欧洲—欧盟的命运

Fate of the EU

欧盟的命运

 

The European Union is not on its knees, said Jean-Claude Juncker, Prime Minister of Luxembourg and President of the European Council at the recent summit in Washington. Yet, several days earlier, Mr. Juncker declared in Brussels the Continent is in a state of deep crisis over the failure of European leaders to agree on the Union's budget.

 

Failure to find common economic ground came just weeks after voters in France and the Netherlands dealt, what some observers call, a lethal¹ blow to the Union's proposed new constitution. And they say the first casualty of Europe's latest crisis is EU's further expansion.

 

For years, European Union's enlargement was viewed as necessary for maintaining stability and prosperity of the Continent. Deeper political integration², promised by the new Constitution, was supposed to strengthen the bloc's coherence³.

 

But many analysts⁵ say the process has met with unsustainable expenditures⁷, institutional inefficiencies and an ever-expanding bureaucracy.

 

John Hulsman of The Heritage Foundation in Washington describes the recent Constitution setback⁸ as a vote against the rule of bureaucrats⁹ and a continent ordered from the top down. He argues that most Europeans resent turning over ever more aspects of their lives to technocrats¹¹ who are detached from most people's concerns.

 

John Hulsman: There is a huge democratic deficit¹² in Europe between the rulers and the ruled, both at the national level and the European level. The EU will continue to exist, but a notion of some strongly unified¹³ Europe, I think which was always a false one, has now been proven to be false. The European emperor is wearing no clothes.

 

Since the end of World War II, European countries have evolved into advanced welfare states with high taxes and generous vacation, unemployment and retirement¹⁴ benefits. But what many Europeans view as the stability of the system comes with a price.

 

According to analyst⁴ John Hulsman, a stagnating¹⁵ economy, deepening unemployment, cheap immigrant labor¹⁶, an endangered social welfare system, and mounting competition from globalization are part of that price. He adds there is a feeling among many Europeans that their leaders can no longer guarantee upward mobility¹⁷ and economic security.

 

John Hulsman: The French, German, Italian core is in economically dire¹⁸ straits with 12% unemployment in Germany, ten percent unemployment in France and Italy with more than 106% of GDP debt. That would discredit¹⁹ any elite²⁰ that says, don't worry about things and trust us when this is proven not to be very effective in managing economies.

 

But Stephen Szabo, Professor of European Studies at The Johns Hopkins University, recently visited several European capitals and says the EU's current crisis should not be over emphasized.

 

Stephen Szabo: I think the European movement will continue to go forward. It is based on very realistic interests, both political and economic. There is really no serious alternative to the European Union. None of these states can really contend anymore on the international stage as nation states. They need weight behind them and the EU provides that sort of weight.

 

Professor Szabo says the constitution setback may spark a much-needed debate over Europe's future that so far has been lacking. And it might save the EU from an open-ended commitment on expansion that could have been fatal to its own political unity²¹.

 

And what does the EU crisis hold for US/European relations?

 

The US has consistently called for a strong, peaceful and democratic Europe that, along with America, would pursue a common global agenda in the war on terrorism, the promotion²² of freedom and democracy, and the containment²³ of nuclear proliferation, something President Bush reaffirmed at the recent US/EU summit in Washington.

 

President Bush: The United States continues to support a strong European Union as a partner in spreading freedom and democracy and security and prosperity throughout the world. My message to these leaders and these friends was that we want Europe strong so we can work together to achieve important objectives and important goals.

 

Yet many analysts say if Europe's crisis continues, it could shake America's perception of the EU as a reliable partner.

 

According to John Hulsman of The Heritage Foundation, Europe matters to America. But he doubts whether Brussels can work in tandem²⁴ with Washington.

 

John Hulsman: When the EU is unified on an issue, we will work with them at that level. But I think more and more, we are going to work with them at the state-to-state level, where very rarely do all Europeans agree on much of anything. We will have to get used to living in that much more complicated world.

 

Stephen Szabo: The problem the US is going to face now is that the EU will be so wrapped up with itself over the next ten years in terms of trying to deal with all of its issues.

 

Stephen Szabo of The Johns Hopkins University predicts a period of stagnation²⁵ in which the US might view the EU as an ineffective partner. He adds the sooner the EU finds its way, the sooner the world's two richest, most democratic most powerful entities²⁶, Europe and the United States, can develop their shared goals.

 

For focus, I’m Jela De Franceschi.

 

注释：

Luxembourg [5luksEm7bE:^] n. 卢森堡公国（西欧国家）

lethal [5li:WEl] adj. 致命的

casualty [5kAVjuElti] n. 伤亡

political integration 政治一体化

coherence [kEu5hiErEns] n. 一致

expenditure⁶ [iks5penditFE] n. 支出，花费

inefficiency²⁷ [7ini5fiFEnsi] n. 无效率，无能

bureaucracy [bjuE5rCkrEsi] n. 官僚作风，官僚机构

technocrat¹⁰ [5teknEkrAt] n. 专家政治论者

emperor [5empErE] n. 国王，君主

strait [streit] n. (pl) 困境，窘迫

reaffirm [5ri:E5fE:m] vt. 重申

in tandem with 同……合作

stagnation [stA^5neiFEn] n. 停滞

1 lethal   

adj.致死的；毁灭性的

参考例句：

• A hammer can be a lethal weapon.铁锤可以是致命的武器。
• She took a lethal amount of poison and died.她服了致命剂量的毒药死了。

2 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。

3 coherence   

n.紧凑；连贯；一致性

参考例句：

• There was no coherence between the first and the second half of the film.这部电影的前半部和后半部没有连贯性。
• Environmental education is intended to give these topics more coherence.环境教育的目的是使这些课题更加息息相关。

