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Unemployment in Spain
西班牙的失业率
Not working
“休假在家”
May 7th 2009 | MADRID
From The Economist print edition
Spain is experiencing Europe’s worst unemployment problem
西班牙正在经历欧洲最严重的失业问题

THE huge signs are up in town squares, city parks and myriad spots where men in overalls dig holes, lay pavements or spruce up public facilities. They proclaim that the work is being paid for by Plan E, the stimulus package pushed through by Spain’s Socialist prime minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero. This included euro 8 billion ($11 billion) for immediate spending by town halls.

大批的西班牙人在市中心广场、城市公园和形形色色的类似场所找到了自己的“用武之地”，在那些地方，人们都在挖坑、铺路，或是“妆扮”公共设施。所有的这些工作的薪金据称都是由E计划来支付的。E计划是由西班牙社会主义者总理José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero所大力推崇并通过的经济刺激方案，其中包括各个市政厅8百万欧元的即时开销。

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Scotland’s Muslims
苏格兰的穆斯林


Islam in tartan
身着格子呢的穆斯林

May 7th 2009 | GLASGOW
From The Economist print edition

Changing identity and nationalism north of the border
国境之北的穆斯林——身份和民族的改变

MUSLIMS in Scotland have historically given their allegiance to the Labour Party, long seen as the champion of the underdog. That may now be changing. Last month the Scottish National Party (SNP) picked a Muslim activist to fight the Westminster constituency of Glasgow Central. Osama Saeed, a former spokesman for the Muslim Association of Britain, which is ideologically close to the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood, is not everyone’s cup of tea. But his selection says much about Scottish Muslims’ evolving identity.
有史以来，苏格兰的穆斯林一直效忠工党，一直被视为这一时运不济党派的支持者。但是现在局面恐怕有变。上月，苏格兰民族党挑选了一名穆斯林激进分子，来对抗格拉斯哥中央选区。乌萨马.赛义德原是英国穆斯林协会发言人，这一协会在观念上很接近伊斯兰教穆斯林兄弟会。但并不是人人都认同赛义德。然而这一选择却反映，苏格兰穆斯林的身份逐渐得到了认同。
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Dachshund racing
达克斯狗赛

Dogs in a hurry
小狗快跑
Apr 30th 2009 | BUDA, TEXAS
From The Economist print edition

Stubby-legged racers take off
短粗腿的赛犬们起跑了

Illustration by Claudio Munoz

ROSCOE, a piebald dachshund, was the runt of his litter. No one wanted to buy him. So the breeder gave him to Jeremy Dingle, who soon realised that he had a special pup, now a top dog in the dachshund-racing[1] world. Fresh from victory in Lubbock, Texas, Roscoe was a potential winner as he prepared this week for the semi-final of the Wiener Dog Races in Buda.

Roscoe是一只长满花斑的达克斯狗，他是窝中的小侏儒，没有人愿意买他，所以饲养员把他送给了Jeremy Dingle。Jeremy Dingle很快就发现，他得到了一只特别的小狗，现在是达克斯狗赛[1]界的佼佼者。经过数周的准备后，Roscoe在美国得克萨斯州的卢博克市初战告捷，并有望在布达（Buda）的腊肠狗赛的半决赛中一举胜出。

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[2009.04.30] Canada home and dry 加拿大，家在那儿

The Roma in eastern Europe
东欧的吉普赛人

Canada home and dry
加拿大，家在那儿

Apr 30th 2009 | PRAGUE
From The Economist print edition

How Roma fleeing persecution win asylum in Canada

逃避迫害的吉普赛人怎样获得去加拿大的政治避难权


Looking over the fence to Canada
隔栏遥望加拿大

EMIGRATION to Canada was a well-trodden road for dissidents after the Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968. It is 20 years since the country’s leaden communist regime perished in the velvet revolution. The Czech Republic is a regional success story. Yet rising numbers of Roma (gypsy) citizens are making the same journey to the same faraway country, because life at home is intolerable.

1968年，以苏联为首的多国部队入侵捷克斯洛伐克。之后，许多持不同政见人士都移民到加拿大。20年前的“丝绒革命”[1]将捷克灰沉的共产主义政权推入了坟墓之中，于是捷克共和国建立，成为独树一帜的成功范例。但是现在，又有越来越多的人开始了移民之旅，目的地同样是那片遥远的土地——加拿大，这次换成了捷克的吉普赛公民。他们移民的原因是家里的日子太苦了。
继续阅读“[2009.04.30] Canada home and dry 加拿大，家在那儿”

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[2009.3.26] Judgment days 审判的日子

Germany’s Constitutional Court
德国宪法法院

Judgment days
审判的日子

Mar 26th 2009 | KARLSRUHE
From The Economist print edition

The little-known judges on Germany’s Constitutional Court exert real influence, not only at home but also abroad
德国宪法法院的那些不知名的法官们发挥了实实在在的影响，不但在国内，而且在国外也一样！

Illustration by Peter Schrank

继续阅读“[2009.3.26] Judgment days 审判的日子”

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[2008.12.13] 小学教育：对不起，老师，什么是历史？

Primary schooling
小学教育

Please, sir, what’s history?
对不起，老师，什么是历史？

Dec 11th 2008
From The Economist print edition

A missed chance to make hard choices about what children should learn
学龄儿童应该学些什么课程？课程计划错过了作出高难度诀择的一次机会。

继续阅读“[2008.12.13] 小学教育：对不起，老师，什么是历史？”