VOA标准英语2017--Britain Faces Migration Dilemma as it Looks to Commonwealth for Post-Brexit Trade

Britain Faces Migration¹ Dilemma² as it Looks to Commonwealth³ for Post-Brexit Trade

LONDON — 

Britain has indicated that is will seek a so-called "hard" exit from the European Union, likely to include leaving the Single Market, the world’s largest free trade bloc⁴. The country is looking for new trading partners around the world, but the government will find it difficult to balance voters’ demands for lower immigration with the need for new free trade deals.

The British government says its vision is of a more global Britain, trading freely with growing economies like India and China once it is outside the European Union.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson visited several Indian cities last week, eager to build bridges before Britain drops out of the European Union.

“We may be leaving the EU, we may be we may be taking back control of our borders. But my Indian friends, I say to you, that does not mean we want to haul up the drawbridge,” he said.

But critics say Britain is doing just that even as it asks India to open trade talks.

Tightening⁵ of visa system

Education is a major British product. But numbers of Indian students in Britain are falling fast, halving⁶ in just five years. India blames Britain’s tightening visa system.

Pratik Dattani is British director for the Federation⁷ of Indian Chambers⁸ of Commerce and Industry.

“It is not all one way traffic, that the UK can sell internationally and not bring anything in," said Dattani. "There has to be an open policy in terms of allowing immigration.”

That could be a tough sell to Britons who voted to leave the EU hoping it would cut immigration.

Britain is hoping for flexibility⁹. At the World Economic Forum¹⁰ in Davos last week, Indian ministers voiced willingness to discuss a deal. But no formal talks can take place until after Britain has left the European Union. Even then, a deal would likely take years to reach agreement, says Dattani.

“India and the EU have been negotiating a free trade agreement for seven or eight years. And many of the areas that have meant it has taken such a long time have been asks from the UK itself,” said Dattani.

Seeking new trade deals

Britain says it will look to the Commonwealth for new trade deals when it leaves the European Union. A Commonwealth heads of government meeting is due to take place later this year in London.

"That is an opportunity really for the British government to show the rest of the Commonwealth, of which India is a massive part, that Britain is open for business," he said.

Despite the big ambitions, analysts¹¹ say Britain will find it difficult to strike quick trade deals after it leaves the European Union. That has raised fears in London that businesses could face a so-called cliff edge the day Britain leaves the bloc.

1 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。

2 dilemma   

n.困境，进退两难的局面

参考例句：

• I am on the horns of a dilemma about the matter.这件事使我进退两难。
• He was thrown into a dilemma.他陷入困境。

3 commonwealth   

n.共和国，联邦，共同体

参考例句：

• He is the chairman of the commonwealth of artists.他是艺术家协会的主席。
• Most of the members of the Commonwealth are nonwhite.英联邦的许多成员国不是白人国家。

4 bloc   

n.集团；联盟

参考例句：

• A solid bloc of union members support the decision.工会会员团结起来支持该决定。
• There have been growing tensions within the trading bloc.贸易同盟国的关系越来越紧张。

5 tightening   

上紧，固定，紧密

参考例句：

• Make sure the washer is firmly seated before tightening the pipe. 旋紧水管之前，检查一下洗衣机是否已牢牢地固定在底座上了。
• It needs tightening up a little. 它还需要再收紧些。

6 halving   

n.对分，二等分，减半[航空、航海]等分v.把…分成两半( halve的现在分词 )；把…减半；对分；平摊

参考例句：

• You searched those halving your salary cut your enthusiasm. 你呈现，薪水减半降低了你的任务热情。 来自互联网
• Halving the repeater spacing made it possible to quadruple the bandwidth. 把增音机间隔缩小一半，就能使带宽增加三倍。 来自互联网

7 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

8 chambers   

n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅

参考例句：

• The body will be removed into one of the cold storage chambers. 尸体将被移到一个冷冻间里。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Mr Chambers's readable book concentrates on the middle passage: the time Ransome spent in Russia. Chambers先生的这本值得一看的书重点在中间：Ransome在俄国的那几年。 来自互联网

9 flexibility   

n.柔韧性，弹性，（光的）折射性，灵活性

参考例句：

• Her great strength lies in her flexibility.她的优势在于她灵活变通。
• The flexibility of a man's muscles will lessen as he becomes old.人老了肌肉的柔韧性将降低。

10 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

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。