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2006年VOA标准英语-France's Unemployment Woes Mirror Europe's

时间:2007-03-21 16:00:00

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(单词翻译)

By Lisa Bryant
Paris
14 April 2006

 
Students shout slogans as they block traffic on the Canebiere avenue, in front of the chamber1 of commerce, in Marseille, April 6, 2006  
  
After weeks of demonstrations2, the French government has scrapped3 a controversial job law that sparked furious debate about the country's employment practices, particularly the reluctance4 of employers to hire inexperienced young people. Because it is so difficult to fire workers, many French businesses are reluctant to hire new ones. Other European countries face similar labor5 woes6.

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Lana Strika graduated last summer from Paris 5 University with honors and a Master's degree in clinical psychology7. The 24-year-old Parisian speaks five languages - three fluently - and has had several internships at French health centers.

That kind of resume should be landing Strika plenty of job offers. But so far, her search for a full-time8 job has been disappointing.

Strika says she's sent out plenty of letters to hospitals inquiring about positions. She's gotten nice replies, but no job offers. Many prospective9 employers tell her there are no jobs to be had.

Frustration10 over the job crunch11 facing young French like Strika exploded onto the streets last month, as angry youths protested a new law designed to give employers incentives13 to hire young workers - the incentive12 being that they could fire them, too.

On Monday, the center-right French government rescinded14 the law. Revised legislation includes financial aid to employers who hire disadvantage youths.

Roughly 14 percent of French between the ages of 15 and 26 are not in school and are not employed. That figure is far higher among ethnic15 immigrants and in poorer parts of France.

But Simon Tilford, an economist16 at the Center for European Reform, says France is not alone.

"There is a problem of youth employment right across Europe. It is particularly bad in France, because there is very little in the way of training. So, people leave school ill-prepared for the labor market. The other problem is the very high levels of employment protection," explained Tilford.

It is very difficult to fire full-time workers, not only in France, but elsewhere in Europe. And politicians are reluctant to push through unpopular labor reforms that might cost them the next election.

Those reforms that do succeed are achieved with difficulty. Workers in southwestern Germany, for example, finally agreed earlier this month to work longer hours for less pay. But that came after a long strike.

Glenda Quintini, an economist at the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, says labor reforms have been far less successful elsewhere in Europe.

"Permanent jobs are untouchable in many countries, so firing restrictions17 are very high. You have high costs for firing somebody. You risk going to court, etc. So, those jobs remain very protected," said Quintini.

European businesses are getting around these constraints18 by hiring workers on short-term and part-time contracts. In many countries, companies have trial periods, before they agree to hire on a permanent basis.

France is no exception. There are a number of different ways French businesses can hire employees on a non-permanent basis. The now-abandoned youth labor law was the only one in Europe specifically targeting young French workers.

Regardless of what legislation the government comes up with, young French, like Giullaume Violet, are worried about their future.

Violet is the chapter head of France's national student's union at Paris 13, a public university in the Paris suburbs. He says, every generation has done better than the previous one. Now, he worries he will not be as well-off as his parents. He wants to be a public school history teacher. But there are few state jobs available.

A number of French have gone abroad to look for work.

Catherine Le Yaouanc, head of the British Chamber of Commerce in France, says she gets a steady stream of young French job seekers.

"The big difference between Britain and France is about diplomas," she explained. "If you don't have a diploma, it's very difficult to get a job in France. It's easier if you have the right qualifications, and know the right people. In Britain, it's more flexible, whether you have a diploma or not."

Lana Strika is also considering looking for work overseas. She has managed to find work in France - but only for 12 hours a week, and it does not pay well. But Strika still hopes for her dream job as a full-time psychologist at a hospital.


