From Scandinavia to the Mediterranean shores of southern Europe, there are widespread fears over the future of the euro currency and the European Union itself. The EU has been shaken by the Greek debt crisis, but its leaders insist the Union and the currency will hold together. Some say the biggest danger for Europe, though, could lie beyond Greece.
从斯堪的纳维亚到南欧地中海沿岸地区,对欧元以及欧盟自身的未来都有着广泛的担忧。希腊债务危机深深地撼动了欧盟,但是欧盟领导人坚持认为,欧盟和欧元将继续存在。美国之音记者里德威尔在伦敦的报导说,欧洲最大的危险可能在希腊之外的地方。
In Athens’ Syntagma Square, a few hundred protestors still remain. Draped in Greek flags, their anger is mixed with dejection.
在希腊雅典的宪法广场,大约数百名抗议者仍然聚集着,并没有散去。他们身披希腊国旗,愤怒中夹杂着沮丧。
Despite the protests this week, Greece’s parliament approved spending cuts of $40 billion demanded by the EU and IMF bailout.
尽管这个星期抗议不断,希腊议会还是批准削减400亿美元开支,这是欧盟和国际货币基金组织所提出的救援要求。
Outside the people remain defiant. Teacher Yannis Anagnostaras is among the protesters.
在议会大厦外,人们反对这样的做法。亚尼斯.安纳哥诺斯特拉斯是抗议者中的一员,他是一名教师。
"People and workers will fight on the streets to have these measures canceled,” he said. “These measures that destroy workers rights and ruin our lives, and are in coordination with the European Union and the International Monetary Fund."
他说:“工人们和其他人将继续上街抗议,让他们取消这些措施。这些措施会损害工人的权力,并毁坏我们的生活,是配合欧盟和国际货币基金组织的。”
In Athens and across Europe there is speculation that everyone would be better off if Greece left the euro currency and the EU altogether.
在雅典和在整个欧洲,有这样一种揣测,如果希腊离开欧盟和欧元区,大家的状况都会好一些。
Not so, said Philip Whyte of analyst group the Center for European Reform. “Greece could not leave the eurozone without, first of all, a run on its banking system. Second, it would not restore Greece to debt sustainability. Third, it would cut off Greece from potentially vital lines of support.”
但是智库欧洲改革中心的菲利普.怀特认为,情况不是这样的。他说:“希腊如果离开欧元区,首先银行系统会发生挤兑。第二,这也不可能让希腊恢复债务稳定。第三,这样做会切断希腊可能的重要的支持来源。”
EU politicians opposed to the Greek bailout - and to European integration in general - have been making their view clear, holding a mock funeral for the euro currency symbol outside the European Council in Brussels. Leading the cortege was British MEP Nigel Farage.
欧盟政界领导人反对救援希腊的计划,甚至是欧盟的融合。他们已经明确表明了态度。他们在布鲁塞尔的欧洲议会外为欧元的标志举行了一次模拟的葬礼,这个队伍中最重要的人物是来自英国的欧洲议会议员纳杰儿.法拉奇。
"The euro is not going to survive in its current configuration," said Farage. "I’m sure we will see countries peeling off. It may become in a few years time the Greater Deutschmark zone. That is quite possible.”
他说:“欧元不会在这一轮的整合中存活下来。我相信,我们会看到各国逐步退出这个体系。也许,几年的时间内,会变成大德国马克区,这是非常有可能的。”
President of the European Council Herman van Rompuy said the doomsayers are wrong.
欧盟主席范龙佩说,那些唱衰欧盟和欧元的人错了。
“In my view the state of the Union is not so bad even if the mood is not so good," he said. "But the mood is this afternoon much better than this morning after the positive vote in the Greek parliament. Ladies and gentlemen, political courage still exists.”
他说:“我的看法是,尽管情绪都不太高,但是,欧盟整体的状态还是不错的。希腊议会进行了肯定性投票后,今年下午的情绪就比早上好。先生们,女士们,政治的勇气依然存在。”
That courage will be tested to the limit if the debt crisis spreads beyond Greece. Spain is the eurozone’s fourth biggest economy but it is weighed down with high debts and 20% unemployment. The construction sector was decimated by the financial crisis.
不过,如果债务危机蔓延到希腊之外的地方,这将是这种勇气受到考验的时刻了。西班牙是欧元区的第四大经济体,但是受到债务和高达20%的失业率的拖累。因为金融危机,西班牙的建筑业几乎是全面停滞。
“Greece could not leave the eurozone without provoking contagion and question marks over the continued membership of other countries that are potentially in difficulty,” said Whyte of the Center for European Reform.
欧洲改革中心的怀特说:“对那些有可能陷入困境的国家来说,希腊离开欧元区不会不对他们继续留在欧元区产生传染效应或是令他们生疑。”
There may be talk of countries leaving the EU - but this week the Union prepared to welcome its newest member as Croatia completed accession talks.
有人可能在谈论一些国家退出欧盟,但是,欧盟准备欢迎最新的成员的加入,克罗地亚这个星期刚刚完成入盟谈判。
Analysts say despite the euro crisis, the opportunities presented by EU membership still outweigh the risks for many countries on Europe’s fringes.
分析人士说,尽管欧元危机,但是,对欧元区的边缘国家来说,欧盟成员国所提供的机会仍然大于危机。 |