英语听力精选进阶版 14001

Germany announces spending cuts

Summary

9 July 2010

The German cabinet has agreed a four-year plan of budget cuts.

The spending reduction over the next four years reflects a recent change to the country's constitution, which requires the government to borrow less.

Reporter:

Andrew Walker

Report

Germany, in common with most other developed countries, does have a problem with its public finances. Back in 2008 there was a small surplus, but last year the government had to borrow the equivalent of over 3% of annual national income.

Its accumulated debt burden is also rising. So the case for taking some action at some time to stabilise the public finances is strong.

But Germany's problem is much milder than many other countries. There are concerns that budget cuts in many countries at the same time could undermine an economic recovery that, in the developed countries at least, is not strong.

In addition, Germany has a surplus in its foreign trade, quite a large one. It sells more than it buys from abroad. It has long been argued by the International Monetary¹ Fund and by the US that countries with trade surpluses should do more to provide a market for others, and German austerity could actually mean less spending on foreign goods.

On the other hand it is possible that widespread efforts to improve government finances might help the global economy by boosting business and consumer confidence. But there are risks either way, and the danger of a new lurch² into recession in the developed world cannot be dismissed.

Andrew Walker, BBC News, Berlin

1 monetary   

adj.货币的，钱的；通货的；金融的；财政的

参考例句：

• The monetary system of some countries used to be based on gold.过去有些国家的货币制度是金本位制的。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。

2 lurch   

n.突然向前或旁边倒；v.蹒跚而行

参考例句：

• It has been suggested that the ground movements were a form of lurch movements.地震的地面运动曾被认为是一种突然倾斜的运动形式。
• He walked with a lurch.他步履蹒跚。