美国国家公共电台 NPR--Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen faces judgement over inflation

Treasury¹ Secretary Janet Yellen faces judgement over inflation

Transcript²

NPR's Scott Horsley reports on criticism directed at Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen over the highest inflation rates in over 40 years.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

What is causing inflation, and what can the United States do about it now? Janet Yellen was once in charge of managing inflation at the Federal Reserve. She's now a vital voice on economic policy as President Biden's Treasury secretary, and lawmakers have questions. NPR's Scott Horsley reports.

SCOTT HORSLEY, BYLINE³: Members of a Senate committee grilled⁴ the Treasury secretary about what's behind today's high inflation and what the Biden administration plans to do about it. Yellen pointed⁵ to a number of contributing factors, including the war in Ukraine and stubborn supply disruptions tied to the pandemic that have consumer prices climbing near their fastest pace in 40 years.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

JANET YELLEN: Inflation is really our top economic problem at this point, and that it's critical that we address it.

HORSLEY: Yellen says the administration is doing what it can to address supply imbalances - releasing oil from the strategic stockpile, for example - while giving the Federal Reserve room to tamp⁶ down demand with higher interest rates. Republican senators, like Steve Daines of Montana, accused Democrats⁸ of stoking demand by passing another big round of COVID relief in the early months of the Biden administration.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

STEVE DAINES: We warned everybody up here, you can't spend another $1.9 trillion 'cause it will have inflationary effects.

HORSLEY: Yellen downplayed the role played by the American Rescue Plan, noting other countries that didn't spend heavily on COVID relief are also suffering with high inflation. Gasoline prices, which were depressed⁹ early in the pandemic, rebounded¹⁰ as the economy recovered and have soared since Russia invaded Ukraine. Republican Senator John Barrasso complains gas now costs more than twice what it did when President Biden took office.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

JOHN BARRASSO: In my home state of Wyoming, rural areas, people who volunteer to drive for Meals on Wheels to deliver meals to shut-ins have had to stop volunteering, not 'cause they don't have the time or the commitment or the open heart. They don't have the money for the gas.

HORSLEY: Senator Debbie Stabenow thinks she knows a long-term fix for that. The Michigan Democrat⁷ just bought an electric Chevy Bolt and drove it to Washington for the first time this past weekend.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

DEBBIE STABENOW: We went by every single gas station. It didn't matter how high it was. And so I'm looking forward to the opportunity for us to move to vehicles that aren't going to be dependent on the whims¹¹ of the oil companies.

HORSLEY: Stabenow acknowledged there can be a long wait for electric vehicles, though. Production has been limited by the shortage of computer chips.

Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington.

(SOUNDBITE OF RAMSEY ROAD'S "STAYCATION")

1 treasury   

n.宝库；国库，金库；文库

参考例句：

• The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
• This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

4 grilled   

adj. 烤的, 炙过的, 有格子的 动词grill的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• He was grilled for two hours before the police let him go. 他被严厉盘查了两个小时后，警察才放他走。
• He was grilled until he confessed. 他被严加拷问，直到他承认为止。

5 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

6 tamp   

v.捣实，砸实

参考例句：

• Then I tamp down the soil with the back of a rake.然后我用耙子的背将土壤拍实。
• Philpott tamped a wad of tobacco into his pipe.菲尔波特往烟斗里塞了一卷碎烟叶。

7 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

8 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 depressed   

adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的

参考例句：

• When he was depressed,he felt utterly divorced from reality.他心情沮丧时就感到完全脱离了现实。
• His mother was depressed by the sad news.这个坏消息使他的母亲意志消沉。

10 rebounded   

弹回( rebound的过去式和过去分词 )； 反弹； 产生反作用； 未能奏效

参考例句：

• The ball rebounded from the goalpost and Owen headed it in. 球从门柱弹回，欧文头球将球攻进。
• The ball rebounded from his racket into the net. 球从他的球拍上弹回网中。

11 WHIMS   

虚妄，禅病

参考例句：

• The mate observed regretfully that he could not account for that young fellow's whims. 那位伙伴很遗憾地说他不能说出那年轻人产生怪念头的原因。
• The rest she had for food and her own whims. 剩下的钱她用来吃饭和买一些自己喜欢的东西。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