在线英语听力室

VOA常速英语2007年-French Support President in National Labor Stri

时间:2007-12-01 06:15:20

搜索关注在线英语听力室公众号:tingroom,领取免费英语资料大礼包。

(单词翻译)

By Lisa Bryant
Paris
23 November 2007

After nine days of crippling national transportation strikes France appeared to be returning to normal Friday amid negotiations1 between labor2 unions and government officials. From Paris, Lisa Bryant reports that while the walkout has snarled4 traffic, angered commuters and cost the country millions of dollars there appears to be one winner: French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Even for strike-prone France, this has been a busy week. On Tuesday, teachers, postal6 workers and fire fighters poured into the streets protesting for better salaries and working conditions. On Wednesday, the tobacconists went on strike against a new anti-smoking law. Meanwhile, students have blocked roughly 40 universities nationwide to express their discontent about government plans to grant higher education institutes greater autonomy.

But it is a massive transportation strike, now in its second week, that has caused the most damage. Although unions and government officials have begun negotiating reforms to special pensions - and more trains are running - the strike continues to snarl3 traffic, particularly in the Paris area.

The unrest carries all the classic French ingredients. The government proposes reforms. The French protest. The government backs down. But this time around, the country's chief executive is Nicolas Sarkozy.

"After all, Sarkozy was elected to change things. And public opinion is still behind him," said American University of Paris politics professor Steven Ekovich. "And I think he realizes that in order to change things in France - and it is not easy to change things in France because, after all, it is rather conservative - Sarkozy understood that changes in France had to be done quickly and massively and not piece by piece. And we are seeing the consequences of that."

Surveys show a stunning7 majority of French support their hard-charging new president as he tries to end special pension perks8 benefiting a small slice of the population, most of them rail and utility workers.

On Sunday, several-thousand protesters even demonstrated against the strikes - an oddity in a country where walkouts usually evoke9 sentiments of "solidarity10" against the authorities.

At the Laumiere metro11 station in northern Paris, a loudspeaker informed commuters trains were functioning sporadically12 - rather than not at all, as it had a few days before.

The strike has enraged13 French commuters, who have waited for hours to get metros14 and trains to work, or remained snarled in traffic jams. Others walk or bike to work. But Thursday, businessman Philippe du Rhode decided15 to brave mass transit16.

Du Rhode said he was trying to stay calm. He believes France is undergoing a period of major change - and he is for that.

But another commuter5, Said Abdallah, was less enthusiastic.

Abdallah said France may need reforms, but he does not like the president's methods. He believes he should negotiate more.

Since taking office in May, Mr. Sarkozy has wasted no time making good on campaign promises to cut government spending and make France more competitive.

He has moved at a breathtaking pace - pushing through university and immigration reforms, coaxing17 the European Union to adopt a simplified treaty to replace its aborted18 constitution, sending his former wife to Libya to plead the cause of imprisoned19 Bulgarian nurses and speeding to Chad in connection with a questionable20 French charity.

After days of uncharacteristic silence, Mr. Sarkozy urged transport workers Tuesday to return to work, vowing21 the government would not back down.

In a speech to French mayors, the president urged strikers to reconsider continuing their walkout that has cost the country so dearly. He said those paying the price were ordinary French who have the rightful feeling of being taken hostage.

French analyst22 Etienne Schweisguth believes Mr. Sarkozy was right to begin his reforms with the special pensions that only affect a small percentage of workers, most of them in the rail sector23.

Schweisguth of the Paris-based Center for the Study of French Politics, says if Sarkozy is able to push through these reforms he will have weakened the unions - and that would be a good beginning for his larger strategy.

But whether the president will persevere24 in the long term is another matter. He has long been criticized for making empty promises - including those during his tenure25 as interior minister when he promised to overhaul26 the country's crime-plagued, immigrant-heavy suburbs. Critics say that has not happened.

Analyst Schweisguth says Mr. Sarkozy's problem is that many of the reforms he has pledged will only show results in the long term. So for now, he has to be content with announcements.

A poll published last Sunday in the weekly Journal du Dimanche  found Mr. Sarkozy's popularity had slipped four percentage points since October - but still remained at 55 percent. And with the left and unions divided over reforms, France's president faces no major opposition27. At least not for the moment.


分享到:


