 erratic   

adj.古怪的，反复无常的，不稳定的

参考例句：

• The old man had always been cranky and erratic.那老头儿性情古怪,反复无常。
• The erratic fluctuation of market prices is in consequence of unstable economy.经济波动致使市场物价忽起忽落。

5 pipelines   

管道( pipeline的名词复数 )； 输油管道； 在考虑（或规划、准备） 中； 在酿中

参考例句：

• The oil is carried to the oil refinery by pipelines. 石油通过输油管输送到炼油厂。
• The oil carried in pipelines. 石油用管道输送。

6 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

7 scenario   

n.剧本，脚本；概要

参考例句：

• But the birth scenario is not completely accurate.然而分娩脚本并非完全准确的。
• This is a totally different scenario.这是完全不同的剧本。

8 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。

9 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。

10 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

11 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。

12 inflict   

vt.(on)把…强加给，使遭受，使承担

参考例句：

• Don't inflict your ideas on me.不要把你的想法强加于我。
• Don't inflict damage on any person.不要伤害任何人。