第114條通知
The city of Birmingham has fallen upon bleak economic times, culminating in the city’s council — which is the largest authority in both the UK and Europe — issuing a section 114 notice.
伯明罕市已經陷入了慘澹的經濟困境，最終導致該市議會——該議會是英國和歐洲最大的地方政府機構——發出了第114條通知。
bleak(adj.)(境況)慘淡的、無希望的a bleak outlook黯淡的前景a bleak prospect黯淡的前途culminate in...以...告終issue a notice發布通知
In effect, this means that the city is so strapped for cash that it cannot meet its current financial liabilities.
實際上，這意味著該市現金短缺，無法償還當前的財政負債。
in effect實際上=in reality=in factstrapped for cash現金短缺、資金吃緊=strapped for fundsstrap(v.)用帶子綁好、繫好liability(n.)負債、惹麻煩的人或事
One of the main causes of these financial woes is the amount of “equal pay claims” made by female employees of the city who were denied the same bonuses as men.
伯明罕市財政困難的主要原因之一是該市的女性勞工提出的「同工同酬索賠金」，這些女性被剝奪了與男性相同的獎金。
financial woes財務、財政困難claim(n.)索賠make a claim on your insurance policy按保險單索賠put in a claim for an allowance提出領取津貼的要求deny(v.)拒絕給予
Currently, the council has a liability of between 650 million and 760 million British pounds related to these claims, with additional amounts being added at a rate of five million to 14 million pounds per month.
目前，伯明罕市議會在這些索賠方面的負債約為6.5億至7.6億英鎊，並以每個月500萬至1,400萬英鎊的速度增加。
related to~與～相關
In addition to this ballooning financial responsibility, the Labour-run Birmingham City Council has blamed the cost of a new IT system and “years of funding cuts by successive Tory governments” for its in-year budget gap of 87 million pounds.
除了不斷膨脹的財政責任，工黨執政的伯明罕市議會將其本年度預算缺口8,700萬英鎊歸咎於新IT系統的成本，以及「歷屆保守黨政府多年來削減經費」。
balloon(v.)激增、急遽增加blame(v.)怪罪successive(adj.)接連的;相繼的=consecutivebudget(n.)預算
Regardless of the exact causes, the announcement of the 114 notice is a warning to city residents that many government-provided services may be cut from the budget.
儘管確切原因不一，但第114條通知的發布向市民發出了警告，即許多政府提供的服務可能會被從預算中削減。
regardless of~不管、不顧exact(adj.)確切的announcement(n.)發布=issuingissue a warning發布警告
Besides those “protecting vulnerable people” and those required by law, all other public services, such as street cleaning, trash collection, and library services, could be on the chopping block.
除了那些「保護弱勢群體」的服務和法律規定的服務外，其他所有公共服務，如街道清潔、收垃圾和圖書館服務，都可能被削減。
vulnerable(adj.)弱勢的、容易遭受～的影響on the chopping block 受到削減、即將被砍掉或取消
The local authority is considering raising taxes to help make the city solvent again.
當地政府正在考慮增稅，以幫助該市恢復償付能力。
solvent(adj.)有償付能力的、付得起的insolvent(adj.)破產的、沒有償還能力的
Although Birmingham’s Labour government has taken some criticism for the city’s current financial situation, similar budgetary problems are becoming more widespread across the UK.
儘管伯明罕的工黨政府因該市目前的財政狀況受到一些批評，但類似的預算問題在整個英國變得越來越普遍。
budgetary(adj.)預算相關的budgetary reform預算相關的改革widespread(adj.)普遍的、廣泛的
Without long-term plans by the country’s central government to address funding, some fear that many other local UK authorities may also soon be at risk of bankruptcy.
一些人擔心，如果英國中央政府沒有制定長期計劃來解決經費問題，許多其他地方政府也可能很快面臨破產風險。
long-term plans長期的計畫address(v.)解決=tackle=grapple withbe at risk of sth.有～風險