(单词翻译:单击)
Youtube:欧盟最终是否会解体?
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欧盟最终是否会解体?
Greece is in major financial trouble, which is seriously affecting all of Europe. Their threat to leave the Eurozone, which could create another major recession, has made some
question whether the interconnectedness of the European Union is ultimately beneficial to it’s members. So, is it worth it to be in the EU?
希腊是一个主要的财政包袱，严重影响着整个欧洲。他们威胁离开欧元区，可能会导致再一次严重的衰退，这也再次提出了一个问题，欧盟内部的通联性是否真的对其成员国有益？也就是说，留在欧盟值得吗？
Well, the EU is an international group composed of 28 European member states. It originated as an economic cooperative in the 1950s, between 6 nations: Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg,the Netherlands, and Germany. Back then, in the post-world-war-2 era, Europe saw a need for a federation to promote peace and unity.They also wanted to present a collective front against the threat of communism during the Cold War. In 1993, the European Union as we now know it, emerged, and offered all EU citizens a common visa, a common legislative and judicial body, and common voting rights. Later in the 90s, a common currency, the Euro, was also established between many of the European Union Members.
欧盟是由28个欧洲国家组成的国际组织。该组织的前身是上世纪50年代六个国家之间的经济合作体：比利时，法国，意大利，卢森堡，荷兰和德国。当时正是第二次世界大战结束后的时代，欧洲亟需联盟来促进和平与统一。他们还希望在冷战时期面对共产主义的威胁形成统一战线。1993年，欧盟崛起，为欧盟所有公民提供统一的护照，统一的司法共同体，统一的投票权。随后到了90年代，欧盟许多成员国之间采纳了统一的货币，欧元。
Between 1989 and 2014, the European Union flourished. So much so that their combined population ranks them 3rd in the world after China and India. The EU is currently one of the top world economies, with almost $16 Trillion Dollars in GDP. And in 2012, the EU won the Nobel Peace Prize for its transformation of Europe “from a continent of war to a continent of peace.”
1989年至2014年间，欧盟繁荣发展。他们的总人口仅次于中国和印度，排在世界第三位。欧盟目前也是世界主要经济体之一，GDP近16兆美元。2012年，欧盟因把欧洲从一个充满战争的大陆转变为和平的大陆而获得诺贝尔和平奖。
But the 2008 recession put a huge damper on the EU’s success. For the last decade or so, Greece, Italy, Spain, Ireland and Portugal have faced unprecedented levels of unemployment and public debt. Many of these nations are also in the midst of a “migrant crisis” as record numbers of people cross the Mediterranean to enter Europe. The EU has been criticized for not issuing enough aid to these periphery countries.
但是2008年，经济衰退给欧盟的成功造成了巨大的阻碍。过去十年左右，希腊，意大利，西班牙，爱尔兰和葡萄牙面临前所未有的失业率和公共债务水平。许多这些国家也面临移民危机，因为创纪录的人口穿越地中海进入欧洲。由于未给这些外围国家提供足够的援助，欧盟饱受批判。
Also, many feel that EU leaders concentrate policy-making efforts only on thriving economies,like those of Germany and France. Indiscriminate austerity measures tend to harm those countries with weaker economies. Plus, after most members adopted the Euro to replace their own currency,nations are no longer able to temporarily inflate their worth through currency-manipulation.
此外，许多人认为欧盟领导人的政策制定只侧重于发展经济，比如德国和法国。无差别的紧缩政策危害了经济实力较弱的国家。另外，大部分成员国采纳欧元取代本国货币之后，这些国家不能再通过货币调控来暂时升值。
On the other hand, stronger economies are expected to subsidize the welfare of weaker countries, leading to resentments between member states. Several analysts have already published articles lamenting the failure of the, quote, “European Union Experiment”.
另一方面，较强大的经济体被预期资助较弱小的国家，造成成员国之间的仇恨。一些分析家发表了一些文章，谴责“欧盟实验的失败”。
So is the EU worth it? Pew polls in Europe have revealed mixed feelings from the public towards the EU. On the one hand, many people feel that the EU is inefficient and intrusive. But on the other hand, most want to keep using the Euro, and believe that the EU does, in general, promote peace. Despite setbacks from the 2008 recession, the European Union remains an influential presence in the world. And experts note that, with the trend of globalization, international unions of this nature are both necessary and inevitable for the world’s future.
那么，欧盟的存在到底有没有价值？皮尤调研中心在欧洲进行的民意测验披露了欧盟公众不同的感受。一方面，许多人认为欧盟是无效的，冒犯性的。但是另一方面，大部分人希望继续使用欧元，相信欧盟总体来说促进了和平。尽管从2008年的经济衰退中遭遇了挫败，欧盟仍然是全世界有影响力的存在。专家指出，随着全球化的趋势，这种性质的国际联盟是必要的，也是不可避免的。
CCTV9:雅虎核心业务遭遇危机
Yahoo core business at stake
雅虎核心业务遭遇危机
Yahoo is at a crossroads. The Internet company may spin off its core business as it faces intense competition and pressure to boost shareholder value. It is also reportedly weighing whether it should continue with its plan to sell its most valuable asset: its stake in Alibaba.
Yahoo's board recently ended a three-day meeting that reportedly included discussions to sell its portfolio of online businesses. That core business is estimated to be worth around US$3 billion, less than 10 percent of its overall value. Most of Yahoo's real worth is in its Alibaba stake, which it planned to sell in January.
The discussions come at a time when Yahoo has been struggling to compete against Facebook and Google in attracting online ad dollars.
The pressure to sell its core business is coming in large part from activist hedge fund Starboard Value that owns a substantial stake in Yahoo. In a reversal of opinion, it now wants the company to stick with its Alibaba investment and scrap the rest.
Starboard's new position comes after the Internal Revenue Service failed to reassure shareholders there would not be a big tax bill if the Alibaba stake were spun off.
At this point it is unclear what Yahoo is going to do. But even if it does sell its core business, experts say the name Yahoo will likely survive.
CEO Marissa Mayer has made it clear she does not want to sell off the core business and would prefer to spin off Alibaba. But with the mounting pressure, the board may decide against her.
With all these question marks, Mayer is not getting high marks for her more than three-year tenure.
CCTV9视频:油价下跌至七年来最低水平
Oil prices sink near seven-year lows on OPEC decision
油价下跌至七年来最低水平
Oil prices have hovered near their lowest in almost seven years in Asia ahead of the release of US crude inventories, and expectations of an increase in US interest rates.
Oil prices have plunged from peaks above 100 US dollars a barrel in June last year largely due to the supply glut. Now oil prices are trading 60 percent below where they peaked last year.
Analysts say the decision by the OPEC oil producers grouping last week to maintain its lofty production levels continues to weigh on the oil market.
Traders are also closely watching a meeting of the US central bank's Federal Open Market Committee next week amid expectations members will announce the first interest rate hike in over nine years.
