[ti:Energy Costs Close Hungary’s Theaters for Winter] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:00.04]A theater in Hungary's capital [00:03.32]is likely to go unused through a cold and quiet winter. [00:10.92]Theater operators have decided to close buildings [00:15.16]rather than pay high prices for heating and electricity. [00:23.16]High energy costs are making it hard for many businesses [00:28.24]and cultural institutions across Europe to stay open. [00:34.52]The 111-year-old Erkel Theatre in Budapest [00:39.68]is one of three performance spaces [00:43.60]of the Hungarian State Opera that will close in November. [00:49.76]The operators can no longer pay to heat the 1,800-seat building. [00:58.12]"We had to decide how we can save," said Szilveszter Okovacs, [01:04.00]the director of the Hungarian State Opera. [01:08.68]"Even though it hurts...to close Erkel for a few months," [01:13.16]he said, it makes sense. [01:16.88]He added that people's pay is "the most important." [01:22.60]The group's energy bills have become eight times [01:26.64]and sometimes 10 times more costly than ---usual. [01:33.52]The temporary closure of the Erkel Theatre [01:36.96]is one of many cases involving cultural institutions in Hungary. [01:43.48]Many are struggling to stay open. [01:46.96]High inflation, a weakening currency, [01:51.56]and energy costs are hurting many businesses and groups. [01:58.32]This situation is taking place across Europe [02:02.20]as energy prices skyrocket, or greatly increase, [02:07.44]because of Russia's war in Ukraine. [02:13.16]High energy costs are forcing some factories to shut down, [02:18.24]making products more costly and fueling fears of a recession. [02:26.64]In July, Hungary's government declared an "energy emergency." [02:33.52]It was a reaction to rising prices [02:36.64]and supply problems linked to Russia's war in Ukraine. [02:43.28]The government also reduced [02:45.72]a popular utility payment aid program. [02:51.00]Since 2014, that program has kept [02:54.84]Hungarians' costs for energy and water [02:58.60]among the lowest in the 27-member European Union. [03:05.56]As a result, many businesses and households [03:09.80]saw natural gas and electric bills [03:13.00]increase by as much as 1,000 percent [03:16.96]from one month to the next. [03:21.60]In an effort to save energy, [03:24.44]Hungary's government ordered a 25 percent reduction [03:29.44]in the use of electricity and natural gas in public buildings. [03:36.76]This includes cultural institutions, [03:39.76]such as museums and theaters. [03:44.60]Now they are required to keep temperatures [03:47.76]inside buildings at or below 18 degrees Celsius. [03:54.96]Beata Barda is director [03:57.88]of the Trafo House of Contemporary Arts in Budapest. [04:03.44]She said her theater's electricity bills [04:06.92]have risen 200 percent since June. [04:11.88]Barda added that there is an "uncertainty factor." [04:16.52]That means she does not know how big her gas [04:21.36]and electric bills are going to be this winter. [04:26.08]To cut costs, the theater will show [04:29.44]about two-thirds of its normal winter program. [04:34.96]Also, parts of the building that do not need to be heated [04:40.08]will be shut off from the rest. [04:44.04]And the number of rehearsals [04:46.48]that need full-stage lighting will be cut down. [04:52.44]Barda said, "We'd like to avoid shutting down [04:56.40]or having to cancel performances, [04:59.84]so obviously we've got to cut down in all sorts of ways." [05:07.56]In Hungary, inflation is at nearly 16 percent. [05:13.12]The national currency is reaching historic lows [05:17.00]against the dollar and euro. [05:21.48]People are also struggling with rising prices. [05:26.52]Barda said few people could go to the theater. [05:30.88]This could lead to financial troubles [05:34.12]for the entire cultural industry. [05:38.48]"Our audiences have wallets, too. [05:41.48]And their expenses have also risen," Barda said. [05:47.44]"How able or willing will they be to come to the theater? [05:52.92]This is a really important question." [05:57.28]The Comedy Theatre of Budapest is one of the oldest in the city. [06:03.72]The lights in the building's entrance area [06:06.80]and long hallways have been shut off [06:10.96]-- even on working days -- to save energy. [06:16.00]The gas bill for the large theater [06:18.56]has gone from $92,000 a year to $577,000. [06:28.92]Local governments around the country have announced [06:32.88]that theaters, museums, and other cultural centers [06:37.96]must close for the winter. [06:41.40]As the energy crisis deepens, [06:44.12]more of Hungary's cultural centers [06:47.04]could be threatened with closure. [06:50.68]Krisztina Szekely is a stage director in Budapest. [06:55.44]She said closures would be very bad [06:59.16]for the cultural life of Hungarians. [07:03.32]She said she believes that [07:05.64]if these institutions fail or are unavailable, [07:10.08]it could affect the mental state of the entire society. [07:16.84]I'm Anna Matteo. 更多听力请访问51VOA.COM