VOA标准英语2012--Iceland Turns Away from EU as Economy Recovers

 

Iceland Turns Away from EU as Economy Recovers

Four years ago, Icelanders were angry. Banks' emblems¹ were burned in the street. People worried they would lose their houses, their savings². The country felt isolated³. After 90 years of independence, Iceland applied⁴ to join the European Union.

Four years later - the sun is shining on Iceland. It is the EU that seems a darker, less attractive place. Though it's still government policy to join, most citizens say they are no longer in favor.

"I don't want to give our currency away because it's kind of romantic," said one woman. "We are so small."

"We're a tiny country, I really want us to have the Icelandic krona, not the stupid euro," another woman said.

According to one man, "I think the euro would probably benefit us because the currency situation with our currency is not so good."

Iceland's economy is on a growth spurt⁵.

One site that has tourists flocking in ever greater numbers is a geysir in the hills an hour away from Reykjavik. Iceland's currency is half the value of four years ago. Tourist attractions are now generally more affordable⁶ than they were.

Fishing is doing well too. Fish stocks are increasing, and boat owners benefit from selling their catch in Iceland's now much-cheaper currency. And while Iceland can currently keep the entire catch in its waters for its own boats, anti-EU campaigners like Hallur Hallson say this would change if Iceland joined the community.

"Fish dominates Icelandic society, it's the most important industry in this country," Hallson said. "In the European Union it's only one, two, three percent of gross national product. But in Iceland it overrides⁷ everything."

Back in 2008, Iceland let its banks default on debts they could not honor. It meant the state had more financial leeway to increase pensions, jobless benefits and home loan relief to a society in shock. London-based Icelandic entrepreneur Sveinn Valfells thinks other struggling European countries could learn from Iceland's treatment of its banks.

"The main lesson is let them fail and let them fail in a controlled way," Valfells said. "The government money should rather be spent on protecting basic services such as education and healthcare."

Many Icelanders now view the EU and the eurozone with horror. They see countries like Greece, which are stuck with high debts, high unemployment, and economies still in recession. They see pharmacies⁸ running out of stocks.

Pro-EU businessman Benedikt Johannesson admits all this is not helping⁹ his cause.

"But why compare us to Greece? Why don't we compare to Denmark, to Holland, to Sweden, to Finland, to Germany, to the countries closest to us," he asked.

Iceland is not the only country to be moving away from the EU. Turkey's application, already 25 years old, is slipping further away. Serbia, Macedonia and Montenegro's applications all face obstacles, too.

Croatia will join the 27-country club next year. But if Iceland's government decides to follow its people's will, that could be it for a very long time. 

1 emblems   

n.象征，标记( emblem的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His emblems are the spear and the burning torch. 他佩带的徽记是长矛和燃烧着的火炬。 来自辞典例句
• Crystal prize, Crystal gift, Crystal trophy, Champion cup, Emblems. 水晶奖牌、水晶礼品、水晶纪念品、奖杯、金属奖牌。 来自互联网

2 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

3 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

4 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

5 spurt   

v.喷出；突然进发；突然兴隆

参考例句：

• He put in a spurt at the beginning of the eighth lap.他进入第八圈时便开始冲刺。
• After a silence, Molly let her anger spurt out.沉默了一会儿，莫莉的怒气便迸发了出来。

6 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。

7 overrides   

越控( override的第三人称单数 )； （以权力）否决； 优先于； 比…更重要

参考例句：

• The new rule overrides all the previous ones. 新规则使以前的所有规则失效。
• The application configuration file setting overrides the machine configuration file setting. 应用程序配置文件设置重写计算机配置文件设置。

8 pharmacies   

药店

参考例句：

• Still, 32 percent of the pharmacies filled the prescriptions. 但仍然有32%的药剂师配发了这两张药方。 来自互联网
• Chinese herbal pharmacies, and traditional massage therapists in the Vancouver telephone book. 中药店，和传统的按摩师在温哥华的电话簿里。 来自互联网

9 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。