NPR 2009-01-31

With the nation's economy suffering its sharpest slowdown in more than a quarter century, President Barack Obama is hoping to connect with middle-class voters. NPR's Scott Horsley has more.

President Obama says the recession is deepening. He pointed¹ to new figures from the Commerce Department showing the economy hitting the breaks in the fourth quarter as more evidence that the Congress needs to act quickly on a massive stimulus² bill. Mr. Obama also wants to see to it that when the economy starts to recover, the benefits are widely shared. He ordered a new task force to investigate training opportunities and ways to improve the balance between work and family life. "We know we need to create jobs, but not just any jobs. We need to create jobs that sustain families and sustain dreams; jobs in new and growing industries; jobs that don't feel like a dead end, but a way forward and a way up. " Mr. Obama also signed several executive orders favorable to labor³ unions saying strong unions can exist side by side with growing business. Scott Horsley, NPR News, the White House.

As for just how badly the US economy slowed in the final three months of the last year, the government announced today the gross domestic product shrank at a 3. 8% annual rate. While not as bad as some economists⁵ had forecast, the news of economy was not good. Nigel Gault is the chief economist⁴ for Global Insight, and says the amount of unsold goods in warehouses⁶ and backlogs⁷ has been building. "Because firms were piling up inventory⁸ of unsold goods, that meant that the production decline wasn't as deep as the sales decline. That's bad news for the future, because those unsold goods are gonna have to be worked off probably with further steep production drops. " The fourth-quarter drop in GDP was the biggest since 1982.

Just the day after Illinois lawmakers removed their former governor from office, new Governor Pat Quinn signed an executive order authorizing⁹ a reform commission. NPR's Cheryl Corley reports.

Illinois Governor Patrick Quinn surprised the throng¹⁰ of reporters at the State House coming from behind him instead of through the front doors of the Governor's office to get to a press conference podium. Quinn said the state has suffered "a body blow" over the last several weeks as it's struggled with the corruption¹¹ scandal of former Governor Rod Blagojevich. But he says those days are over now. He signed his first executive order formally establishing a commission charged with finding ways to clean up state government. "We are sending a message to the people of Illinois that we understand that integrity is No. 1, when it comes to the government of the Land of Lincoln. " Quinn says he'll be busy working to mend the flaws in state government and he will be meeting with other Illinois officials to lay the groundwork for his administration. Cheryl Corley, NPR News, Springfield.

Former Maryland lieutenant¹² governor Michael Steele has been elected the new chairman of the Republican National Committee. Selection of Steele marks the first time an African-American has headed the Republican Party.

On Wall Street today, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 148 points to close around 8, 000. The NASDAQ lost 31 points.

This is NPR.

Federal officials say they have now launched a criminal investigation¹³ into the salmonella outbreak blamed for as many as 8 deaths and sickening of more than 500 others. The head of the Food and Drug Administration's Food Safety Center announced today the Justice Department will now investigate possible criminal violations¹⁴ by Peanut Corp. of America. State and Federal Health officials reported finding widespread contamination at a Georgia plant as well as evidence the plant management knowingly shipped salmonella-tainted products.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg says he may have to slash¹⁵ the city's workforce¹⁶ by more than 20, 000 jobs. The mayor submitted his budget because of a $4 billion deficit¹⁷ for next year. NPR's Robert Smith reports.

Blame Wall Street. Financial firms lost $47 billion last year, tens of thousands were laid off. And no surprise, tax revenues for New York City plunged¹⁸. Now Mayor Bloomberg says there is only so much trimming that can be done without laying off people. His budget projects that the city payroll¹⁹ will be shrunk by 23, 000. Among those who could lose their jobs, 14, 000 city teachers. "We are not walking away from our school system, but would you like to cut the entire police department to pay for it? " Bloomberg pleaded for New York State to increase its education funding to the city so that teachers wouldn't be fired. Bloomberg is also proposing increasing the city's sales tax by a quarter of a percent. Robert Smith, NPR News, New York.

Even with a 33% drop in fourth quarter earnings²⁰, it was still a pretty decent year at Exxon Mobil. Company says for all of last year it earned $45 billion, that's a record for a US company. The record earnings came amid a run-up in oil prices early in the year which sent the price of crude oil to near $150 a barrel in July.

1 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。

2 stimulus   

n.刺激，刺激物，促进因素，引起兴奋的事物

参考例句：

• Regard each failure as a stimulus to further efforts.把每次失利看成对进一步努力的激励。
• Light is a stimulus to growth in plants.光是促进植物生长的一个因素。

3 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

4 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

5 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 warehouses   

仓库，货栈( warehouse的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The whisky was taken to bonded warehouses at Port Dundee. 威士忌酒已送到邓迪港的保稅仓库。
• Row upon row of newly built warehouses line the waterfront. 江岸新建的仓库鳞次栉比。

7 backlogs   

积压未办之事( backlog的名词复数 )； 没交付的订货； 备用； 备用物

参考例句：

• "You'll need kindling and medium wood and logs and backlogs. “点火柴、引火柴、原木、垫底的，你都用得着。” 来自名作英译部分
• Our manufacturers have heavy backlogs on their hands. 我们的生产厂商手头有许多积压而没有交付的订单。

8 inventory   

n.详细目录，存货清单

参考例句：

• Some stores inventory their stock once a week.有些商店每周清点存货一次。
• We will need to call on our supplier to get more inventory.我们必须请供应商送来更多存货。

9 authorizing   

授权，批准，委托( authorize的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Letters of Marque: Take letters from a warning friendly power authorizing privateering. 私掠许可证：从某一个国家获得合法抢劫的证书。
• Formal phavee completion does not include authorizing the subsequent phavee. 阶段的正式完成不包括核准随后的阶段。

10 throng   

n.人群，群众；v.拥挤，群集

参考例句：

• A patient throng was waiting in silence.一大群耐心的人在静静地等着。
• The crowds thronged into the mall.人群涌进大厅。

11 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

12 lieutenant   

n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员

参考例句：

• He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
• He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官，递上了一张简短的便条进去。

13 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

14 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

15 slash   

vi.大幅度削减；vt.猛砍，尖锐抨击，大幅减少；n.猛砍，斜线，长切口，衣衩

参考例句：

• The shop plans to slash fur prices after Spring Festival.该店计划在春节之后把皮货降价。
• Don't slash your horse in that cruel way.不要那样残忍地鞭打你的马。

16 workforce   

n.劳动大军，劳动力

参考例句：

• A large part of the workforce is employed in agriculture.劳动人口中一大部分受雇于农业。
• A quarter of the local workforce is unemployed.本地劳动力中有四分之一失业。

17 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

18 plunged   

v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降

参考例句：

• The train derailed and plunged into the river. 火车脱轨栽进了河里。
• She lost her balance and plunged 100 feet to her death. 她没有站稳，从100英尺的高处跌下摔死了。

19 payroll   

n.工资表，在职人员名单，工薪总额

参考例句：

• His yearly payroll is $1.2 million.他的年薪是120万美元。
• I can't wait to get my payroll check.我真等不及拿到我的工资单了。

20 earnings   

n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得

参考例句：

• That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
• Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。