Part 1 談政治情勢
Talks About Political Situations
Unit 01 梅克爾所領軍的歐盟
(Merkel Displays Leadership in EU )
巾幗不讓鬚眉
德國首位女性總理(Angela Porothe Merkel)
Angela Dorothe Merkel became chancellor of Germany in 2005,
assuming the first female prime ministry in history and a federal leader
from East Germany. Following former British Prime Minister, Margaret
Thatcher, Merkel now ranks as the most influential female politician in
Europe and is called “the Iron Lady of Germany.”
梅克爾 於2005 年開始擔任德國史上首位女性聯邦總理,也是第一位出
身前東德地區的聯邦總理。梅克爾 是歐洲繼英國前首相柴契爾夫人後,
最影響力的女性政治家暨領導人,也有人稱之為「德國鐵娘子」。
成長背景(Growth Background)
Merkel was born on July 17, 1954 in Hamburg with the full name of
Angela Dorothea Kasner. “Merkel” is the surname of her first husband
while it is still kept after divorced. Her father was a clergyman of the
Lutheran Church. After she was born, the family moved to Templin,
about 80 kilometers north from East Berlin, as her father received a
new assignment from the church, and Merkel completed her primary
education there. She majored in physics at the Carl Marks University
in Leipzig (1973-1978) and acquired her Ph.D. in quantum chemistry
(1990).
梅克爾1954 年7 月17 日誕生於漢堡,全名安格拉‧ 多羅特婭‧ 卡
斯納(Angela Dorothea Kasner)。梅克爾是她第一任丈夫的姓氏,
離婚後保留下來。她父親是一位路德教會牧師,在她出生後不久,
由於父親從教會接到新的任命,全家移居東德東柏林以北80 公里的
Templin,她在那裡完成初等教育。她在萊比錫卡爾‧馬克思大學攻讀
物理學(1973 年- 1978 年),之後在科學院物理化學中央學會工作
學習(1978 年- 1990 年),後來取得博士學位,研究領域是量子化
學。
Ever since the Berlin Wall was collapsed in 1989, Merkel had devoted
herself to the burgeoning democratic movements. She obtained a deputy
spokesman post in the new government as East Germany held its first
(and also was a final) democratic election by the end of same year.
When two Germanys were unified in December of 1990, Merkel served
as the minister of women and youth under the cabinet of Helmut Kohl
(chancellor, 1982-1998), and she was the minister of environmental
protection and nuclear safety in 1994. Merkel chaired the Christian
Democratic Union (CDU) of Germany during the period of June 1996
to May 2000. However, Merkel’s political career was elevated by Kohl,
who once called Merkel as das Mädchen (means little lady in English).
Today, several media have even cited Merkel as “Kohl’s little lady”.
1989 年柏林圍牆推倒之後,她投入到蓬勃發展的民主政治運動中。
1989 年底東德第一次(也是最後一次)民主選舉後,她得到新政府一
個副政府發言人的職務。1990 年12 月兩德統一後,她成為科爾內閣
中婦女青年部部長。1994 年出任環境和核能安全部長。1993 年6 月
至2000 年5 月任德國基督教民主聯盟(基民盟)主席。梅克爾的政治
生涯得益於前聯邦總理赫爾穆特‧ 科爾的提拔。科爾有一次叫她小姑
娘,因此很多媒體也把梅克爾叫做「科爾的小姑娘」。
Joachim Sauer, the second husband of Merkel, owns a Ph.D. degree and
is a professor of quantum chemistry at Humboldt University, Berlin.
They met in 1981 when Sauer instructed Merkel in her postdoctoral
research and formally married until 1998. Merkel entered politics and
Sauer continued his scientific researches after Germany was unified,
however.
她現任(即第二任)丈夫是畢業並任教於德國洪堡大學博士教授、量
子化學家Joachim Sauer,兩人是1981 年認識的,當時Sauer 是她的
博士研究生導師。直到1998 年,兩人才正式結婚。兩德統一之後,梅
克爾從政,紹爾繼續科研事業。
總理(Chancellor)
Merkel worries EU is unable to define the common interests in the “future
trade war”, adding that Europe has realized its purpose of “peace and
freedom” with the cold war. “What I think is that Europe has to learn so
many things instead of wasting too much energy on others like building
an exclusive bike passageway between Portugal and northwestern part of
Germany,” she laments.
梅克爾擔心歐盟未能定義「未來貿易戰」的共同利益,現在歐洲的冷
戰以保持「和平和自由」的目的已經實現。「這就是我認為的,歐洲
需要學習很多東西,不是把太多精力放到諸如『要不要在葡萄牙修建
與德國西北部相同的自行車專用道』這樣的事情上。」
EU plans to levy punished tariffs on products exported from China as
solar energy panel and certain telecommunications products are sold at
very low prices and unreasonable. This unfair competition will damage
manufacturers in EU eventually. Merkel said that she would exert
Germany’s economic influences to persuade EU from conducting such
punishment, explaining that a trade war with China will bring no benefits
to EU. Germany insists that EU and China should negotiate to solve the
trade disputes at earliest possibilities.
歐盟近來打算對中國銷歐產品課徵整罰性關稅。太陽能板及部分通訊
產品,廉價不合理,不公平競爭傷害歐盟業者。梅克爾說她會運用德
國的經濟力量,勸說歐盟不要這樣做。因為與中國貿易戰,對歐盟沒
有好處。德國主張歐盟與中國應該盡快協商,化解貿易爭端。
Second only to the U.S., EU accounts for the second largest trade partner
of China. EU’s two-way trade amount with China totaled € 430 billion
in 2012, with solar energy panels representing 7% of China’s exports to
EU.
