Listen to this headline that was published in a newspaper called The Business Standard. 이 헤드라인은 이해하기 어렵고 많은 정보를 포함하고 있으므로 주의 깊게 들어보세요..
Breakthrough in Venezuela Talks Spurs US to Ease Embargo
다시 들어: Breakthrough in Venezuela Talks Spurs US to Ease Embargo
There is a lot going on in that headline! But we can begin by breaking it down into two parts.
Breakthrough in Venezuela Talks
그리고,
Spurs US to Ease Embargo
괜찮은: Breakthrough in Venezuela Talks
What is a ‘breakthrough'? 잘, taken in this context, ㅏ 'breakthrough’ is a significant advance in negotiations. In negotiations, each side has their opinion and their priorities, and each side wants what’s best for themselves so they protect their interests. 하지만, this can mean that sometimes negotiations break down because there is no progress being made. 잘, ㅏ 'breakthrough’ is when one or all sides make concessions, and that action allows for talks to move forward dramatically until an agreement can eventually be made. Having a ‘breakthrough’ is an important achievement.
Breakthrough in Venezuela Talks Spurs US to Ease Embargo
Okay.. second half of the headline:
Spurs US to Ease Embargo
The first thing you need to know is that the word ‘spur’ means to provoke, or to encourage, or to motivate. ㅏ spur is a kind of incentive. Spur is a fantastic word and it can be used as it is here as a verb, ‘to spur', or as a noun. ㅏ spur. Say, do you know what a pair of spurs is? A pair, as in two spurs? 잘, that’s what horse riders have attached to the back of their boots, so when they want the horse to move faster, they poke the horse with the spurs. 그들 spur the horse. What does the horse do? It reacts.
그래서, what was the reaction in this case? The US has eased its embargo. It has loosed the restrictions it had placed on Venezuela. It eased the embargo.
Listen one last time:
Breakthrough in Venezuela Talks Spurs US to Ease Embargo
The article goes on to say this:
“The government of Nicolas Maduro and the Venezuelan opposition broke a political stalemate Saturday with a broad social accord, and the US government responded by allowing a major US oil company to resume operations in Venezuela.”
그래서, the article states that the actors “broke a political stalemate”. Broke, past tense of break, ‘break’ as in the noun ‘breakthrough'. 그리고 political stalemate? 잘, ㅏ 'stalemate’ in this case is exactly what I described earlier. It is a situation where both sides are locked, and nothing is being advanced. ㅏ political stalemate.
그래서, 친구들, remember these keywords:
- Breakthrough: a sudden advance
- “Wow! What a tremendous breakthrough
- Spur 그리고 to spur: to provoke an action
- “Higher than normal inflation has spurred central banks to raise their reference rate
- Stalemate: when no progress is made. The process is stuck in place.
- “In a war there was a stalemate. Neither side was able to advance.”
결론
Did you enjoy this lesson? If so, you might be interested in our lesson on the COP26 Conference. Check it out to continue improving your level of English, and become more confident when discussing business, economics, and finance in this language.
괜찮은, before finishing the podcast, I want to talk a little bit about the challenge of giving a talk in English as a foreign language. 다시 말해, having to give a talk in a language you don’t totally command.
That can be hard, 오른쪽? You can’t find the exact word, or you get nervous, or you think you did a great job only to find out later that your audience didn’t understand what you were trying to say.
But your next talk given in English can actually be much better than you think. 왜? Because there are proven ways to help you make the most of the limited language skills you have so you can get your message across and leave a good impression on your audience.
That’s exactly what my new course covers. It is called ‘Give Great Presentations in English, Even If Your English Isn’t Great’. The tips given in this 70-minute seminar will guide you as you plan your next presentation in English, so you can be clear, concise, and convincing.
I will be back soon with another English lesson for economists. 잘 지내세요.
Picture credit: 크리에이티브 커먼즈 en:사용자:CowboyWisdom
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