欧洲－布莱尔指出欧盟应改善其经济政策

Blair to EU: Modernize¹ or Fail

欧洲－布莱尔指出欧盟应改善其经济政策

 

Tony Blair's message to the European Union is that it must change the way it does business if it is to survive.

 

He told the European Parliament that the people of Europe are ahead of the continent's politicians in recognizing the need for change.

 

Tony Blair: It is time to give ourselves a reality check to receive the wake-up call. The people are blowing the trumpets³ around the city walls. Are we listening? Have we the political will to go out and meet them so that they regard our leadership collectively as part of the solution and not part of the problem?

 

Mr. Blair's message comes as the EU wonders how it can get out of a crisis caused by French and Dutch voters' rejection⁴ of its constitution and its failure at a summit last week to agree on a long-term budget.

 

Tony Blair: In every crisis there is an opportunity. There is one here for Europe now, if we have the courage to take it.

 

But for Mr. Blair, the issue is bigger than the constitution or the budget. It is that Europe must adapt itself to changing times in order to compete economically, not just with the United States but also with such rising giants as China and India.

 

Mr. Blair has been accused by the French and the Germans, among others, of wanting to destroy Europe's welfare state and impose unfettered capitalism⁵ across the continent. His critics also say Britain wants the EU to be a big common market and is not interested in closer political integration⁶. Mr. Blair said those criticisms are unfair.

 

Tony Blair: The issue is not between a free market Europe and a social Europe, between those who want to retreat to a common market and those who believe in Europe as a political project. This is not just a misrepresentation. It is to intimidate⁷ those who want to change Europe by representing the desire for change as a betrayal of the European ideal.

 

The British leader said his aim is not to kill Europe's highly regulated social model but to change it.

 

Tony Blair: What type of social model is it that has 20 million unemployed⁸ across Europe? The purpose of our social model should be to enhance our ability to compete, to help our people cope with globalization, to let them embrace its opportunities and avoid the dangers.

 

Mr. Blair's first challenge is to try to secure a deal on the EU's budget for the six-year period that begins in 2007. He will have difficulty doing that because he has insisted on maintaining a special rebate⁹ Britain gets for not receiving as much as France and Germany in farm subsidies¹⁰. He says he is prepared to negotiate about the rebate only if other EU members are willing to cut back on the agricultural handouts¹² that take up 40 percent of the EU budget. And France is unwilling¹³ to do that.

 

But diplomats¹⁴ say that, even if Mr. Blair cannnot get a budget deal, he can at least start a Europe-wide debate over the economic policies Europe needs for the future.

 

Roger Wilkison, VOA news, Brussels.

 

注释：

trumpet² [5trQmpit] n. 喇叭

unfettered [5Qn5fetEd] adj. 没有拘束的

misrepresentation [5mis7reprizen5teiFEn] n. 误传，误说

intimidate [in5timideit] v. 胁迫

betrayal [bi5treiEl] n. 出卖，辜负

handout¹¹ [5hAndaut] n. 施舍物，救济品

1 modernize   

vt.使现代化，使适应现代的需要

参考例句：

• It was their manifest failure to modernize the country's industries.他们使国家进行工业现代化，明显失败了。
• There is a pressing need to modernise our electoral system.我们的选举制度迫切需要现代化。

2 trumpet   

n.喇叭，喇叭声；v.吹喇叭，吹嘘

参考例句：

• He plays the violin, but I play the trumpet.他拉提琴，我吹喇叭。
• The trumpet sounded for battle.战斗的号角吹响了。

3 trumpets   

喇叭( trumpet的名词复数 )； 小号； 喇叭形物； （尤指）绽开的水仙花

参考例句：

• A wreath was laid on the monument to a fanfare of trumpets. 在响亮的号角声中花圈被献在纪念碑前。
• A fanfare of trumpets heralded the arrival of the King. 嘹亮的小号声宣告了国王驾到。

4 rejection   

n.拒绝，被拒，抛弃，被弃

参考例句：

• He decided not to approach her for fear of rejection.他因怕遭拒绝决定不再去找她。
• The rejection plunged her into the dark depths of despair.遭到拒绝使她陷入了绝望的深渊。

5 capitalism   

n.资本主义

参考例句：

• The essence of his argument is that capitalism cannot succeed.他的论点的核心是资本主义不能成功。
• Capitalism began to develop in Russia in the 19th century.十九世纪资本主义在俄国开始发展。

6 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。

7 intimidate   

vt.恐吓，威胁

参考例句：

• You think you can intimidate people into doing what you want?你以为你可以威胁别人做任何事？
• The first strike capacity is intended mainly to intimidate adversary.第一次攻击的武力主要是用来吓阻敌方的。

8 unemployed   

adj.失业的，没有工作的；未动用的，闲置的

参考例句：

• There are now over four million unemployed workers in this country.这个国家现有四百万失业人员。
• The unemployed hunger for jobs.失业者渴望得到工作。

9 rebate   

v./n.折扣，回扣，退款；vt.给...回扣，给...打折扣

参考例句：

• You can claim a rebate on your tax.你可以要求退回部分税款。
• Customers are to benefit from a rebate on their electricity bills.顾客将从他们的电费退费中得到实惠。

10 subsidies   

n.补贴，津贴，补助金( subsidy的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• European agriculture ministers failed to break the deadlock over farm subsidies. 欧洲各国农业部长在农业补贴问题上未能打破僵局。
• Agricultural subsidies absorb about half the EU's income. 农业补贴占去了欧盟收入的大约一半。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 handout   

n.散发的文字材料；救济品

参考例句：

• I read the handout carefully.我仔细看了这份分发的资料。
• His job was distributing handout at the street-corner.他的工作是在街头发传单。

12 handouts   

救济品( handout的名词复数 )； 施舍物； 印刷品； 讲义

参考例句：

• Soldiers oversee the food handouts. 士兵们看管着救济食品。
• Even after losing his job, he was too proud to accept handouts. 甚至在失去工作后，他仍然很骄傲，不愿接受施舍。

13 unwilling   

adj.不情愿的

参考例句：

• The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。
• His tightfisted employer was unwilling to give him a raise.他那吝啬的雇主不肯给他加薪。

14 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》