愛爾蘭政府財政部門近期推出“危機生存指南”，旨在幫助人們從生活細節處著手應對經濟危機并盡可能避免陷入更大的危機。“指南”包括建議人們帶午飯便當去上班，不喝咖啡，及時還款以及削減奢侈消費等內容，并在其網站上提醒人們切勿舉債過多。愛爾蘭去年陷入危機時國家債務水平還相對較低，不過今年的財政赤字占國內生產總值的比例已經超過10％，而且預計經濟縮水程度將達8％。因此，政府需要盡快采取措施穩定國內秩序。

Bring a packed lunch to work, skip the latte and don't miss any debt repayments because the bankers will always catch up with you -- are just a few of the tips from Ireland's official "Recession Survival Guide."

Bring a packed lunch to work, skip the latte and don't miss any debt repayments because the bankers will always catch up with you -- are just a few of the tips from Ireland's official "Recession Survival Guide."

Ireland's financial regulator advised citizens reeling from a burst property bubble and record recession on Tuesday that they could save almost 3,000 euros (2,664 pounds) a year through simple steps like buying fewer magazines and shopping around for cheaper insurance.

"Cut back on the little luxuries," the watchdog told readers, who face higher taxes and curtailed public services after Dublin unveiled a five-year austerity plan earlier this month to deal with the worst public finances in Europe.

"Don't take on more debt than you can afford," the regulator warned in the release on its www.itsyourmoney.ie consumer advice portal.

The advice may raise some eyebrows. The regulator is facing a major overhaul following widespread criticism of its failure to curb excessive lending during the height of the "Celtic Tiger" economy and its handling of a number of scandals.

Ireland entered recession last year with a relatively low national debt, but with a deficit projected at more than 10 percent of gross domestic product this year and an estimated economic contraction of around 8 percent, it needs to get its household in order fast.

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(Agencies)

Vocabulary:

Celtic Tiger: a term used to describe the period of rapid economic growth in Ireland that began in the 1990s and slowed in 2001, only to pick up pace again in 2003 and then slowed down, once again by 2007 with further contraction in 2008. Until early 2008 many economists believed a soft landing was possible, but it is now projected that GDP will contract by 4% or more in 2009.

（英語點津 Helen 編輯）