全通翻譯/翻譯社

◎陳維真

Nicolas Sarkozy warned French voters Thursday they should re-elect him as president to pursue his cost-cutting plans or face the kind of debt crises that have gripped Greece and Spain.

尼可拉斯．薩科茲週四警告，法國選民應該再把票投給他，讓他連任總統，繼續減支計畫，否則就會面臨緊纏希臘與西班牙的債務危機。

Sarkozy said France faced a "historic choice" between his austerity measures or a disastrous return to uncontrolled spending.

薩科茲說法國面對的是「具歷史意義的選擇」，要不接受他的撙節措施，否則就會悲慘地回到不受控制的開銷。

"Certain countries in Europe are today on the edge of a precipice," he warned, promising that under his continued leadership France could rediscover "competitiveness, innovation, investment, reduced spending."

「歐洲好幾個國家現在就在懸崖邊緣」，薩科茲警告，並承諾在他連任的領導下，法國可重新找回「競爭力、創新、投資、減支」。

Spain’s budget minister admitted this week that Madrid is in a "critical situation" as government debt and unemployment surge higher -- mirroring the problems that led Greece to seek an EU and IMF bail-out last year.

由於政府債務和失業率飆高，西班牙的預算部長本週承認西班牙已面臨「緊急情況」。這也反映了導致希臘去年尋求歐盟與國際貨幣基金紓困的問題。

Polls put the frontrunners neck-and-neck in the first round but forecast Hollande will win the May 6 run-off, ending the Socialists’ 17-year losing streak.

民調顯示兩位領先者在第一輪投票不分上下，但預料歐蘭德會取得5月6日第二輪投票的勝利，結束社會黨長達17年的連敗。

新聞辭典

austerity：名詞，緊縮，嚴格的節制消費。例句：Many Portuguese believe that the austerity measures will eventually lead to recovery.（許多葡萄牙人相信撙節措施終究會讓經濟走向復甦之路。）

precipice：名詞，懸崖，絕境。例句：With a concrete wall on one side and a precipice on the other, there was nowhere for them to escape.（一邊是混凝土牆，一邊是懸崖，他們無處可逃。）

mirror：動詞，反射，反映。例句：His own views mirrored those of his followers. （他的看法反映了追隨者的觀點。）