VOA标准英语2013--Britain Could Be on Path to EU Exit

 

Britain Could Be on Path to EU Exit

Britain's economy relies on trade and financial services. The free flow of goods and services with the European continent has been a boon¹, but more and more Britons see the European Union as an unwelcome infringement² on their sovereignty. 

That has pushed Prime Minister Cameron to promise a re-negotiation of Britain's ties to the EU and then a referendum within five years, if he is re-elected in the middle of the process. 

"We've been very clear about what we want to see changed. There are a whole series of areas, social legislation, employment legislation, environmental legislation, where Europe has gone far too far," he said. 

Cameron said he wants to preserve the single market but avoid some of its regulations, an approach that analyst³ Stephen Tindale, at the Center for European Reform, says won't work. 

"His plan is impractical⁴ if it works because there would be lots of non-tariff barriers, different regulations, different standards, so products couldn't be as freely traded within Europe as they are at the moment," he said. 

That would seem bad for business but, on Thursday, 56 British business leaders endorsed⁵ the prime minister's plan, including heads of the London stock exchange and one of the country's major banks. They decried⁶ what they called "ever more burdens from Brussels." 

But Tindale warns the changes those executives and the prime minister envision are not likely to be accepted by other European leaders. 

"The other EU members would ultimately let him walk if his shopping list of demands for repatriation⁷ of powers are too great," he said. 

European officials have indicated as much, including the French government spokeswoman. 

"Being a member of the European Union brings with it a certain number of obligations, and the Europe we believe in and we live in is a solidarity⁸ pact⁹ which applies to all member states. Otherwise it's not solidarity," said Najat Vallaud-Belkacem. 

But Britain has never been interested in as much solidarity as many other EU members. Years ago, it opted¹⁰ out of two key aspects of the Union - the common currency and the open borders agreement. 

Europe expert Iain Begg at the London School of Economics says while the euro crisis is pushing much of the continent toward closer integration¹¹, Britain wants less.

"I can see Europe going in one direction, which is seeking to integrate more, Britain becoming increasingly uneasy with this federalizing tendency, and therefore divorce is the only outcome," he said. 

Prime Minister Cameron and his supporters don't want a divorce, just a better relationship. But the plan to negotiate with the 26 other EU members and then hold a referendum is fraught¹² with uncertainty¹³, and, experts say, could lead Britain where Cameron says he doesn't want it to go - out of the European Union. 

1 boon   

n.恩赐，恩物，恩惠

参考例句：

• A car is a real boon when you live in the country.在郊外居住，有辆汽车确实极为方便。
• These machines have proved a real boon to disabled people.事实证明这些机器让残疾人受益匪浅。

2 infringement   

n.违反；侵权

参考例句：

• Infringement of this regulation would automatically rule you out of the championship.违背这一规则会被自动取消参加锦标赛的资格。
• The committee ruled that the US ban constituted an infringement of free trade.委员会裁定美国的禁令对自由贸易构成了侵犯

3 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。

4 impractical   

adj.不现实的，不实用的，不切实际的

参考例句：

• He was hopelessly impractical when it came to planning new projects.一到规划新项目，他就完全没有了实际操作的能力。
• An entirely rigid system is impractical.一套完全死板的体制是不实际的。

5 endorsed   

vt.& vi.endorse的过去式或过去分词形式v.赞同( endorse的过去式和过去分词 )；在（尤指支票的）背面签字；在（文件的）背面写评论；在广告上说本人使用并赞同某产品

参考例句：

• The committee endorsed an initiative by the chairman to enter discussion about a possible merger. 委员会通过了主席提出的新方案，开始就可能进行的并购进行讨论。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The government has broadly endorsed a research paper proposing new educational targets for 14-year-olds. 政府基本上支持建议对14 岁少年实行新教育目标的研究报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 decried   

v.公开反对，谴责( decry的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The measures were decried as useless. 这些措施受到指责，说是不起作用。
• The old poet decried the mediocrity of today's writing. 老诗人抨击了现代文体的平庸无奇。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

7 repatriation   

n.遣送回国，归国

参考例句：

• The Volrep programme is the preferred means of repatriation. 政府认为自愿遣返计划的遣返方法较为可取。 来自互联网
• Arrange the cargo claiming and maritime affairs,crews repatriation,medical treatment,traveling so on. （六）洽办货物理赔，船舶海事处理，办理船员遣返，就医，旅游等。 来自互联网

8 solidarity   

n.团结；休戚相关

参考例句：

• They must preserve their solidarity.他们必须维护他们的团结。
• The solidarity among China's various nationalities is as firm as a rock.中国各族人民之间的团结坚如磐石。

9 pact   

n.合同，条约，公约，协定

参考例句：

• The two opposition parties made an electoral pact.那两个反对党订了一个有关选举的协定。
• The trade pact between those two countries came to an end.那两国的通商协定宣告结束。

10 opted   

v.选择，挑选( opt的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She was co-opted onto the board. 她获增选为董事会成员。
• After graduating she opted for a career in music. 毕业后她选择了从事音乐工作。

11 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。

12 fraught   

adj.充满…的，伴有(危险等)的；忧虑的

参考例句：

• The coming months will be fraught with fateful decisions.未来数月将充满重大的决定。
• There's no need to look so fraught!用不着那么愁眉苦脸的！

13 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。