在线英语听力室_免费在线英语听力学习网站

　　Discontent runs high in Italy among the population due to the country's economic difficulties. This led to massive protests over the weekend attended by tens of thousands of demonstrators.
意大利经济困境引起民众的高度不满，数万名示威者上周末举行大规模抗议活动。
It was meant to be a peaceful effort to voice unhappiness over the government's failure to provide concrete responses to existing problems. But soon extremist elements infiltrated¹ the demonstrators, turning their anger into violence.
抗议活动原本是要和平进行，以对政府没能对现有问题作出具体的回应表达不满。但是不久，极端主义分子渗透到示威者中，将他们的愤怒转变成暴力。
The streets of Rome saw scenes of urban guerrilla warfare² that they had not witnessed in years.
首都罗马街头出现数年来未见到过的城市游击战场景。
Italy has Europe's second highest debt burden after Greece. Unemployment is high. Young and old find it very difficult to make ends meet.
意大利的债务占国内生产总值(GDP)的比例在欧洲国家中为第二高，仅次于希腊。该国失业率很高。年轻人和年老人难以维持开支。
Many students feel they have no prospects³, no future. Among them is Camilla Polimadei, 17.
很多学生感到他们没有希望，没有未来。17岁的卡米拉·波利马代伊就是其中之一。
"I am worried about the fact the at the moment the way things are going I should no longer even bother studying because what's the point? I'll end up working as a hairdresser even if I get a degree," said Polimadei. "I don't want a future like this. I want a future that I earn what I want to become."
卡米拉说：“我对目前的事态发展感到担心，我甚至应该不再去上学，因为这有什么意义呢？就算我获得了学位，最后还是做一名理发师。我不想要这样的未来。我想要通过努力能达成愿望的未来。”
Her father is equally discontented.
卡米拉的父亲马可同样不满。
"Politics do not do the interests of the population," he said. "Politics does its own private interests, especially this government. We have seen it at all levels with the corruption⁴ and bad management. And those who pay for all this are citizens who pay their taxes and do not know where the money goes and where it is being invested."
马可说：“政治不为人民谋利益。政治是为了它自己的利益，这个政府尤其是这样。我们看到这个政府存在各种程度的腐败和糟糕的管理。为所有这一切买单的是人民。人们交税，但是不知道钱用到哪里去，钱用于哪些投资。”
The center-right government led by Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi narrowly survived a confidence vote in parliament last week. Many feel it is time for a new leadership because this government lacks the ability to implement⁵ the needed reforms.
贝卢斯科尼总理领导的中间偏右政府上星期在国会的信任动议投票中勉强过关。许多人感到是时候拥有新领导层了，因为这个政府缺乏实施必需改革的能力。
The London School of Economics' Marco Simoni says Italy's inactive government has exacerbated⁶ the economic situation.
伦敦经济学院的马可·西摩尼说，意大利政府的懈怠加剧了当前的经济状况。
"It's like a spiral," Simoni noted⁷. "Like you don't do your reforms. Because you didn't do the reforms, the economy gets worse. Because the economy gets worse, interest groups cling even more than before to what they have. And therefore reforms become even more unlikely."
西摩尼说：“这就像个螺旋。举例说你不实行改革。因为你没有实行改革，经济变得更糟。因为经济变得更糟，利益集团就比从前更加恋栈他们所拥有的东西。因此，改革就变得更不可能。”
Simoni says the economy could get worse before it gets better. And he says, while many believe a change of government would help solve the economic situation, Berlusconi will likely hold on to his leadership until elections in 2013.
西摩尼说，意大利经济在好转之前会变得更糟。他说，虽然很多人认为更换政府会有助于解决经济问题，但贝卢斯科尼将可能一直担任领导职务，直到2013年大选。
Italians hold out little hope that their economic conditions will change any time soon. They feel poorer and poorer and more demonstrations⁸ are expected. Now authorities are discussing what measures need to be adopted to avoid a repeat of what was described as incredible and unacceptable violence.
意大利民众不指望经济状况会很快改善。他们感到越来越贫困，预计会出现更多的示威抗议。目前当局在讨论需要采取哪些措施以避免再次发生他们所说的难以置信和不可接受的暴力事件。