VOA标准英语2012--French Voters Concerned About Economy Ahead of Election

French Voters Concerned About Economy Ahead of Election

At the northern Paris branch of Secours Populaire, people are loading up on basics that will get them through the week. The French charity offers food, clothing and emergency shelter to the needy¹. Volunteer staff check them in. For a token contribution of 50 centimes, about 66 U.S. cents, they can fill up their shopping carts.
Local head Alain Chetaille says the charity's caseload has jumped 50 percent over the past year. He knows why, hard times in France.
Chetaille says people are worried about jobs, money and housing and their long-term future.
People of every age come here. Some live alone, but many have families who depend on them.
Chetaille says nearly four in 10 people seeking assistance here are single mothers.
Thirty-two-year-old Nadia Coulibaly is one of them. She and her six-month-old daughter spend their nights in emergency shelters. She is a qualified² travel agent, but she cannot find a job.
Coulibaly says finding a job is extremely difficult. France's economic crisis can be felt in all parts of the economy.
Bread-and-butter issues like housing and jobs are likely to dominate France's presidential elections. Nearly 10 percent of French are unemployed³, and the economy is barely growing.
Political science professor Steven Ekovich, of the American University of Paris, says voters are afraid. "It's no surprise that the economy is going to have some influence on this election. When people feel they're in a fragile situation, they will be more tempted⁴ to go for somebody who offers a bold solution, or at least a reassuring⁵ solution," he said.
Not surprisingly, political opponents blame the economic problems on conservative President Nicolas Sarkozy. But as he campaigns for re-election, under the theme of "a strong France", Mr. Sarkozy is fighting back, claiming his policies have saved the country from ruin. He promises more reforms to create jobs, boost growth and make France more competitive.
"The political debate is not about the economy per se, it's about the budget - how to deal with the economy. How much the state should be spending to jumpstart the economy," said Ekovich.
Mr. Sarkozy is also cracking down on immigration, a popular theme shared by far-right candidate Marine⁶ Le Pen, who is running third in the race.
The narrow front runner is Socialist⁷ Party challenger Francois Hollande, although President Sarkozy is closing the gap. Hollande wants to raise taxes on the wealthy and invest in education, research and employment as a way to grow the economy.
"He's presented himself as the realist Socialist. He's lost some votes on the left for that," said Ekovich.
But Hollande has won over 61-year-old artist Theo Cas. "I'm voting for Francois Hollande. My convictions are on the left, like Social democrats⁸, the importance of the state has to be reassured," he said.
But at Secours Populaire, Coulibaly is throwing her support behind Mr. Sarkozy.
She says things are not going too badly. The other candidates talk, but they have not proved themselves.
The first round of voting is still two months away. Analysts⁹ say plenty could change in the race. One thing is certain: France's economic problems, and how to fix them, will dominate the debate.

1 needy   

adj.贫穷的，贫困的，生活艰苦的

参考例句：

• Although he was poor,he was quite generous to his needy friends.他虽穷，但对贫苦的朋友很慷慨。
• They awarded scholarships to needy students.他们给贫苦学生颁发奖学金。

2 qualified   

adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的

参考例句：

• He is qualified as a complete man of letters.他有资格当真正的文学家。
• We must note that we still lack qualified specialists.我们必须看到我们还缺乏有资质的专家。

3 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。

4 tempted   

v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词）

参考例句：

• I was sorely tempted to complain, but I didn't. 我极想发牢骚，但还是没开口。
• I was tempted by the dessert menu. 甜食菜单馋得我垂涎欲滴。

5 reassuring   

a.使人消除恐惧和疑虑的，使人放心的

参考例句：

• He gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. 他轻拍了一下她的肩膀让她放心。
• With a reassuring pat on her arm, he left. 他鼓励地拍了拍她的手臂就离开了。

6 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

7 socialist   

n.社会主义者；adj.社会主义的

参考例句：

• China is a socialist country,and a developing country as well.中国是一个社会主义国家，也是一个发展中国家。
• His father was an ardent socialist.他父亲是一个热情的社会主义者。

8 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 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。