It was the single market’s establishment in 1992 – not the euro’s introduction seven years later – that brought free trade, increased competitiveness, and new wealth to Europe. In fact, the monetary union has become a political and economic nightmare, plagued by recession, record-high unemployment, social unrest, and rising distrust among member states.
1992年，单一市场成立，这——而不是七年后欧元的引入——为欧洲带来了自由贸易、竞争力增强和新财富。事实上，货币联盟已经成为政治和经济梦魇，饱受衰退、创纪录的高失业、社会动荡和成员国之间日益增加的不信任的折磨。