2011年国内外十大焦点事件

5. European debt crisis <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

5、欧债危机

　　This year saw anxiety over rising government debt in Europe escalate into a crisis of global proportions.

　　今年，欧洲多国政府债台高筑，引发各方焦虑，进而引发一场全球危机。

　　From late 2010 onwards, concerns over Europe’s economic stability had begun to intensify. Greece, Ireland and Portugal had difficulties refinancing their debts. This sent ripples around the world and all major stock exchanges exhibited significant losses.

　　自2010年底时起，各方对于欧洲经济稳定性表现出的担忧愈演愈烈。希腊、爱尔兰和葡萄牙无法再筹债款。该事件波及全球各地，所有大型股票交易所都遭遇股市重创。

　　Many western countries are seeking China’s pledge to help stimulate the continent’s economy and lift market confidence.

　　很多西方国家都在寻求来自中国的援助承诺，帮助重振欧洲经济，增强市场信心。

　　Some contend that Europe’s financial turmoil can threaten the demand for Chinese exports to the region. However, Chinese economic experts insist China should not blindly buy the euro debt.

　　一些人认为欧洲动荡的金融局势会影响到该地区对于中国出口产品的需求。而中国的经济专家则坚持认为中国不应该再盲目购买欧债。

6 The Arab unrest

6.阿拉伯国家动乱

　　2011 saw a wave of demonstrations and protests sweep across the Arab world.

　　2011年，一波接一波的游行示威以及抗议活动席卷了整个阿拉伯世界。

　　There have been drastic upheavals in Tunisia and Egypt, a civil war in Libya and protests in Bahrain, Syria, Yemen, Algeria, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco and Oman.

　　突尼斯和埃及的国内政局发生了激烈动荡；利比亚爆发内战；巴林、叙利亚、也门、阿尔及利亚、伊拉克、约旦、科威特、摩洛哥以及阿曼等地爆发大规模抗议活动。

　　The upheavals have seen the departure of political strongmen such as Tunisia’s Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak and Yemen’s Ali Abdullah Saleh.

　　从突尼斯的宰因·阿比丁·本·阿里，到埃及的胡斯尼·穆巴拉克，再到也门的阿里·阿卜杜拉·萨利赫，这些政治巨头一个又一个地在动荡中谢幕。

　　Muammar Gadhafi, the former leader of Libya, was killed. Meanwhile, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is still struggling to remain in power amid domestic discontent and foreign pressure.

　　利比亚前任最高领导人穆阿迈尔?卡扎菲被杀。同时，叙利亚总统巴沙尔?阿萨德仍然在国内的不满以及国外的压力中努力维护自己的政权。

　　These grassroots movements have differed from previous protests in that religion has not been a driving force.

　　这些平民运动与先前的抗议活动有所不同，其中并未有宗教因素推波助澜。