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 negotiations af4b5f3e98e178dd3c4bac64b625ecd0     
协商( negotiation的名词复数 ); 谈判; 完成(难事); 通过
参考例句:
  • negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
  • Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。
2 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。
3 snarl 8FAzv     
v.吼叫,怒骂,纠缠,混乱;n.混乱,缠结,咆哮
参考例句:
  • At the seaside we could hear the snarl of the waves.在海边我们可以听见波涛的咆哮。
  • The traffic was all in a snarl near the accident.事故发生处附近交通一片混乱。
4 snarled ti3zMA     
v.(指狗)吠,嗥叫, (人)咆哮( snarl的过去式和过去分词 );咆哮着说,厉声地说
参考例句:
  • The dog snarled at us. 狗朝我们低声吼叫。
  • As I advanced towards the dog, It'snarled and struck at me. 我朝那条狗走去时,它狂吠着向我扑来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
5 commuter ZXCyi     
n.(尤指市郊之间)乘公交车辆上下班者
参考例句:
  • Police cordoned off the road and diverted commuter traffic. 警察封锁了道路并分流交通。
  • She accidentally stepped on his foot on a crowded commuter train. 她在拥挤的通勤列车上不小心踩到了他的脚。
6 postal EP0xt     
adj.邮政的,邮局的
参考例句:
  • A postal network now covers the whole country.邮路遍及全国。
  • Remember to use postal code.勿忘使用邮政编码。
7 stunning NhGzDh     
adj.极好的;使人晕倒的
参考例句:
  • His plays are distinguished only by their stunning mediocrity.他的戏剧与众不同之处就是平凡得出奇。
  • The finished effect was absolutely stunning.完工后的效果非常美。
8 perks 6e5f1a81b34c045ce1dd0ea94a32e614     
额外津贴,附带福利,外快( perk的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Perks offered by the firm include a car and free health insurance. 公司给予的额外待遇包括一辆汽车和免费健康保险。
  • Are there any perks that go with your job? 你的工作有什么津贴吗?
9 evoke NnDxB     
vt.唤起,引起,使人想起
参考例句:
  • These images are likely to evoke a strong response in the viewer.这些图像可能会在观众中产生强烈反响。
  • Her only resource was the sympathy she could evoke.她以凭借的唯一力量就是她能从人们心底里激起的同情。
10 solidarity ww9wa     
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。
11 metro XogzNA     
n.地铁;adj.大都市的;(METRO)麦德隆(财富500强公司之一总部所在地德国,主要经营零售)
参考例句:
  • Can you reach the park by metro?你可以乘地铁到达那个公园吗?
  • The metro flood gate system is a disaster prevention equipment.地铁防淹门系统是一种防灾设备。
12 sporadically RvowJ     
adv.偶发地,零星地
参考例句:
  • There are some trees sporadically around his house. 他的房子周围零星地有点树木。 来自辞典例句
  • As for other aspects, we will sporadically hand out questionnaires. 在其他方面,我们会偶尔发送调查问卷。 来自互联网
13 enraged 7f01c0138fa015d429c01106e574231c     
使暴怒( enrage的过去式和过去分词 ); 歜; 激愤
参考例句:
  • I was enraged to find they had disobeyed my orders. 发现他们违抗了我的命令,我极为恼火。
  • The judge was enraged and stroke the table for several times. 大法官被气得连连拍案。
14 metros 673bafb276982f2b05041b24a4637f23     
n.地下铁路( metro的名词复数 );(尤指)巴黎地铁
参考例句:
  • The map says the highest peak in this vicinity is 1500 metros. 地图显示附近最高点是1500米。 来自互联网
  • Cuando estaba en el equipo de atletismo, siempre corría 400 metros. 我在田径队时,总是跑400米。 来自互联网
15 decided lvqzZd     
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
参考例句:
  • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
  • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
16 transit MglzVT     
n.经过,运输;vt.穿越,旋转;vi.越过
参考例句:
  • His luggage was lost in transit.他的行李在运送中丢失。
  • The canal can transit a total of 50 ships daily.这条运河每天能通过50条船。
17 coaxing 444e70224820a50b0202cb5bb05f1c2e     
v.哄,用好话劝说( coax的现在分词 );巧言骗取;哄劝,劝诱;“锻炼”效应
参考例句:
  • No amount of coaxing will make me change my mind. 任你费尽口舌也不会说服我改变主意。
  • It took a lot of coaxing before he agreed. 劝说了很久他才同意。 来自辞典例句
18 aborted dfb7069bfc6e0064a6c667626eca07b4     
adj.流产的,失败的v.(使)流产( abort的过去式和过去分词 );(使)(某事物)中止;(因故障等而)(使)(飞机、宇宙飞船、导弹等)中断飞行;(使)(飞行任务等)中途失败
参考例句:
  • The rocket flight had to be aborted because of difficulties with computer. 因电脑出故障,这次火箭飞行只好中辍。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • They aborted the space flight finally. 他们最后中止了这次宇航飞行。 来自《简明英汉词典》
19 imprisoned bc7d0bcdd0951055b819cfd008ef0d8d     
下狱,监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He was imprisoned for two concurrent terms of 30 months and 18 months. 他被判处30个月和18个月的监禁,合并执行。
  • They were imprisoned for possession of drugs. 他们因拥有毒品而被监禁。
20 questionable oScxK     
adj.可疑的,有问题的
参考例句:
  • There are still a few questionable points in the case.这个案件还有几个疑点。
  • Your argument is based on a set of questionable assumptions.你的论证建立在一套有问题的假设上。
21 vowing caf27b27bed50d27c008858260bc9998     
起誓,发誓(vow的现在分词形式)
参考例句:
  • President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild its collapsed bridge. 布什总统承诺将帮助明尼阿波利斯重建坍塌的大桥。
  • President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild this collapse bridge. 布什总统发誓要帮助明尼阿波利斯重建起这座坍塌的桥梁。
22 analyst gw7zn     
n.分析家,化验员;心理分析学家
参考例句:
  • What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务?
  • The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。
23 sector yjczYn     
n.部门,部分;防御地段,防区;扇形
参考例句:
  • The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
  • The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。
24 persevere MMCxH     
v.坚持,坚忍,不屈不挠
参考例句:
  • They are determined to persevere in the fight.他们决心坚持战斗。
  • It is strength of character enabled him to persevere.他那坚强的性格使他能够坚持不懈。
25 tenure Uqjy2     
n.终身职位;任期;(土地)保有权,保有期
参考例句:
  • He remained popular throughout his tenure of the office of mayor.他在担任市长的整个任期内都深得民心。
  • Land tenure is a leading political issue in many parts of the world.土地的保有权在世界很多地区是主要的政治问题。
26 overhaul yKGxy     
v./n.大修,仔细检查
参考例句:
  • Master Worker Wang is responsible for the overhaul of this grinder.王师傅主修这台磨床。
  • It is generally appreciated that the rail network needs a complete overhaul.众所周知,铁路系统需要大检修。
27 opposition eIUxU     
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。

本文本内容来源于互联网抓取和网友提交,仅供参考,部分栏目没有内容,如果您有更合适的内容,欢迎 点击提交 分享给大家。