The prodigal country: Italy - Economist Espresso

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The prodigal country: Italy

• prodigal 浪费的；挥霍的；大手大脚的

1. Euro-zone finance ministers meet today to discuss Italy’s controversial budget for 2019.

• ministers 部长
• finance minister 财政部长
• controversial 引起争论的；有争议的
• budget 预算；政府的年度预算

2. The populist coalition in Rome envisages a deficit of 2.4% of GDP, three times what the previous government pledged.

• populist coalition 人民联盟
• envisage 设想；想像
• deficit 赤字；逆差；亏损；不足额
• pledge 保证；抵押

3. The coalition partners, the anti-establishment Five Star Movement and the hard-right Northern League, argue that higher spending will boost economic growth.

• Five Star Movement 五星运动
• boost economic growth 刺激经济增长

4. But their assumptions, including a 1.5% expansion in GDP in 2019, look wildly optimistic; in an unprecedented move, the European Commission has rejected the budget.

• assumption 假设；臆说
• wildly 非常;极其
• unprecedented 史无前例的；前所未见的
• move n. 行动,活动
• the European Commission 欧盟执委会（负责欧盟工作和新法规的提出）
• reject 拒绝；驳回

5. Other euro-area countries fret it will just add to Italy’s huge public debt (more than 130% of GDP).

• fret 烦恼

6. But they are split.

7. Most northern governments want to penalise Italy.

• penalise 惩罚；处罚

8. Most in the south prefer a compromise.

• compromise 妥协；和解

9. The Italian government has failed to set a date for applying the two costliest measures, an income guarantee for the poorest and a reduction in the pensionable age.

• costly adj. 费用大的；浪费的

10. That suggests some wriggle-room for negotiation.

• wriggle-room 后路
• negotiation 谈判；协商

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