4 analyst   

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。

5 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

6 expenditure   

n.(时间、劳力、金钱等)支出；使用，消耗

参考例句：

• The entry of all expenditure is necessary.有必要把一切开支入账。
• The monthly expenditure of our family is four hundred dollars altogether.我们一家的开销每月共计四百元。

7 expenditures   

n.花费( expenditure的名词复数 )；使用；（尤指金钱的）支出额；（精力、时间、材料等的）耗费

参考例句：

• We have overspent.We'll have to let up our expenditures next month. 我们已经超支了，下个月一定得节约开支。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The pension includes an allowance of fifty pounds for traffic expenditures. 年金中包括50镑交通费补贴。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 setback   

n.退步，挫折，挫败

参考例句：

• Since that time there has never been any setback in his career.从那时起他在事业上一直没有遇到周折。
• She views every minor setback as a disaster.她把每个较小的挫折都看成重大灾难。

9 bureaucrats   

n.官僚( bureaucrat的名词复数 )；官僚主义；官僚主义者；官僚语言

参考例句：

• That is the fate of the bureaucrats, not the inspiration of statesmen. 那是官僚主义者的命运，而不是政治家的灵感。 来自辞典例句
• Big business and dozens of anonymous bureaucrats have as much power as Japan's top elected leaders. 大企业和许多不知名的官僚同日本选举出来的最高层领导者们的权力一样大。 来自辞典例句

10 technocrat   

n.技术人员，技术官僚

参考例句：

• He is a distant technocrat who is unable to connect with ordinary voters.作为一个冷淡的技术官僚，他不能做到与普通选民息息相通。
• Jack Lew,the new budget director,is the quintessential technocrat.新预算主管杰克·卢就是一个典型的技术官僚。

11 technocrats   

n.技术专家，专家政治论者( technocrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Few business barons remained. They were replaced by "technocrats," who became the heads of corporations. 企业巨头所剩无几，大多已被“技术专家”所代替，这些人成了公司的领导。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• However, bankers called the technocrats' bluff and proceeded to lend with gusto. 但是，银行家们称技术专家官员不过在虚张声势，并且还会乐观的继续借贷业务。 来自互联网

12 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

13 unified   

(unify 的过去式和过去分词)； 统一的； 统一标准的； 一元化的

参考例句：

• The teacher unified the answer of her pupil with hers. 老师核对了学生的答案。
• The First Emperor of Qin unified China in 221 B.C. 秦始皇于公元前221年统一中国。

14 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

15 stagnating   

v.停滞，不流动，不发展( stagnate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• I feel I'm stagnating in this job. 我觉得，干这份工作我没有长进。
• ITT was stagnating when Geneen became the chief executive officer in 1959. 1959年吉宁出任行政总负责人时，国际电话电报公司正处于不景气时期。 来自辞典例句

16 labor   

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。

17 mobility   

n.可动性，变动性，情感不定

参考例句：

• The difference in regional house prices acts as an obstacle to mobility of labour.不同地区房价的差异阻碍了劳动力的流动。
• Mobility is very important in guerrilla warfare.机动性在游击战中至关重要。

18 dire   

adj.可怕的，悲惨的，阴惨的，极端的

参考例句：

• There were dire warnings about the dangers of watching too much TV.曾经有人就看电视太多的危害性提出严重警告。
• We were indeed in dire straits.But we pulled through.那时我们的困难真是大极了，但是我们渡过了困难。

19 discredit   

vt.使不可置信；n.丧失信义；不信，怀疑

参考例句：

• Their behaviour has bought discredit on English football.他们的行为败坏了英国足球运动的声誉。
• They no longer try to discredit the technology itself.他们不再试图怀疑这种技术本身。

20 elite   

n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的

参考例句：

• The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
• We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。

21 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

22 promotion   

n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传

参考例句：

• The teacher conferred with the principal about Dick's promotion.教师与校长商谈了迪克的升级问题。
• The clerk was given a promotion and an increase in salary.那个职员升了级，加了薪。

23 containment   

n.阻止，遏制；容量

参考例句：

• Your list might include such things as cost containment,quality,or customer satisfaction.你的清单上应列有诸如成本控制、产品质量、客户满意程度等内容。
• Insularity and self-containment,it is argued,go hand in hand.他们争论说，心胸狭窄和自我封闭是并存的。

24 tandem   

n.同时发生；配合；adv.一个跟着一个地；纵排地；adj.（两匹马）前后纵列的

参考例句：

• Malcolm's contract will run in tandem with his existing one.马尔科姆的合同将与他手头的合同同时生效。
• He is working in tandem with officials of the Serious Fraud Office.他正配合欺诈重案办公室的官员工作。

25 stagnation   

n. 停滞

参考例句：

• Poor economic policies led to a long period of stagnation and decline. 糟糕的经济政策道致了长时间的经济萧条和下滑。
• Motion is absolute while stagnation is relative. 运动是绝对的，而静止是相对的。

26 entities   

实体对像； 实体，独立存在体，实际存在物( entity的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Our newspaper and our printing business form separate corporate entities. 我们的报纸和印刷业形成相对独立的企业实体。
• The North American continent is made up of three great structural entities. 北美大陆是由三个构造单元组成的。

27 inefficiency   

n.无效率，无能；无效率事例

参考例句：

• Conflict between management and workers makes for inefficiency in the workplace. 资方与工人之间的冲突使得工厂生产效率很低。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This type of inefficiency arises because workers and management are ill-equipped. 出现此种低效率是因为工人与管理层都能力不足。 来自《简明英汉词典》