Tough EU stance? It’s in Germany’s culture 強硬的歐盟立場？這都是源於德國文化

Tough EU stance? It’s in Germany’s culture 
強硬的歐盟立場？這都是源於德國文化
2012-08-26◎俞智敏

Head to the checkout at an Ikea in Stockholm to pay for your new leather corner sofa and with the swipe of a Visa card it’s yours. Don’t try that in Berlin -- that’ll be（euro）1,699 up front please.
到斯德哥爾摩的宜家家居結帳櫃台替你的新角落皮沙發買單，只要刷一下威士卡，沙發就是你的了。在柏林可不能試這招，你得當場掏出1699歐元。

It’s that financial culture -- a deep-seated aversion to debt and an emphasis on responsibility -- that makes Chancellor Angela Merkel’s hardline approach to solving the European financial crisis so popular in Germany.
正是這種財務文化，也就是對債務根深柢固的厭惡及對責任的強調，才讓德國總理梅克爾對解決歐洲金融危機所採取的強硬手段在德國這麼受歡迎。

The attitude shows up in all walks of life, from the daily trip to the grocery store to putting a roof over your head.
從到雜貨店進行日常購物，到尋找一個棲身之所，這種態度展現在生活的各個面向中。

The economy is so reliant on cash for transactions small and big, a way to ensure you don’t spend more than you have, that Germany pushed hard for the（euro）500 note to replace its popular 1,000 mark bill when it joined the common currency.
由於德國經濟非常仰賴現金來進行大大小小的交易，確保不會超支消費，以致德國在加入歐元區時就極力推動印製面額500元的歐元紙鈔，來取代原本很受歡迎的千元德國馬克紙鈔。

Around the world Merkel has been derided as intransigent in her approach to the financial crisis, demanding budget cuts and fiscal austerity from allegedly profligate EU members. But her hardline stand plays well among the people who elected her.
在全球各地，梅克爾都曾因為在解決歐洲金融危機上採取死硬不妥協立場、要求被指為過度揮霍的歐盟成員國刪減預算並實施財政緊縮政策而遭到譏諷。但她的強硬立場在投票選出她為總理的選民間卻極受歡迎。

A new poll for Stern magazine shows 64 percent of Germans think the chancellor should stick to her guns, while only 32 percent think she should reconsider her insistence on austerity.（AP）
根據「明星」週刊最新民調顯示，有64%的德國人認為總理應堅持到底，只有32%的民眾認為她該重新考量堅持撙節政策的做法。（美聯社）

新聞辭典

a roof over one’s head：指住的地方，容身之處，例句：We don’t have much money, but at least we have a roof over our heads.（我們雖然沒什麼錢，但至少有個棲身之地。）

intransigent：形容詞，指不肯妥協的，堅持己見的，例句：Unions claim that the management continues to maintain an intransigent position.（工會指稱資方持續堅持絕不妥協的立場。）

stick to one’s guns：片語，指堅持信念、或維護自身權益，例句：Despite harsh criticism, she’s sticking to her guns on this issue.（儘管面對嚴苛批評，她仍然在此議題上堅守立場。）