歐洲欠債大戶希臘不但賴帳不還,近來更和德國大打口水戰(verbal hostilities),不僅扯出要沒收德國財產,賠償第二次世界大戰損失,還出言威脅「再不給錢就破產」。種種耍賴言行考驗歐盟成員國的耐性。希臘是否終會被踢出歐盟,仍是國際財經焦點。
【口水戰淺談】 anti-austerity 反撙節 A:Greece's new leader is giving other EU countries a headache. (希臘的新領導人讓歐盟各國頭痛。) B:Because he was elected on an anti-austerity platform. (因為他靠著反撙節的政見當選。) verbal hostilities 口水戰 A:And verbal hostilities have mounted between Germany and Greece. (而德國、希臘間的口水戰已然升溫。) B:The political leaders are trying hard to cool it down. (政治領袖正在努力消弭爭端。) self-conceited 自我感覺良好的 A:The Greeks are so self-conceited, they still insist on their way of life. (希臘人自我感覺良好到仍堅持他們的生活方式。) B:This attitude is not making things any easier. (這種態度讓事情更加棘手。)
【延伸關鍵字】 1. row:爭執,常見於政經新聞的標題中 2. infuriated:被激怒的,來自名詞fury(憤怒) 3. dispensable:可拋式,如希臘就被說成是可有可無的歐盟成員國 TOEIC900 工作團隊獨家授權