歐洲央行下調利率刺激經濟
The European Central Bank lowered its benchmark interest rate Thursday to a record 1.0 percent. The move by the bank to help stimulate Europe's economy came as France and Germany urged other European leaders to adopt their eurozone crisis plan at a key summit in Brussels.
歐洲央行星期四將其基準利率下調到歷史最低點1%。在歐央行採取這一旨在幫助刺激歐洲經濟的舉措之際，法國和德國敦促其它歐洲國家領導人採納他們在布魯塞爾重要峯會上提出的解決歐元區危機的計劃。
Just hours before the start of the European Union summit, French and German leaders were in the southern French city of Marseilles, making a final pitch to overhaul key European treaties.
在歐盟峯會開幕前僅幾小時，法國和德國領導人在法國南部城市馬賽就修改歐盟條約發出最後呼籲。
In an address to fellow European conservatives, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said the 17-nation euro currency union needed more solidarity, more discipline and more governance. The longer European leaders wait to make a decision, he said, the costlier and less efficient it will be.
法國總統薩科齊向歐洲的保守派人士發表講話時說，歐元區17國需要更大程度的整合、更好的秩序和更多的治理。他說，歐洲領導人等待作出決定的時間越長，代價就越高，效率就越低。
Mr. Sarkozy and his German counterpart, Angela Merkel, will be making that argument during the two-day summit in Brussels. Analysts say their plan may take years to be implemented - while the eurozone crisis needs immediate solutions. But the pair argues Europe's very foundations must be changed to save the currency union.
薩科齊總統和德國總理默克爾將在此次爲期兩天的布魯塞爾峯會期間做出以上論調。分析人士說，儘管歐元區危機需要即刻的解決方案，但他們的計劃可能需要數年時間才能實行。不過薩科齊和默克爾認爲，要挽救歐元貨幣聯盟，就必須改變歐洲的基礎。
Mr. Sarkozy said EU leaders need to re-found and rethink Europe. If not, the same causes will produce the same effects.
薩科齊說，歐盟領導人需要重新發現和重新思考歐洲，否則的話，相同的原因將產生相同的結果。
There are already indications that some EU members - notably Britain - are skeptical about their proposals. But in Marseilles, Chancellor Merkel said that France and Germany want all 27 EU states to adopt their plan.
已經有跡象顯示，一些歐盟國家，尤其是英國，對於他們的建議持懷疑態度。德國總理默克爾通過翻譯說，法國和德國希望所有27個歐盟國家採納他們的計劃。
"I'm sure that we need all 17 members of the eurozone, that we demonstrate that we are willing to be that we will be able to move forward if we are all in agreement - i.e., all 27 members of the European Union," Merkel said.
默克爾說：“我確定我們需要所有17個歐元國家，我們展示出開放的意願，如果我們全體達成一致，我是指所有27個歐盟國家，我們就將能邁向前進。”The two leaders do have a "plan B." If all 27 members do not accept their plan, they will push the 17 eurozone members to adopt it.
法德兩國領導人還有“變通計劃”。如果歐盟27國不同意他們的建議，他們將催促歐元區17國採納他們的建議。
The eurozone debt crisis and fears of a looming recession prompted the European Central Bank (ECB) to announce Thursday it is cutting its benchmark interest rate by a quarter-percent for the second month in a row. At a press conference in Frankfurt, the ECB's new chief, Mario Draghi, also signaled the bank was expanding emergency funding to cash-strapped banks.
歐元區債務危機以及擔心經濟即將陷入衰退迫使歐洲央行星期四宣佈將基準利率下調0.25個百份點，這是該央行連續第二個月降息。歐洲央行新任行長馬里奧·德拉吉還表示，該央行將向現金緊張的銀行擴大緊急資金援助。
"A number of factors seem to be dampening the growth momentum in the euro area," said Draghi. "They include a moderation in the pace of global demand growth, and unfavorable effects on overall financing conditions and on confidence resulting from ongoing tensions in euro-area sovereign debt markets as well as process of balance-sheet adjustments in financial and non-financial areas."
While Draghi predicted a better economic forecast next year, ratings agency Standard & Poor's dumped more bad news on Europe - warning on Wednesday it might cut the credit rating of the European Union and that of top European banks. It has already warned it might downgrade the ratings of 15 eurozone countries.
雖然德拉吉對於明年的經濟作出較好的預測，但是信用評級機構標準普爾帶來了有關歐洲的更多壞消息。該機構星期三警告稱，它可能下調歐盟和歐洲大銀行的信用評級。標準普爾已經警告說，可能下調15個歐元區國家的評級。
In an interview on French radio, Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Junker - who also heads the euro group of countries - expressed surprise at the S&P move.
盧森堡首相兼歐元集團主席容克在法國電臺的一個訪談節目中對標普的舉動表示驚訝。
Asked if he was optimistic the EU leaders could reach agreement during their summit, Mr. Junker was blunt. The leaders, he said, have to reach an agreement.
在被問到對歐盟國家領導人在峯會期間達成協議是否感到樂觀時，容克直言不諱。他說，歐盟領導人不得不達成協議。
