美国国家公共电台 NPR France's Brittany Sees New Wave Of Brits Post-Brexit

 

LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST:

The view now from another tourist destination has been transformed. The French region of Brittany, the prospect¹ of Britain exiting the European Union has sent a wave of British citizens there in search of, not just a holiday, but French passports. NPR's Joanna Kakissis reports.

JOANNA KAKISSIS, BYLINE²: Maggie Ordever left her home in southeastern England a few months after Britain voted to leave the European Union last year.

MAGGIE ORDEVER: We'd made the plan before Brexit came along. We didn't want to choose Spain or Italy because we wanted an easy route back for family. And we fell in love with Brittany.

KAKISSIS: Brittany reminds Maggie's wife, Bea, of home.

BEA: When we were driving (laughter) north, south, east and west looking at properties for sale, it felt comfortably similar.

KAKISSIS: The couple bought a 19th-century house in the village of Seglien and renovated³ it into a bed and breakfast.

BEA: A le Grande Maison Seglien.

KAKISSIS: They also discovered that there were thousands of other British people in Brittany.

(SOUNDBITE OF PODCAST, "SPOTLIGHT⁴ ON BRITTANY")

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: "Spotlight On Brittany" (speaking French).

KAKISSIS: So many Britons that there's an Integration⁵ Association in the village of Gouarec, and it has its own bilingual podcast.

(SOUNDBITE OF PODCAST, "SPOTLIGHT ON BRITTANY")

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Bringing you closer to the people and places of this beautiful region.

KAKISSIS: It is beautiful and with very British weather. We drive in pouring rain to reach rustic⁶ Gouarec...

(SOUNDBITE OF BELLS CHIMING)

KAKISSIS: ...Where we meet the Integration Association's Maggie Fee, who's lived in France for 15 years.

MAGGIE FEE: Recently, I've noticed more British people coming to live here on a permanent basis. It's people who were intending to come anyway and who are not going to let Brexit put them off.

KAKISSIS: Fee is often their first point of contact.

FEE: We talk about the two most important things which really need to get sorted when you come to live here, which are the health system and the tax system.

KAKISSIS: There are also intensive French language classes and conversation clubs...

ANNE GUILLEMOT: (Speaking French).

(SOUNDBITE OF DOG BARKING)

KAKISSIS: ...Like this one led by Anne Guillemot at her home in the nearby village of Perret.

GUILLEMOT: (Speaking French).

KAKISSIS: "We make plum jam together," she says, "and try to get the English to speak some French." Local Councilwoman Kate Husband says the influx⁷ of the English is helping⁸ the economy.

KATE HUSBAND: You go into any of the shops, any of the DIY stores, people doing up houses, it's absolutely chock full of English people.

KAKISSIS: She and her husband are English themselves. They moved here 27 years ago to run a cycling tour company.

HUSBAND: I have dual⁹ nationality. My husband will have it. Since the whole political situation in Britain, we felt we should get French nationality just to make sure we didn't have any problem staying here.

KAKISSIS: She considers herself a European. So does Maggie Ordever, the bed and breakfast owner who moved to Brittany just last October.

ORDEVER: We were horrified¹⁰ by the result of Brexit. It may well spur us to take French citizenship¹¹ in order to remain here long term.

KAKISSIS: After all, she says, Brittany feels almost as British as Britain. Joanna Kakissis, NPR News, Gouarec, France.

(SOUNDBITE OF HINT'S "AIR TO SKY")

1 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

2 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。

3 renovated   

翻新，修复，整修( renovate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He renovated his house. 他翻修了房子。
• The house has been renovated three years earlier. 这所房子三年前就已翻新。

4 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

5 integration   

n.一体化，联合，结合

参考例句：

• We are working to bring about closer political integration in the EU.我们正在努力实现欧盟內部更加紧密的政治一体化。
• This was the greatest event in the annals of European integration.这是欧洲统一史上最重大的事件。

6 rustic   

adj.乡村的，有乡村特色的；n.乡下人，乡巴佬

参考例句：

• It was nearly seven months of leisurely rustic living before Michael felt real boredom.这种悠闲的乡村生活过了差不多七个月之后,迈克尔开始感到烦闷。
• We hoped the fresh air and rustic atmosphere would help him adjust.我们希望新鲜的空气和乡村的氛围能帮他调整自己。

7 influx   

n.流入，注入

参考例句：

• The country simply cannot absorb this influx of refugees.这个国家实在不能接纳这么多涌入的难民。
• Textile workers favoured protection because they feared an influx of cheap cloth.纺织工人拥护贸易保护措施，因为他们担心涌入廉价纺织品。

8 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

9 dual   

adj.双的；二重的，二元的

参考例句：

• The people's Republic of China does not recognize dual nationality for any Chinese national.中华人民共和国不承认中国公民具有双重国籍。
• He has dual role as composer and conductor.他兼作曲家及指挥的双重身分。

10 horrified   

a.(表现出)恐惧的

参考例句：

• The whole country was horrified by the killings. 全国都对这些凶杀案感到大为震惊。
• We were horrified at the conditions prevailing in local prisons. 地方监狱的普遍状况让我们震惊。

11 citizenship   

n.市民权，公民权，国民的义务(身份)

参考例句：

• He was born in Sweden,but he doesn't have Swedish citizenship.他在瑞典出生，但没有瑞典公民身分。
• Ten years later,she chose to take Australian citizenship.十年后，她选择了澳大利亚国籍。