每日一词：受缚的俄罗斯大熊

        受缚的俄罗斯大熊        

        12月18日，在国际原油价格急剧走低、卢布暴跌、俄央行紧急大幅加息的背景下，俄罗斯总统普京召开了其第10次记者会。普京用隐喻表达，俄罗斯目前的经济形势主要受外部因素影响：西方国家希望用锁链绑住“俄罗斯大熊”，拔出它的牙齿并最终将它的毛皮挂在墙上。然而，如果“俄罗斯大熊”不再“追逐林中的猪而转去吃莓果”，俄罗斯所遭受的压力不可能被解决。“这不是为克里米亚所付出的代价，这是我们为了保证俄罗斯作为一个国家、一个文明和一个联邦所付出的牺牲。”与西方眼光不同的是，美联社发布的报告称，超过80%的俄民众依然支持和信任普京。

        The Fettered Russian Bear

        Russian President Vladimir Putin held the 10th news conference on December 18, 2014 against the backdrop of plummeted global crude oil price, tumbled rouble, and urgent and sharp increase in interest rates by Russia’s central bank. Mr. Putin said metaphorically that the current economic situation is caused mainly by external factors because Western countries expect to chain and defang the “Russian Bear,” and finally hang its fur on the wall. However, if the “Russian Bear” stops “chasing around the forest after boars and eating berries instead,” it will never overcome the great pressure. “This is not the cost for Crimea but the sacrifice we made for Russia as a nation, a civilization, and a federation,” said Mr. Putin. Different from Western viewpoints, over 80 percent of Russians still support and trust Mr. Putin, according to Associated Press.