澳洲新闻 (ABC新闻快递) 2011-04-02

 A leading credit rating agency has downgraded its assessment¹ of Ireland's ability to repay its debts, making it more expensive for the country to borrow money in private markets. Standard & Poor's said the decision reflects concerns that some holders² of Irish government bonds could be forced to take losses under a recently adopted European Union mechanism³ for bailing⁴ out eurozone countries facing debt crisis. 

 

The United States Federal Reserve has released key documents revealing which banks drew on emergency lending facilities during the global financial crisis. The release comes after the Fed exhausted⁵ all legal avenues to block publication of the data. The documents reveal emergency lending peaked at more than $110 billion in October 2008. 

 

And turning to the markets now - In the US, the Dow is up. The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq are also higher. The European figures are strong, too. The FTSE is up by more than 100 points. In Asia, trade is mixed. Japan's Nikkei is down, but the Hang Seng has closed firmer. And at home, the energy sector⁶ and the big supermarket names led broader markets to finish stronger. The ASX 200 and the All Ords rose around half a per cent. 

 

And checking currencies, the Australian dollar is buying just over $US 1.

1 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

2 holders   

支持物( holder的名词复数 )； 持有者； （支票等）持有人； 支托（或握持）…之物

参考例句：

• Slaves were mercilessly ground down by slave holders. 奴隶受奴隶主的残酷压迫。
• It is recognition of compassion's part that leads the up-holders of capital punishment to accuse the abolitionists of sentimentality in being more sorry for the murderer than for his victim. 正是对怜悯的作用有了认识，才使得死刑的提倡者指控主张废除死刑的人感情用事，同情谋杀犯胜过同情受害者。

3 mechanism   

n.机械装置；机构，结构

参考例句：

• The bones and muscles are parts of the mechanism of the body.骨骼和肌肉是人体的组成部件。
• The mechanism of the machine is very complicated.这台机器的结构是非常复杂的。

4 bailing   

（凿井时用吊桶）排水

参考例句：

• Both fountains were going furiously and both pumps bailing with might and main. 两个人的口水只管喷泉似地朝外涌，两个抽水机全力以赴往外抽水。
• The mechanical sand-bailing technology makes sand-washing operation more efficient. 介绍了机械捞砂的结构装置及工作原理，提出了现场操作注意事项。

5 exhausted   

adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的

参考例句：

• It was a long haul home and we arrived exhausted.搬运回家的这段路程特别长，到家时我们已筋疲力尽。
• Jenny was exhausted by the hustle of city life.珍妮被城市生活的忙乱弄得筋疲力尽。

6 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。