News & Reports 2012-01-28

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In This EditionEuropean Union's top economic official has called for more public money to make up a shortfall in a second bailout for Greece.

Hundreds of thousands gather in squares across Syria expressing their rejectionof renewed Arab League plans that call for Bashar al-Assad to step down.

The United States has announced cuts in its defense² spending and Army personnel.

And Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle has given a few sneak³ peaks at his plans for the London 2012 Olympics opening ceremony, saying it will feature the "Isles⁴ of Wonder."Hot Issue ReportsTop EU Economic Official Calls for More Public Money to Save GreeceEuropean Union's top economic official has called for more public money to make up a shortfall in a second bailout for Greece, if private bondholders agree to take a share of losses.

EU Commissioner⁵ for Economic and Monetary⁶ Affairs Olli Rehn made the comment on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum⁷ in Davos.

"We are preparing a package which will pave the way for a sustainable solution for Greece, and in that package, yes, on the basis of the revised debt sustainability analysis, there is likely to be some increased need of official sector⁸ funding, but not anything dramatic in this case."It's the first time a top EU official has spelled out that more public money than the planned 130 billion Euros would be required for a second Greek bailout package.

Germany and France have so far described the 130 billion figure agreed in October as a red line that must not be crossed.

Greece Debt Talks 'Close to Deal'

Greek Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos says that debt swap⁹ deal between Greece and its creditors¹⁰ is near completion.

"We are one step away from completing the PSI (debt swap) deal and we have a slew¹¹ of difficult measures to deal with for the new bailout program. These negotiations¹² are taking place in the name of the country, and we are all negotiating for everybody's future."All eyes have been on Athens' tortuous¹³ debt exchange talks with its private creditors in recent weeks. Both sides said progress was made in talks on restructuring Greece's debt.

The interest rate on the new bonds Greece will swap for existing debt has been the main stumbling block in the negotiations, with the IMF, Germany and other eurozone countries insisting it must be low enough to ensure that Greece's debt will fall to 120 percent of GDP by 2020, from around 160 percent now.

If a deal is not reached by March 20 when the bond is due, Greece could sink into an uncontrolled default that would trigger a banking¹⁴ crisis spreading contagion¹⁵ through the eurozone.

Senior EU, IMF and ECB officials, referred to as "the troika," are holding talks with the Greek government in parallel with the debt swap talks, to flesh out a new 130-billion euro bailout for Greece. They have warned they need the debt swap to cut Greece's debt substantially in order to go ahead with the new loans.

Irish PM Blames "Incompetence¹⁶" of Some Governments for Euro CrisisThe Irish Prime Minister is suggesting the eurozone crisis has escalated¹⁷ due to the "incompetence" of some governments.

Enda Kenny made the comments during a panel session with leaders from Poland, Denmark and Finland at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

"The reason this crisis has grown to the extent that it has in the last couple of years is by incompetence of some governments, by a lack of concentration and focus on what Europe should be about and by interminable inter-wrangling between institutions and politicians about national issues," he saidKenny also says he believes the eurozone can still be "the greatest trading block in the globe" if its leaders respond to the crisis in the right way.

In 2010, Ireland was forced to join Greece and Portugal in seeking a financial bailout.　The country negotiated a potential 92-billion-US-dollar bail-out from the European Union and International Monetary Fund, after reaching the brink¹⁸ of bankruptcy¹⁹ over its bank-rescue programme.

Since then the EU and IMF monitors have lauded²⁰ Ireland's commitment to fight its deficits²¹ as part of the deal.

Syrians Denounce New Arab League StandHundreds of thousands of people have gathered in the main squares across Syria to express their rejection¹ of the recent Arab League plan that calls for President Bashar al-Assad to step down.

Syrians across the country carried large posters of Assad and Syrian flags as they sang national songs over loudspeakers.

"We are here to emphasize just one point. Bashar is the only president, and no one can drive him away.""President Bashar will stay and the reform plan will continue. No matter what decision the UN Security Council makes, Bashar will stay on, because most people support him."Earlier, the Arab League urged Syrian President Bashar al- Assad to delegate power to his first vice²² president and form a national unity²³ government as part of a new plan to end the political crisis in the country.

Under the initiative a national unity government would need to be formed within two months.

The Syrian government and all opposition²⁴ parties have been asked to start political dialogue, sponsored by the Arab League, within two weeks.

Pentagon Chief Announces Spending, Personnel Cuts in New Defense BudgetThe United States Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has announced cuts in the country's defense spending and Army personnel.

The Pentagon's base budget request is set at 525 billion dollars for the 2013 fiscal²⁵ year starting October. This is down from 531 billion dollars in this current fiscal year.

Meanwhile, almost 100,000 troops will also be cut as part of plans for a "smaller, leaner" US military.

Panetta says the budget aims to re-shape the US military to be more agile²⁶, quick and flexible that incorporates the lessons learned in 10 years of war.

"What we've done is to try to develop the kind of agility²⁷ and capability²⁸ so that we can respond to the threats that we're going to face in the 21st century.　And I think this is the force for the future. You know, are there risks associated with it? You bet. Can we deal with those risks and make them acceptable? You bet."Panetta also says the US will continue buying F-35 jets, but would slow its purchase of the stealth fighter planes.

He adds that due to the rehsaping, the focus will shift from large-scale conflicts, for example, Iraq and Afghanistan, to areas of key national interest, including a strengthened commitment in Asia.

The defence spending plan is scheduled to be submitted to the US Congress as part of the the US governments full 2013 budget on 13 February.

The defence budget is being reshaped in the midst of a presidential contest, in which Obama is hoping to portray²⁹ himself as a forward-looking commander in chief.

