Brush Up Your English |
The British prime minister has said that France's strong rejection of the EU constitution raises a profound question about the future of Europe and its economy. Speaking from Tuscany where he is on holiday, the UK Press Agency (PA) reported Tony Blair as saying "underneath all this there is a more profound question, which is about the future of Europe, and, in particular, the future of the European economy and how we deal with the modern questions of globalization and technological change". But Mr. Blair did not indicate whether his country would hold a referendum, after much speculation in Brussels about whether France's Non has killed the constitution outright. Instead, he called for a period of reflection.
to raise – pozvednout, dát podnět k prime minister – premiér rejection – odmítnutí, zamítnutí constitution – ústava profound – důkladný, vážný Press Agency – tisková agentura to report Tony Blair as saying – informovat o tom, že Tony Blair prohlásil underneath – pod in particular – zvláště to deal with – zacházet s něčím, jednat s něčím to indicate – naznačit whether – zda, jestli to held a referendum – pořádat referendum outright – kompletně, úplně instead – místo toho period – období reflection – přemýšlení, reflexe.
"What is important now is having a time for reflection with the Dutch referendum in a couple of days' time and the European Council in the middle of June", said the prime minister referring to a gathering of EU leaders on 16 June.
"If there is a constitutional treaty to vote upon, we will have a vote in Britain before ratifying it.”
important – důležitý Dutch – holandský couple of – pár (čeho) in the middle – uprostřed to refer to – odvolávat se na gathering – setkání constitutional – ústavní treaty – dohoda, smlouva to vote upon/on sth – volit o čem to happen – stát se polls – anketa, výzkum veřejného mínění, hlasování to indicate – naznačovat.
A rejection of the treaty by two founding members of the EU is likely to leave it dead in the water. Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said he would address British parliament next Monday (6 June) indicating this may be when he pronounces on whether the country should have a referendum. Some analysts have suggested that London is keeping quiet about its referendum as it does not want to be the first one to declare the treaty dead - particularly as there had always been a large question mark over whether the largely eurosceptic British public would ever have approved it.
rejection – zamítnutí treaty – smlouva, dohoda founding member – zakládající člen likely – pravděpodobně to leave – zanechat, opustit dead in the water – neschopný provozu, mrtvý (idiom) Foreign Secretary – ministr zahraničních věcí to address (parliament) – pronést řeč (v parlamentu) next – příští to indicate – naznačit may – moci (modální sloveso) to pronounce on – vyjádřit se o, prohlásit whether – zda, jestli should –měl by (modální sloveso) to suggest – navrhnout to keep quiet – mlčet as it does not want – protože nechce to declare –prohlásit, vyhlásit particularly – zvláště question mark – otazník largely – do velké míry, značně public – veřejnost to approve – schválit.
Připravuje Markéta Frýbová