和谐英语

经济学人下载:沉冤得雪的黄瓜

2011-08-06来源:economist

Spanish growers claim that they are suffering losses of 200m ($287m) a week. All European countries have stopped buying from Spain, says the head of the fruit and vegetable exporters’ association. The scare is also affecting farmers in other countries, including Germany, where growers put their weekly losses at 30m. Russia has now banned imports of fresh vegetables from the European Union.

西班牙农业种植户声称他们这周遭遇了大约2亿欧元(2.87亿美元)的经济损失。水果和蔬菜出口商协会称,所有的欧洲国家都禁止了从西班牙进口蔬菜。这种恐慌也蔓延到其他国家的农民,包括德国境内的蔬菜种植户,称其每周经济损失达到了3000万欧元。俄罗斯现在更是禁止了从欧盟进口生鲜蔬菜。

The false alarm about Spanish cucumbers will further scuff Germany’s image in a neighbourhood where it has not been popular lately. Portugal and Greece blame Germany for the austerity they have to undergo in exchange for bail-outs to keep the euro together. Spain may demand compensation for the losses of their farmers. “We are disappointed by the way Germany handles the situation,” complained the Spanish agriculture minister, Rosa Aguilar.

近来德国在邻国中颇不受欢迎,这次对黄瓜的误报将进一步损害德国在邻国中的形象。葡萄牙和希腊指责德国不得不采取的财政紧缩政策以换取紧急援助基金,用于维持欧元区的稳定。西班牙可能会要求对本国农民的损失进行赔偿。西班牙农业部长Rosa Aguilar 抱怨道,“我们对德国处理这种情况的方式感到失望”。

Yet that is not Germany’s main worry just now. Investigators need to find the source of the deadly E. coli. Until it does, more farmers will suffer, more tempers will flare—and more people will die.

然而这还并不是德国当前最担心的问题。调查人员需要继续寻找致命性大肠杆菌的病源。如若找不到病源,不仅更多农民遭殃,群情激愤,还将会有更多人因此丧生。