美国国家公共电台 NPR--Europeans accuse Putin of weaponizing energy but a mild winter has helped

Europeans accuse Putin of weaponizing energy but a mild winter has helped

Transcript¹

Predictions of rolling blackouts across Europe this month have not come to pass — so far. It's not only because of the mild winter.

A MART?NEZ, HOST:

Some of Europe's leaders say Russian President Vladimir Putin is using energy as a weapon this winter to break their solidarity² with Ukraine. But predictions of power cuts amid biting cold and high energy prices have not come to pass so far. NPR's Eleanor Beardsley reports that unseasonably mild weather is just part of the story.

ELEANOR BEARDSLEY, BYLINE³: Baker⁴ Corinne Butard appeared on French television this month in desperation.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

CORINNE BUTARD: (Through interpreter) I was crying this morning when I had to lay off some of my employees. They're like family. And they have kids and bills to pay. But I have no choice.

BEARDSLEY: No choice because Butard, like many energy-dependent small businesses, signed an electricity contract last fall when all the experts were predicting a severe shortage this winter. But today, she's paying 10 times the current price. This is shocking to energy specialists like Pierre-Louis Brenac at SIA Partners in Paris. He says just several months ago, there was huge fear.

PIERRE-LOUIS BRENAC: Things have been going way easier than we thought. It was a bit of a panic movement, clearly. The fear started back in August - if you remember, on the markets, traders and risk managers alike and banks, by the way, fearing that we would lack supply.

BEARDSLEY: Brenac says the French government had plans to manage rolling blackouts already, including an app to notify households when their neighborhood would be cut from the grid⁵ and special procedures to manage hospitals, pharmacies⁶ and schools.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

BEARDSLEY: This peppy public service announcement encouraging people to save energy shows hands flicking⁷ off lights, turning off water taps and turning down heaters. French households and industry have helped the situation by reducing consumption. So far, no EU country has had to initiate⁸ rolling blackouts. Au contraire - there's plenty of power. And the price of electricity has, in fact, gone way down.

BRENAC: There's a combination of positive factors, and planets are aligning⁹ not only because the weather is milder but also because the production means are available, and the balance is good between imports, production.

BEARDSLEY: Germany and France have set up floating regasification plants to receive liquefied natural gas imports. Norway and the Netherlands are pumping North Sea gas and oil at full throttle¹⁰. And France is again exporting nuclear power to its neighbors, even though it had to close several reactors¹¹ for maintenance over the last year. Nuclear expert Olivier Appert says there's a glut¹² of energy today.

OLIVIER APPERT: What is surprising is due to this mild weather, some of the reactors has been stopped due to the fact that the demand is not enough to justify¹³ the functioning of these reactors.

BEARDSLEY: Appert says Russia's war in Ukraine, on top of climate change, has created a huge consensus¹⁴ across Europe in favor of nuclear energy for the future.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON: (Speaking French).

BEARDSLEY: Meanwhile, President Emmanuel Macron has stepped in to help the bakers¹⁵, demanding that energy providers let small businesses renegotiate existing contracts to reflect today's prices. That's a welcome move, says Brenac. He says Europe is showing amazing solidarity in the face of Putin's attempts to divide it by weaponizing energy.

BRENAC: Yet another time European countries are found in a tense situation, the will and the determination to find compromise between themselves - it's a matter of pride, I think, for our European nations to show the resolve and the unity¹⁶.

BEARDSLEY: There are just a few more weeks of possible crippling cold, says Brenac. But if Europe can make it to Valentine's Day, it will be in the clear.

Eleanor Beardsley, NPR News, Paris.

(SOUNDBITE OF THE BUDOS BAND'S "THE WRANGLER")

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 solidarity   

n.团结；休戚相关

参考例句：

• They must preserve their solidarity.他们必须维护他们的团结。
• The solidarity among China's various nationalities is as firm as a rock.中国各族人民之间的团结坚如磐石。

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 baker   

n.面包师

参考例句：

• The baker bakes his bread in the bakery.面包师在面包房内烤面包。
• The baker frosted the cake with a mixture of sugar and whites of eggs.面包师在蛋糕上撒了一层白糖和蛋清的混合料。

5 grid   

n.高压输电线路网；地图坐标方格；格栅

参考例句：

• In this application,the carrier is used to encapsulate the grid.在这种情况下，要用载体把格栅密封起来。
• Modern gauges consist of metal foil in the form of a grid.现代应变仪则由网格形式的金属片组成。

6 pharmacies   

药店

参考例句：

• Still, 32 percent of the pharmacies filled the prescriptions. 但仍然有32%的药剂师配发了这两张药方。 来自互联网
• Chinese herbal pharmacies, and traditional massage therapists in the Vancouver telephone book. 中药店，和传统的按摩师在温哥华的电话簿里。 来自互联网

7 flicking   

（尤指用手指或手快速地）轻击( flick的现在分词 )； （用…）轻挥； （快速地）按开关； 向…笑了一下（或瞥了一眼等）

参考例句：

• He helped her up before flicking the reins. 他帮她上马，之后挥动了缰绳。
• There's something flicking around my toes. 有什么东西老在叮我的脚指头。

8 initiate   

vt.开始，创始，发动；启蒙，使入门；引入

参考例句：

• A language teacher should initiate pupils into the elements of grammar.语言老师应该把基本语法教给学生。
• They wanted to initiate a discussion on economics.他们想启动一次经济学讨论。

9 aligning   

n. (直线)对准 动词align的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• There are signs that the prime minister is aligning himself with the liberals. 有迹象表明首相正在与自由党人结盟。
• ToolTips provide textual hints that assist in drawing lines and aligning objects. 工具提示提供了协助画线和对象对齐的文本提示。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

10 throttle   

n.节流阀，节气阀，喉咙；v.扼喉咙，使窒息，压

参考例句：

• These government restrictions are going to throttle our trade.这些政府的限制将要扼杀我们的贸易。
• High tariffs throttle trade between countries.高的关税抑制了国与国之间的贸易。

11 reactors   

起反应的人( reactor的名词复数 )； 反应装置； 原子炉； 核反应堆

参考例句：

• The TMI nuclear facility has two reactors. 三哩岛核设施有两个反应堆。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• The earliest production reactors necessarily used normal uranium as fuel. 最早为生产用的反应堆，必须使用普通铀作为燃料。

12 glut   

n.存货过多，供过于求；v.狼吞虎咽

参考例句：

• The glut of coffee led to a sharp drop in prices.咖啡供过于求道致价格急剧下跌。
• There's a glut of agricultural products in Western Europe.西欧的农产品供过于求。

13 justify   

vt.证明…正当(或有理)，为…辩护

参考例句：

• He tried to justify his absence with lame excuses.他想用站不住脚的借口为自己的缺席辩解。
• Can you justify your rude behavior to me?你能向我证明你的粗野行为是有道理的吗？

14 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？

15 bakers   

n.面包师( baker的名词复数 )；面包店；面包店店主；十三

参考例句：

• The Bakers have invited us out for a meal tonight. 贝克一家今晚请我们到外面去吃饭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The bakers specialize in catering for large parties. 那些面包师专门负责为大型宴会提供食品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。