Why France is not happy with these new Euro coins

For France, it’s Waterloo all over again.

于法国而言，这无疑又是一场滑铁卢。

Belgium is issuing a new euro coin to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo -- one of the most painful defeats in French military history.

比利时计划发行一枚新版欧元硬币，纪念滑铁卢之战200周年。这一战役在法国军事历史上是一次沉痛的失败。

The French government does not like it at all. Paris objected when Belgium first unveiled its plan for a new 2 euro coin in February, arguing that it could "cause an adverse reaction in France" at a time when the eurozone needs to stand together.

法国政府非常不喜这套欧元。在比利时于二月首次宣布计划发行新版两欧元硬币时，法国提出了反对意见，并称在欧元区需要同心协力之时，这会“触发法国的敌对情绪”。

Eurozone countries need the agreement of their partners to issue new coins. So Belgium set about destroying 180,000 coins it had already minted.

欧元区国家若想发行新的货币需要得到其他国家的同意。所以比利时不得不融毁已铸造出的18万枚硬币。

But France’s much smaller neighbor has now used a little-known clause in European law that allows countries to issue commemorative coins in non-standard values. The result: A 2.50 euro coin commemorating the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.

但是法国的这个邻居，国土面积远远小于法国的比利时，现在引用欧洲法律鲜为人知的一项条款，即法律允许各国发行纪念货币，但面值需是不规范面值。结果就是2.5欧面值的纪念1815年滑铁卢之战的纪念货币应运而生。

"The French protest led to the choice of a value that is not common in the eurozone," the Belgian finance ministry said in a statement. "This is the first Belgian coin with such a nominal value."

“法国的抵制使得比利时选择了以欧元区不规范的面值发行纪念货币。”比利时财务部在一份声明中说，“这是比利时第一次发行如此面值的硬币。”

France was reassured that the new coin will only be used in Belgium, but that did not stop French media calling the spat "a new Waterloo."

比利时再三向法国保证，该硬币仅在比利时适用。但这不能阻止法国媒体对此大吐口水，称之为“新式滑铁卢”。

Waterloo is a small town a few miles south of the Belgian capital Brussels and about 50 miles from the French border.

滑铁卢是比利时的一个小镇，位于其首都布鲁塞尔南部，相隔几英里，与法国边界只有50英里的距离。

The battle marked the final defeat of Napoleon, and the end of 23 years of wars between France and the rest of Europe. An estimated 12,000 people were killed and 35,000 wounded that day.

滑铁卢之战标志着拿破仑的最终失败，也标志着法国与其他欧洲国家长达23年战争的结束。据统计有一万两千人在战争中死亡，三万五千人受伤。

It overturned Belgium’s annexation by France -- ultimately leading to independence from the Netherlands in 1830 -- and brought an end to a period of unmatched French influence over the continent.

这场战争使得比利时脱离法国的兼并，并最终于1830年从荷兰手中独立。法国对欧洲大陆的强大影响也宣告结束。

The new 2.50 coin depicts the position of troops on the battlefield and is being sold online for 6 euros. A large 10 euro silver coin is also available for 42 euros.

新版2.5欧面值的硬币上描绘了滑铁卢战场上士兵的姿态，网上售价6欧。最大面值10欧的银币售价42欧。

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来源:华尔街日报中文网爱语吧作者:刘瑞洁