美語情景對話 第1010期:Evaluating the Euro 評估歐元

Ade: Good morning Chris. Tell us, where do you come from?

阿德琳娜：早上好，克里斯。你來自哪裏？

Chris: I'm from Antwerp in Belgium.

克里斯：我來自比利時安特衛普。

Ade: Wow! I've never met anyone from Belgium, tell me something about it.

阿德琳娜：哇哦！我以前不認識比利時人，給我介紹一下比利時吧。

Chris: You've never met anyone from Belgium? Well it's just actually a pretty small country in Western Europe, about 11 million inhabitants and very famous for its chocolate. You must have heard about Belgian chocolate. And of course most famous cities, I would say Antwerp, Brugge and of course the capital, Brussels.

克里斯：你以前不認識比利時人？比利時是一個西歐小國，大約有1100萬人口，最出名的是巧克力。你一定聽說過比利時的巧克力。當然你肯定也聽說過很多比利時的著名城市。最出名的城市是安特衛普、布魯日，還有首都布魯塞爾。

Ade: Oh yeah, Brussels, yes, the heart of Europe.

阿德琳娜：哦，布魯塞爾，當然，那是歐洲的心臟。

Chris: Yes indeed, that's what they say, the heart of Europe. It's also the capital of Europe and where all the ministers come together like ... have you ever heard of the NATO?

克里斯：沒錯，人們稱布魯塞爾是歐洲的心臟。同時，布魯塞爾也是歐洲的中心，所有歐洲部長都會聚集在那裏，你聽說過北約組織嗎？

Ade: Of course I did, I'm a translator.

阿德琳娜：我當然聽說過，我是名翻譯。

Chris: So what do you mean, you translated for them?

克里斯：你是什麼意思，你爲他們做過翻譯？

Ade: No, I wish, there you can make a lot of money. But oh yes, a lot of big decisions are made there regarding Europe.

阿德琳娜：沒有，這是我的希望，這樣能掙很多錢。我知道他們會做出很多與歐洲有關的重大決定。

Chris: Oh yes, that's right, a lot of big decisions, some good decisions but also some not that good decisions, let's say.

克里斯：對，沒錯，很多重大決定，有一些是好的決定，但是另外一些可能不太好。

Ade: Tell me what's your opinion about the euro and how does affect on the economy?

阿德琳娜：跟我說說你對歐元的看法以及歐元對經濟所產生的影響吧。

Chris: The euro, well that's a big question. I mean I think there's a lot of different opinions about the euro and also not all countries have agreed on that. There are still a few missing, like the big ... how you say it ... the big United Kingdom, I mean they still didn't join it and I don't think they will ever join. It's now 12 or, yeah, 11 years ago it started, in 2002, the 1st January with only 12 countries agreeing, then a year later, 13. Today there are 17, so there are still 10 missing. And they haven't decided yet whether to join the euro or not. And then on the other hand there's countries that are in the Eurozone that are about to collapse, so many people think the euro would eventually collapse. The more troubled Eurozone like Greece, they will have to leave the euro and eventually go back to their own currency. Spain, Portugal, Ireland, Italy, eventually they'll have to leave the euro and go back to their own currency. I mean the stronger countries, they will get tired of standing up for the weaker ones that are bringing the economy down. It will be in the end too much to bear and citizens will end up insisting they leave. So as to have more control over their own finances. I mean what's going on now in Greece, paying, this cannot go on for much longer. For the northern countries the euro does work. And the euro would be even stronger with full-federalization. The northern countries will survive, but the southern countries will have to go back to their own original currency and rely on tourism for their growth. And then you have the Eastern countries who wanted to join the euro, but they will have to think twice before doing that.

克里斯：歐元，這是個大問題。我認爲外界對歐元有很多不同的看法，不是所有國家都贊同歐元這個想法。現在仍有國家沒有加入歐元體系，比如……你們怎麼說，比如英國，英國還沒有加入歐元區，我認爲英國永遠不會加入歐元區。歐元在12年前……不對，在11年前，也就是2002年1月1日開始流通，當時有12個國家加入歐元區，1年以後，成員國爲13個國家。現在歐元區共有17個成員國，不過仍有10個國家沒有加入。這些國家還沒有決定是否加入歐元區。另一方面，有一些歐元區成員國面臨崩潰的風險，所以許多人認爲歐元最終也會崩潰。希臘是問題比較大的歐元區成員國，希臘將不得不離開歐元區，重新使用本國貨幣。西班牙、葡萄牙、愛爾蘭、意大利最後可能也必須離開歐元區，重新使用本國貨幣。更強的國家可能會厭倦爲那些經濟下滑的弱國提供支持。最後，他們可能會無法忍受，然後民衆堅持要退出歐元區。這樣可以在本國財政方面有更多的控制權。目前希臘的情況持續不了太久。對北部地區的國家來說，歐元帶來了益處。在完全聯邦化的情況下，歐元可能會更強大。北部國家可以存活下去，但是南部國家卻不得不重新使用本國貨幣，依賴旅遊業帶動經濟發展。雖然東部國家想加入歐元區，但是他們在決定之前要三思。

Ade: So what do you think about the UK, do you think they should join us or stay the way they are?

阿德琳娜：你認爲看英國的情況，你認爲英國應該加入歐元區還是保持現狀？

Chris: The UK, they never had any plans to join the euro. The UK is a big powerhouse and if eventually the euro collapses, they will benefit from it. I mean the euro has caused job destruction, recession, the UK were smart and they shouldn't join the euro, they should stay with their pound the way they are doing.

克里斯：英國從來就沒有加入歐元區的計劃。英國是強國，如果最終歐元崩潰，那英國將會從中獲益。歐元已經造成工作崗位流失和經濟衰退，英國很聰明，他們不應該加入歐元區，繼續使用英鎊就好。

Ade: Yes, that's true. Thanks for sharing your opinions with us today Chris.

阿德琳娜：對，沒錯。克里斯，謝謝你今天和我們分享你的觀點。

Chris: Sure, no problem.

克里斯：不客氣。

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重點講解：
1. agree on 商定；議定；就…達成協議；
例句：The plan strikes me as ridiculous, but the others agree on it.
我覺得那項計劃可笑，但其他人卻同意。
2. get tired of 厭煩的；厭倦的；
例句：Don't get tired of life; you are still young.
不要對生活厭倦；你還年輕。
3. stand up for 堅決維護；捍衛；
例句：Bill is too tame to stand up for his own rights.
比爾太沒骨氣，竟不敢起來維護自己的權利。
4. benefit from 獲益；對…有益；有利於；
例句：She has never benefited from all that experience.
她從未得益於那個經驗教訓。