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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
Germany Warns Russia of 'Massive Damage' Over Crimea 德国警告俄罗斯勿使克里米亚局势升级
LONDON — German Chancellor1 Angela Merkel has warned Moscow that Europe could inflict2 'massive economic and political damage' to Russia if the situation in the Ukrainian region of Crimea escalates3.
Germany now appears willing to use its diplomatic and economic muscle to turn up the heat on Moscow, analysts5 say. And they add that Merkel, a fluent Russian speaker, has been Europe's prime interlocutor with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Addressing lawmakers in Germany's parliament this week, Merkel issued the strongest threat yet to Moscow.
"If Russia continues on its course of the past weeks, it will not only be a catastrophe6 for Ukraine,” she said Thursday. “We would see it, as neighbors of Russia, as a threat. And it would not only change the European Union's relationship with Russia. No, this would also cause massive damage to Russia, economically and politically."
Merkel ruled out any military action. She dismissed Russia's claims that Crimea's bid to break away from Ukraine could be compared to Kosovo's independence from Serbia. Crimeans are set for a referendum on Sunday to decide to possibly join Russia.
"One thing has to be completely clear: The territorial8 integrity of Ukraine cannot be put in question," Merkel said.
Merkel's hardline stance marks a departure from her previously9 cautious approach to Russia, said Professor Alan Riley, an expert on EU-Russia relations at City University in London.
"What we're seeing is a grave Western concern that President Putin may be willing to go a lot further,” she said. “Would we have some form of Afghanistan-style guerilla war in Europe, in the middle of the continent?"
At stake for Berlin are deep economic and trade links with Moscow. Russia says it would retaliate10 to any sanctions. Germany gets 40 percent of its gas from Russia. But Europe could quickly reduce that dependence7 and deprive Moscow of revenue, Riley said.
"Two-thirds of (Russian gas firm) Gazprom's revenue comes from the one-third of gas it produces that it sells into the European Union,” he said. “That's about 10 percent of federal tax revenue. If you cut off the lifelines of those large state companies or state-influenced companies from the Western capital markets, that would have an impact."
Putin will be gambling11 that the threats from Chancellor Merkel are just rhetoric12, said risk analyst4 Elizabeth Stephens of insurance brokers13 Jardine Lloyd Thompson in London.
"If we go back to 2008 when Russia was involved with the war in Georgia, the West issued strong condemnation,” she said. “The following year the Americans announced a reset14 in relations with Russia, everything was supposed to move forward on a positive footing. So I think Putin can rest assured any sanctions that will be imposed will be very weak."
1 chancellor | |
n.(英)大臣;法官;(德、奥)总理;大学校长 | |
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2 inflict | |
vt.(on)把…强加给,使遭受,使承担 | |
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3 escalates | |
v.(使)逐步升级( escalate的第三人称单数 );(使)逐步扩大;(使)更高;(使)更大 | |
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4 analyst | |
n.分析家,化验员;心理分析学家 | |
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5 analysts | |
分析家,化验员( analyst的名词复数 ) | |
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6 catastrophe | |
n.大灾难,大祸 | |
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7 dependence | |
n.依靠,依赖;信任,信赖;隶属 | |
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8 territorial | |
adj.领土的,领地的 | |
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9 previously | |
adv.以前,先前(地) | |
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10 retaliate | |
v.报复,反击 | |
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11 gambling | |
n.赌博;投机 | |
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12 rhetoric | |
n.修辞学,浮夸之言语 | |
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13 brokers | |
n.(股票、外币等)经纪人( broker的名词复数 );中间人;代理商;(订合同的)中人v.做掮客(或中人等)( broker的第三人称单数 );作为权力经纪人进行谈判;以中间人等身份安排… | |
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14 reset | |
v.重新安排,复位;n.重新放置;重放之物 | |
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