On the March: Europe's Year
① It is coming to a wobbly end.
② Catalonia's independence spasm remains unresolved, the European Union is struggling to respond to Poland's authoritarian turn, and Germany, working through an inconclusive election result, has forgotten how to form a government.
③ Yet 2017 was a better year than European governments had dared hope for 12 months ago.
④ Back then, reeling from the one-two blow of the Brexit referendum and Donald Trump's victory, they were trembling before a potential surge of anti-European populism, notably in France.
⑤ Instead they got Emmanuel Macron, defeat for nationalists in other elections, and a pacy, broad-based economic recovery.
⑥ That should run well into 2018, allowing for a gradual tightening of monetary policy and, perhaps, a fraught agreement to strengthen the euro zone's defences against financial shocks.
⑦ Politically the main event is a spring election in Italy, which the anti-establishment Five-Star Movement may win.
⑧ It wouldn't be the Christmas season without something to worry about.
▍生词好句
on the march: 前进；获得更多优势、支持
wobbly /ˈwɒbli/: adj. 左右晃动的；摇摆不稳的
spasm /ˈspaz(ə)m/: n. 痉挛；爆发一阵……
authoritarian /ɔːˌθɒrɪˈtɛːrɪən/: adj. 专制主义的
reel from /riːl/: 因为某事感到惶恐不安、不知所措
one-two blow / punch: 左右猛击 (本文特指“英国脱欧公投”和“川普当选总统”这两件事)
tremble /ˈtrɛmb(ə)l/: vi. 颤抖；惊恐不安
surge /səːdʒ/: n. 急剧上升
pacy /ˈpeɪsi/: adj. 快速前进的
broad-based: adj. 全面的
fraught /frɔːt/: adj. 令人担忧的；给人带来忧虑或压力的
be fraught with: 充满了…… (负面的事物)