French Troops To Pull Out From Afghanistan By The End of 2013French President Nicolas Sarkozy is now saying that French troops will withdraw from Afghanistan by the end of 2013.

"For France, the pursuit of the transition and the gradual transfer of combat responsibilities will allow us to plan the return of the totality of our forces, by the end of the year 2013."The announcement came after talks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai. Sarkozy confirmed that pullout plans would not be accelerated after the killing³⁰ of French soldiers last week.

Paris has 3,600 troops in Afghanistan as part of the 130,000-strong NATO-led force there. French troops mainly patrol Kapisa, a mountainous province near Kabul. One thousand French troops are due to leave by end-2012 and the rest by 2014.

France spends about 500 million euros a year on its Afghan operations at a time when Paris is trying to balance its finances.

1 rejection   

n.拒绝，被拒，抛弃，被弃

参考例句：

• He decided not to approach her for fear of rejection.他因怕遭拒绝决定不再去找她。
• The rejection plunged her into the dark depths of despair.遭到拒绝使她陷入了绝望的深渊。

2 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

3 sneak   

vt.潜行(隐藏,填石缝)；偷偷摸摸做；n.潜行；adj.暗中进行

参考例句：

• He raised his spear and sneak forward.他提起长矛悄悄地前进。
• I saw him sneak away from us.我看见他悄悄地从我们身边走开。

4 isles   

岛( isle的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• the geology of the British Isles 不列颠群岛的地质
• The boat left for the isles. 小船驶向那些小岛。

5 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

6 monetary   

adj.货币的，钱的；通货的；金融的；财政的

参考例句：

• The monetary system of some countries used to be based on gold.过去有些国家的货币制度是金本位制的。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。

7 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。

8 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

9 swap   

n.交换；vt.交换，用...作交易

参考例句：

• I will swap you my bicycle for your radio.我想拿我的自行车换你的收音机。
• This comic was a swap that I got from Nick.这本漫画书是我从尼克那里换来的。

10 creditors   

n.债权人，债主( creditor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They agreed to repay their creditors over a period of three years. 他们同意3年内向债主还清欠款。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Creditors could obtain a writ for the arrest of their debtors. 债权人可以获得逮捕债务人的令状。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 slew   

v.（使）旋转；n.大量，许多

参考例句：

• He slewed the car against the side of the building.他的车滑到了大楼的一侧，抵住了。
• They dealt with a slew of other issues.他们处理了大量的其他问题。

12 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

13 tortuous   

adj.弯弯曲曲的，蜿蜒的

参考例句：

• We have travelled a tortuous road.我们走过了曲折的道路。
• They walked through the tortuous streets of the old city.他们步行穿过老城区中心弯弯曲曲的街道。

14 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。

15 contagion   

n.(通过接触的疾病)传染；蔓延

参考例句：

• A contagion of fear swept through the crowd.一种恐惧感在人群中迅速蔓延开。
• The product contagion effect has numerous implications for marketing managers and retailers.产品传染效应对市场营销管理者和零售商都有很多的启示。

16 incompetence   

n.不胜任，不称职

参考例句：

• He was dismissed for incompetence. 他因不称职而被解雇。
• She felt she had been made a scapegoat for her boss's incompetence. 她觉得，本是老板无能，但她却成了替罪羊。

17 escalated   

v.（使）逐步升级( escalate的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）逐步扩大；（使）更高；（使）更大

参考例句：

• The fighting escalated into a full-scale war. 这场交战逐步扩大为全面战争。
• The demonstration escalated into a pitched battle with the police. 示威逐步升级，演变成了一场同警察的混战。

18 brink   

n.(悬崖、河流等的)边缘，边沿

参考例句：

• The tree grew on the brink of the cliff.那棵树生长在峭壁的边缘。
• The two countries were poised on the brink of war.这两个国家处于交战的边缘。

19 bankruptcy   

n.破产；无偿付能力

参考例句：

• You will have to pull in if you want to escape bankruptcy.如果你想避免破产，就必须节省开支。
• His firm is just on thin ice of bankruptcy.他的商号正面临破产的危险。

20 lauded   

v.称赞，赞美( laud的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• They lauded the former president as a hero. 他们颂扬前总统为英雄。 来自辞典例句
• The nervy feats of the mountaineers were lauded. 登山者有勇气的壮举受到赞美。 来自辞典例句

21 deficits   

n.不足额( deficit的名词复数 )；赤字；亏空；亏损

参考例句：

• The Ministry of Finance consistently overestimated its budget deficits. 财政部一贯高估预算赤字。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Many of the world's farmers are also incurring economic deficits. 世界上许多农民还在遭受经济上的亏损。 来自辞典例句

22 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

23 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

24 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

25 fiscal   

adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的

参考例句：

• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
• The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。

26 agile   

adj.敏捷的，灵活的

参考例句：

• She is such an agile dancer!她跳起舞来是那么灵巧！
• An acrobat has to be agile.杂技演员必须身手敏捷。

27 agility   

n.敏捷，活泼

参考例句：

• The boy came upstairs with agility.那男孩敏捷地走上楼来。
• His intellect and mental agility have never been in doubt.他的才智和机敏从未受到怀疑。

28 capability   

n.能力；才能；(pl)可发展的能力或特性等

参考例句：

• She has the capability to become a very fine actress.她有潜力成为杰出演员。
• Organizing a whole department is beyond his capability.组织整个部门是他能力以外的事。

29 portray   

v.描写，描述；画(人物、景象等)

参考例句：

• It is difficult to portray feelings in words.感情很难用言语来描写。
• Can you portray the best and worst aspects of this job?您能描述一下这份工作最好与最坏的方面吗？

30 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。