美国国家公共电台 NPR--Protests against pension reforms intensify across France

Protests against pension reforms intensify¹ across France

Transcript²

NPR's Leila Fadel talks to reporter Lisa Bryant about millions of people participating in strikes disrupting air, train and road travel over the president's efforts to reform the pension system.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

In France, trains are stopped. An airport road is blockaded. Gas stations are short on fuel, all because of protests against an increase in the retirement³ age. Those demonstrations⁴ are also growing. At least a million protesters were in the streets yesterday, and organizers claimed there were at least 3 million.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTERS: (Singing in French).

FADEL: For the latest, we're joined now by reporter Lisa Bryant in Paris. Hi, Lisa.

LISA BRYANT: Good morning.

FADEL: Good morning. So I mean, these protests have been going on for some three months now, but they've really intensified⁵ in the last few days. What's going on?

BRYANT: Well, you know, you're absolutely right. Yesterday saw one of the biggest protests over the pension reform so far. And it shows that anger remains⁶ high over President Macron's reform, which was rammed⁷ through lower house without a vote, using a special constitutional measure. And violence and vandalism are growing. Yesterday's protests saw dozens of police injured and people arrested. And people I talked to out on the streets yesterday say they'll keep protesting. They want to force Macron to repeal⁸ his reform through the street.

FADEL: Well, has Macron given any indication that he's willing to do that?

BRYANT: No, he's not. He hasn't given a - he's basically saying he shows no signs so far of giving up, even though his government narrowly survived a no-confidence vote this week by just nine votes. He spoke⁹ on television Wednesday, saying the pension reform is necessary to save this system from going broke. He says he's ready to pay the price of unpopularity, and he wants the reform to become law by year's end. He's also in his second and last term in office, so he doesn't have to worry about getting reelected. Macron also says he respects the right to peaceful protest, and Wednesday he appeared to offer an opening to unions, but on other issues.

FADEL: So what is the opposition¹⁰ saying?

BRYANT: Well, the opposition says Macron isn't listening to the street and that he's scorning the voice of the people. They're looking for other ways to stop the reform becoming law, including by petitioning the Constitutional Council - that's the highest constitutional authority - or organizing a referendum. Both options could take months, and it's not at all certain that either could succeed.

FADEL: Now, you mentioned him surviving this no-confidence vote this week, but barely. And these protests aren't slowing down. So how does this end?

BRYANT: That's the million-dollar question. Nobody really knows how this will end. It's affecting France's image abroad. The strikes have briefly¹¹ closed tourist sites like the Eiffel Tower, and Britain's King Charles makes his first state visit here next week. French authorities say he'll be welcomed well, but striking workers are reportedly refusing to roll out a red carpet for the monarch¹². And his visit coincides with another nationwide protest set for Tuesday. For example, Charles is supposed to go to Bordeaux that day, and protesters yesterday briefly set its city hall on fire. Some are worried unions are losing control of the protests and that they could turn into another chaotic¹³ yellow-vest-type movement that we saw in France a few years ago.

FADEL: That's reporter Lisa Bryant in Paris. Thanks, Lisa.

BRYANT: Thank you.

1 intensify   

vt.加强；变强；加剧

参考例句：

• We must intensify our educational work among our own troops.我们必须加强自己部队的教育工作。
• They were ordered to intensify their patrols to protect our air space.他们奉命加强巡逻，保卫我国的领空。

2 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。

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 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。

5 intensified   

v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Violence intensified during the night. 在夜间暴力活动加剧了。
• The drought has intensified. 旱情加剧了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

7 rammed   

v.夯实（土等）( ram的过去式和过去分词 )；猛撞；猛压；反复灌输

参考例句：

• Two passengers were injured when their taxi was rammed from behind by a bus. 公共汽车从后面撞来，出租车上的两位乘客受了伤。
• I rammed down the earth around the newly-planted tree. 我将新栽的树周围的土捣硬。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 repeal   

n.废止，撤消；v.废止，撤消

参考例句：

• He plans to repeal a number of current policies.他计划废除一些当前的政策。
• He has made out a strong case for the repeal of the law.他提出强有力的理由，赞成废除该法令。

9 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。

10 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

11 briefly   

adv.简单地，简短地

参考例句：

• I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
• He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。

12 monarch   

n.帝王，君主，最高统治者

参考例句：

• The monarch's role is purely ceremonial.君主纯粹是个礼仪职位。
• I think myself happier now than the greatest monarch upon earth.我觉得这个时候比世界上什么帝王都快乐。

13 chaotic   

adj.混沌的，一片混乱的，一团糟的

参考例句：

• Things have been getting chaotic in the office recently.最近办公室的情况越来越乱了。
• The traffic in the city was chaotic.这城市的交通糟透了。