2007年VOA标准英语-Belgium Remains Without New Government

By Lisa Bryant
Brussels
27 September 2007

More than three months after general elections, Belgium remains¹ without a new government. Political parties are wrangling² over proposals to hand over greater power to regions and local communities in French-speaking Wallonia and Dutch-speaking Flanders. From Brussels, Lisa Bryant reports the crisis is also sparking calls for dividing in two a country of 10.5 million people that is at the heart of the European Union.

In some ways, Belgium is already divided. To the north lies Flanders, where Dutch is spoken. To the south lies Wallonia, where people speak French. There is also a small German-speaking community. The country's French and Flemish speakers have their own governments, media, schools and sports teams. There is little intermarriage and, increasingly, young people are learning English as their second language - rather than each other's dialects.

Calls for a formal split are growing louder - mostly in Flanders. The idea is championed by the far-right Vlaams Belang, or Flemish Block party, whose popularity has surged in recent years.

During an interview at the Flemish parliament in Brussels, Vlams Belang leader Filip Dewinter says there is nothing holding the two regions together.

"I don't think the Flemish people and the Walloon people have anything in common," said Dewinter. "Well, maybe the king, the beer and chocolates. But for the rest, we have a different type of economy. We don't speak the same languages. We even have different types of political majorities. And, we have a different way of life - our cultural identity is completely different.

Many Dutch speakers appear to agree. A poll, published earlier this month, found nearly half of all Flems want an independent Flemish state. Many of their reasons are economic. Wealthy Flanders, whose citizens account for 60 percent of the population, has been helping³ out poorer Wallonia for years.

But advocates of a united Belgium argue the country's citizens share more than just beer and chocolates. They have a common foreign and fiscal⁴ policy. Their country has given birth to international stars like French-speaking singer Jacques Brel - who came from a Flemish family.

And, then, there is French-speaking Brussels, which lies inside Flanders and is the seat of the European Union. Antonio Missiroli, head of the European Policy Center in Brussels, says talk of a divided Belgium is good news and bad news for the EU.

"The good news is that precisely⁵ the success of European integration⁶ makes it possible to have a country which is a member that splits up. A sort of velvet⁷ divorce within the union without a major shock for the rest of the union," said Missiroli.

Missiroli says the bad news is that a divided Belgium may fuel autonomous⁸ sentiments elsewhere - among the Basques in Spain, for example, or the Corsicans in France.

Belgium's crisis has its comic side. Last week, one frustrated⁹ citizen posted his country for sale on the Internet. And, last year, Belgium television aired a fake newscast about the country splitting, which sparked turmoil¹⁰.

In places like the Brussels suburb, Rhode-Saint-Genese - or Sint-Ginesisu-Rode in Flemish - Belgians like 78-year-old Rogers Tande, a Flem, are of two minds about a possible split.

"If the country divides in two, French and Dutch speakers can pursue their own political programs - and that is good," Tande said. "On the other hand, the two peoples are stronger together.

Most Walloons want the country to stay together. Olivier Maingain, head of the leftist Francophone Democratic Front Party, doubts it will split.

Still, Maigain says Francophones must be prepared for a possible future without Flanders. If that happens, he says Walloons will keep what is left of Belgium - including Brussels, as a sort of international capital.

But analysts¹¹ say it is inconceivable the Flemish will ever part with Brussels. They say that may be one reason why Belgium will stay intact.

1 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

2 wrangling   

v.争吵，争论，口角( wrangle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The two sides have spent most of their time wrangling over procedural problems. 双方大部分时间都在围绕程序问题争论不休。 来自辞典例句
• The children were wrangling (with each other) over the new toy. 孩子为新玩具（互相）争吵。 来自辞典例句

3 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

4 fiscal   

adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的

参考例句：

• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
• The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。

5 precisely   

adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地

参考例句：

• It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
• The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

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 velvet   

n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的

参考例句：

• This material feels like velvet.这料子摸起来像丝绒。
• The new settlers wore the finest silk and velvet clothing.新来的移民穿着最华丽的丝绸和天鹅绒衣服。

8 autonomous   

adj.自治的；独立的

参考例句：

• They proudly declared themselves part of a new autonomous province.他们自豪地宣布成为新自治省的一部分。
• This is a matter that comes within the jurisdiction of the autonomous region.这件事是属于自治区权限以内的事务。

9 frustrated   

adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's very easy to get frustrated in this job. 这个工作很容易令人懊恼。
• The bad weather frustrated all our hopes of going out. 恶劣的天气破坏了我们出行的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 turmoil   

n.骚乱，混乱，动乱

参考例句：

• His mind was in such a turmoil that he couldn't get to sleep.内心的纷扰使他无法入睡。
• The robbery put the village in a turmoil.抢劫使全村陷入混乱。

11 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。