Britain's new coalition government cut its own pay by five percent on Thursday in a sign of the tough medicine the country faces to bring down a record budget deficit.

　　英国新一届联合政府于上周四决定，全体内阁成员将集体减薪5%，为削减英国目前面临的巨额财政赤字做点贡献。

　　The centre-right Conservatives and smaller centrist Liberal Democrats agreed on Tuesday on what critics call an unstable partnership of expedienceafter an inconclusive election.

　　上周二，英国中右派政党保守党与中间派小党自由民主党在大选无果后达成协议，组建联合政府，此举被批评人士称为短期联合掌权的权宜之计。

　　Reducing Britain's record budget deficit of over 11 percent of national output will be the first test of the relationship.

　　新政府上任后面临的首个考验就是削减占全国总产值比重超过11%的巨额财政赤字。

　　Ministers met around the cabinet table for the first time on Thursday and promptly awarded themselves a pay cut.

　　新政府的首次内阁会议于上周四召开，并立刻在会上做出了集体减薪5%的决定。