EU Commissioner Oliver Rehn
is in Athens to discuss Greek proposals to straighten out its government
finances.
欧盟经济事务专员奥利·雷恩(Oliver Rehn)抵达雅典，计划讨论希腊政府提出的债务清理建议。
The European Union has urged Greece to implement greater austerity
measures immediately to tackle a debt crisis that has shaken the entire
bloc.
欧盟敦促希腊政府立即采取更加严厉的措施，处理债务危机，这场危机让整个欧盟集团受到强烈震动。
EU Finance Commissioner Olli Rehn made the call after a first round of
talks with Greek officials amid growing market expectations of a trade-off
between new deficit cutting steps and practical EU support for Greek
borrowing.
The strength of the European currency has been under pressure since
Greece's financial problems were revealed, with concern the problem could
spread to other euro-zone countries.
希腊的财政困境暴露之后，欧元地位一直面临着压力，人们担心希腊债务危机会波及欧元区其他成员国。
Last week, the Greek Prime Minister called for more solidarity from the
European Union over his country's debt crisis and announced plans to visit
Germany, whose backing is vital for EU financial aid.
Greek newspapers have spent the past week speculating on what further
hardships citizens will face, including pension cuts, salary freezes and
the prospect of job cuts.
Athens News Agency journalist Harry Theofanous says he cannot recall a
worse crisis in the past two-decades. "I think the mood is very somber, I
would call it," Theofanous said. "It is also a very deep crisis, its not
just a wide lake - there is also depth to it."
Prime Minister George Papandreou has said he will do whatever it takes to
save the economy, no matter how painful.
希腊总理帕潘德里欧说过，无论需要采取的措施多么严酷，他都会尽一切努力来拯救经济。
Greece has said it would reduced the government budget deficit from 12.7
percent to 8.7 percent during the next nine months.
希腊政府表示，会用九个月的时间，将政府财政赤字在国内生产总值中所占比重从12.7%降到8.7%。
There have been reports that Germany is considering buying Greek
government bonds through a state-owned bank, as an emergency measure.
有报导说，德国正在考虑通过一家国有银行购买希腊政府债券，以解燃眉之急。
In two weeks, the European Union will consider whether high-debt countries
will be forced to take austerity measures like introducing wage cuts,
employment freezes and longer working weeks. By last weekend, the euro was
trading at about $1.36, compared to $1.45 in December.