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 chamber wnky9     
n.房间,寝室;会议厅;议院;会所
参考例句:
  • For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说,牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
  • The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。
2 demonstrations 0922be6a2a3be4bdbebd28c620ab8f2d     
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。
3 scrapped c056f581043fe275b02d9e1269f11d62     
废弃(scrap的过去式与过去分词); 打架
参考例句:
  • This machine is so old that it will soon have to be scrapped. 这架机器太旧,快报废了。
  • It had been thought that passport controls would be scrapped. 人们曾认为会放开护照管制。
4 reluctance 8VRx8     
n.厌恶,讨厌,勉强,不情愿
参考例句:
  • The police released Andrew with reluctance.警方勉强把安德鲁放走了。
  • He showed the greatest reluctance to make a reply.他表示很不愿意答复。
5 labor P9Tzs     
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。
6 woes 887656d87afcd3df018215107a0daaab     
困境( woe的名词复数 ); 悲伤; 我好苦哇; 某人就要倒霉
参考例句:
  • Thanks for listening to my woes. 谢谢您听我诉说不幸的遭遇。
  • She has cried the blues about its financial woes. 对于经济的困难她叫苦不迭。
7 psychology U0Wze     
n.心理,心理学,心理状态
参考例句:
  • She has a background in child psychology.她受过儿童心理学的教育。
  • He studied philosophy and psychology at Cambridge.他在剑桥大学学习哲学和心理学。
8 full-time SsBz42     
adj.满工作日的或工作周的,全时间的
参考例句:
  • A full-time job may be too much for her.全天工作她恐怕吃不消。
  • I don't know how she copes with looking after her family and doing a full-time job.既要照顾家庭又要全天工作,我不知道她是如何对付的。
9 prospective oR7xB     
adj.预期的,未来的,前瞻性的
参考例句:
  • The story should act as a warning to other prospective buyers.这篇报道应该对其他潜在的购买者起到警示作用。
  • They have all these great activities for prospective freshmen.这会举办各种各样的活动来招待未来的新人。
10 frustration 4hTxj     
n.挫折,失败,失效,落空
参考例句:
  • He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
  • He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。
11 crunch uOgzM     
n.关键时刻;艰难局面;v.发出碎裂声
参考例句:
  • If it comes to the crunch they'll support us.关键时刻他们是会支持我们的。
  • People who crunch nuts at the movies can be very annoying.看电影时嘎吱作声地嚼干果的人会使人十分讨厌。
12 incentive j4zy9     
n.刺激;动力;鼓励;诱因;动机
参考例句:
  • Money is still a major incentive in most occupations.在许多职业中,钱仍是主要的鼓励因素。
  • He hasn't much incentive to work hard.他没有努力工作的动机。
13 incentives 884481806a10ef3017726acf079e8fa7     
激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 ); 刺激; 诱因; 动机
参考例句:
  • tax incentives to encourage savings 鼓励储蓄的税收措施
  • Furthermore, subsidies provide incentives only for investments in equipment. 更有甚者,提供津贴仅是为鼓励增添设备的投资。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
14 rescinded af55efaa19b682d01a73836890477058     
v.废除,取消( rescind的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • Rescinded civil acts shall be null and void from the very beginning. 被撤销的民事行为从行为开始起无效。 来自互联网
  • They accepted his advice and rescinded the original plan. 他们听从了他的劝告,撤销了原计划。 来自互联网
15 ethnic jiAz3     
adj.人种的,种族的,异教徒的
参考例句:
  • This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏,这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
  • The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。
16 economist AuhzVs     
n.经济学家,经济专家,节俭的人
参考例句:
  • He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
  • He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家,自以为什么都懂。
17 restrictions 81e12dac658cfd4c590486dd6f7523cf     
约束( restriction的名词复数 ); 管制; 制约因素; 带限制性的条件(或规则)
参考例句:
  • I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
  • a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制
18 constraints d178923285d63e9968956a0a4758267e     
强制( constraint的名词复数 ); 限制; 约束
参考例句:
  • Data and constraints can easily be changed to test theories. 信息库中的数据和限制条件可以轻易地改变以检验假设。 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史
  • What are the constraints that each of these imply for any design? 这每种产品的要求和约束对于设计意味着什么? 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

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