歐盟是目前僅次於美國的中國第二大貿易夥伴。去年大陸與歐盟雙邊
貿易金額達4300 億歐元,太陽能板佔中國銷歐產品比重達百分之七。
Meanwhile, Merkel agrees with the change of model regarding
volunteered nations joining in EU. “In Germany, we always face the risk
of a slower pace. We need to accelerate the speed of reform,” Merkel
concludes.
另外,梅克爾贊同國家自願參與模式需要變革。「在德國,我們總是
面對『總是慢一拍』的危險。我們要加速變革。」
A biography of Merkel was published by the “Blid,” a leading media in
Germany, revealing that even if CDU wins the parliament election in the
autumn of 2013 and Merkel resumes her chancellorship, she may resign
in 2015 as she will be over 60 years old and has taken the office for ten
years by the date. “The service term of 10 years should be the ceiling
for either the chancellor or a federal leader”, Merkel once said so to her
trusted aides.
德國「畫報」(Blid) 近期已出版梅克爾傳記,書中提及即使基民黨在今
年(2013) 秋天贏得國會勝選,梅克爾續任總理,2015 年她可能請辭。
因為2015 年7 月17 日她已年過六旬,也任職總理達10 年。梅克爾曾
經告訴她的親信,不論是擔任總理或聯邦首長,任職10 年應屬最長期
限。
歐盟簡介(EU Brief)
“總有一天,到那時,⋯⋯,所有的歐洲國家,無須丟掉你們各自的特點
和閃光的個性,都將緊緊地融合在一個高一級的整體裡;到那時,你們將
構築歐洲的友愛關係⋯⋯”
—維克多‧雨果 (Victor Hugo, 1802-1885, French Writer)
Headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, EU (European Union) was
developed from European Communities (EC) but has now combined
both political and economic entities in an united organization. As of
January 2007 when both Romania and Bulgaria were approved to join
in EU, the number of member countries has reached 27 covering a total
population of over 480 million, and is regarded as the world’s most
powerful economic entity in a single region.
總部設在比利時首都布魯塞爾, 歐洲聯盟( 簡稱歐盟,European
Union-EU)是由歐洲共同體 (European communities) 發展而來的,是
一個集政治實體和經濟實體於一身、在世界上具有重要影響的區域一
體化組織。2007 年1 月,羅馬尼亞和保加利亞兩國加入歐盟,成為一
個涵蓋27 個國家總人口超過4.8 億的當今世界上經濟實力最強、一體
化程度最高的國家聯合體。
重要單字暨新聞辭彙(Key Vocabulary & News Glossary)
• Chancellor (n.) 總理
• assume (v.t.) 擔任
• rank (v.t.) 列名
• burgeoning (adj.) 蓬勃的
• European Union 歐洲聯盟
• levy (v.t.) 課徵
• conduct (v.t.) 實施
• trade disputes 貿易糾紛
• volunteer (n.) 志願
• biography (n.) 傳記
• political / economic entity
政治/經濟實體
單字及句型範例(Vocabulary & Sentence Examples)
1. They ranked high in their class. 他們在班上名列前茅。
2. Los Angeles formed a backbone of the burgeoning movement in the
punk history. 洛杉磯成為龐克蓬勃運動史上之支柱。
3. A trade dispute between the EU and the U.S. over EU preferences for
bananas from former colonies. 在有關歐盟較偏愛前殖民地香蕉方
面,歐盟與美國之間爆發了貿易糾紛。
4. He volunteered for the hard and unprofitable job. 他自願作苦差事。
5. Taiwan is the 15th largest economic entity in the world. 台灣名列全
世界第15 大經濟體。
問題與討論(Questions & Discussions)
Q 1. 為何梅克爾是歐洲最具影響力的女政治家及領導人並被稱為德國鐵
娘子?試簡述她的成長背景,其成功有何值得世人學習或借鏡之
處?
Q.1 Why Merkel now ranks as the most influential female politician and
leader in Europe and is called the Iron Lady of Germany? Try to brief
her growth background and how can people learn or emulate from her
success?
Q 2. 梅克爾有歷練過哪些政府部門主要職務或政黨工作?她在正式成為
德國總裡後,媒體上有發表過哪些有關歐盟或德國之重要談話?
Q.2 How many major jobs Merkel has experienced in government
agencies or political party in Germany? What important talks about
EU or Germany are revealed on media during her chancellorship?
Q 3. 對歐盟組織及現況您有多少認知?
Q.3 How much do you know about EU and its current situations?
主題對話範例(Dialogue Examples)
Example 1
A: I am very interested about Merkel’s leadership and influences in
Germany and Europe.
B: Merkel is important in the political field, especially her influences in
Germany or EU.
Example 2
A: Do you know the growth background of Merkel, the Iron Lady of
Germany?
B: Would you like to comment on Merkel’s political efforts and
achievements after two Germanys are united?
Example 3
A: EU’s common interests in the future trade war, for example?
B: Why Merkel objects to build an exclusive bike passageway between
Portugal and northwestern part of Germany?
Example 4
A: EU proposes to levy punished tariffs on China’s exports. What are
your views on the so-called “unfair trade competition” and “harm to
manufacturers in EU”?
B: Issues on two-way trade between EU and China, including EU’s trade
protectionism?
同義字與名詞(Synonym & Terminology)
1. chancellor(總理) premier prime minister
2. assignment(任命) appointment mission
3. spokesman(發言人) spokesperson
4. unified(統一) integrate unite
5. environment(環境) conditions circumstances
6. levy(課徵) collect impose
7. trade amount(貿易總額) sum of money in trade
8. change(變革) transform reform
9. biography(傳記) life story memoirs
10. resume(續任) continue proceed carry on
11.headquarters(總部) base central station main office
12.population(人口) inhabitants people