8-1. Chickens slaughtered in the United States, claim officials in Brussels, are not fit to grace European tables.

【译文】布鲁塞尔的官员说，在美国屠宰的鸡不适于装点欧洲的餐桌。

【讲解】slaughtered in the United States为过去分词短语，作定语，修饰chickens。此句也可以写成Officials in Brussels say that chickens slaughtered in the United States are not fit to grace European tables. 原文的写法是为了凸显chickens slaughtered in the United States。本句和下句的写法是新闻英语中的常见写法。

【单词和短语】

grace:给……增光;使……有荣耀(to make a place or an object look more attractive)，

例如：

a meal that is fit to grace any table 上得了任何台面的一餐饭

8-2. No, say the American: our fowl are fine, we simply clean them in a different way.

【译文】不，美国人说：我们的家禽很好，只是我们用了另一种方式清洗。

8-3. These days, it is differences in national regulations, far more than tariffs, that put sand in the wheels of trade between rich countries.

【译文】今日，正是各国条例的差异，而非关税，阻碍了发达国家间的贸易。

【讲解】此句为强调句，被强调的部分是differences in national regulations, far more than tariffs。

【单词和短语】

put sand in the wheels(machine)：妨碍，阻挠;捣乱。

8-4. It is not just farmers who are complaining.

【译文】不仅是农民在抱怨。

【讲解】此句为强调句，被强调部分是not just farmers。

【单词和短语】

complain的名词形式是complaint。

8-5. An electric razor that meets the European Union's safety standards must be approved by American testers before it can be sold in the United States, and an American-made dialysis machine needs the EU's okay before is hits the market in Europe.

【译文】一把符合欧盟安全标准的电动剃须刀在美国面市前必须得到美国检测人员的认可，而美国制造的透析仪也要得到欧盟的首肯才能进入欧洲市场。

【讲解】razor后的that…standards为定语从句，修饰an electric razor。新概念美音版

【单词和短语】

okay此处作名词用，意为“批准，认可”。另掌握give (someone) the okay和get the okay。

8-6. As it happens, a razor that is safe in Europe is unlikely to electrocute Americans.

【译文】碰巧在欧洲使用安全的剃须刀不大可能电死美国人。

【讲解】as it happens为插入语，对a razor…Americans表示强调。that is safe in Europe作定语从句，修饰razor。

【单词和短语】

as it happens/it just so happens：碰巧，偶然(used to tell someone something that is surprising, interesting, or useful)，

例如：

As it happens, I have my notebook with me.

碰巧我带着笔记本。

8-7. So, ask businesses on both sides of the Atlantic, why have two lots of tests where one would do?

【译文】因此，大西洋两岸的企业都在问，当一套测试可以解决问题时，为何用两套呢?

【讲解】where one would do为定语从句，修饰tests。

8-8. Politicians agree, in principle, so America and the EU have been trying to reach a deal which would eliminate the need to double-test many products.

【译文】政治家们原则上同意了，因此，美国和欧洲一直在寻求达成协议，以便为许多产品取消双重检查

【讲解】in principle作状语修饰agree。

【单词和短语】

in principle：原则上;基本上，大体上(if you agree to something in principle, you agree about a general plan or idea but have not yet considered the details)，

例如：

We agree in principle, but we dislike your methods.

我们原则上同意，但我们不喜欢你使用的方法。

eliminate：排除，消除;根除(to completely get rid of something that is unnecessary)，

例如：

eliminate poverty 消除贫困

eliminate smudges 去掉污迹

eliminate international terrorism 消除国际恐怖主义

8-9. They hope to finish in time for a trade summit between America and the EU on May 28th.

【译文】。他们希望最终达成协议，为5月28日举行的美国和欧洲贸易的最高级会议做准备。

【单词和短语】

in time：

1.最终，迟早(after a certain period of time, especially after a gradual process of change and development)，

例如：

In time you’ll learn everything.

总有一天你一切都会明白的。

2.及时，不迟(before the time by which it is necessary for something to be done)，

例如：

Do you think we shall be in time for the train?

你看我们来得及赶上火车吗?

summit：参见第三课第3句讲解。

8-10. Although negotiators are optimistic, the details are complex enough that they may be hard-pressed to get a deal at all.

【译文】虽然谈判代表持乐观态度，但协议细节如此复杂，他们所面临的困难很可能使他们无法取得一致。

【单词和短语】

optimistic：乐观的;乐观主义的(believing that good things will happen in the future)，

例如：

an optimistic mood 乐观情绪

He remained optimistic about the meeting. 他对会议依然抱乐观态度。

另掌握optimism(乐观，乐观主义)。

hard-pressed：处于困境的，面临困难的;处于强大压力下的(having a lot of problems and not enough money or time)，

例如：

the hard-pressed farmers suffering from drought遭旱灾而处境困难的农民

hard-pressedeconomy窘迫的经济

be hard-pressed to form an effective government难于组成强有力的政府

8-11. Why? One difficulty is to construct the agreements.

【译文】为何?困难之一是起草这些协议。

8-12. The Americans would happily reach one accord on standards for medical devices and then hammer out different pacts covering, say, electronic goods and drug manufacturing.

【译文】美国人很愿意就医疗器械的标准达成一项协议，然后推敲出不同的合同，用以涵盖——比如说——电子产品和药品的生产。

【单词和短语】

say：例如(for example)。

accord：协议，条约(a formal agreement between countries or groups)。

hammer out：(经讨论、争辩、讨价还价等后)得出(to decide on an agreement, contract etc after a lot of discussion and disagreement)，

例如：

hammer out a new policy 作了大量工作后制订出一项新政策

8-13. The EU—following fine continental traditions—wants agreement on general principles, which could be applied to many types of products and perhaps extended to other countries.

【译文】遵循优良大陆传统的欧盟希望就普遍原则取得一致，而这一致的意见可应用于诸多不同类型的产品，同时可能将适用范围拓展到其它国家。

【讲解】following fine continental traditions作插入语，修饰EU。which could…other countries乃非限制性定语从句，修饰agreement。

【单词和短语】

apply：应用;使用，运用(to use something such as a method, idea, or law in a particular situation, activity, or process)

例如：

Scientific discoveries are often applied to industrial production methods.

科学新发现常应用于工业生产方法。

apply的名词形式为application。

extend的名词形式为extension。