New government figures show a rise in U.S. unemployment last month, with U.S. employers cutting some 533,000 jobs - the most in 34 years. President George Bush says his administration is taking action to help strengthen the economy.
最新的经济数据显示，美国的失业人数在上个月猛增，美国雇主裁减了53万3千个职位，这是过去34年来单月裁员人数的最高纪录。美国总统布什表示，联邦政府正在采取行动帮助加强美国经济。
The Labor Department says the unemployment rate rose to 6.7 percent in November.
美国劳工部报告说，美国的失业率在11月攀升到了6.7%。
President Bush told reporters the job data reflects the fact that the American economy is in a recession, due in large part to severe problems in housing, credit and financial markets.
布什总统告诉记者，这些数据反映出美国经济陷入衰退这个事实，主要由于房屋、信贷和金融市场问题严重。
He says his administration is taking steps to address the problems by extending unemployment benefits to the jobless, making credit more affordable and available, and taking action to prevent home foreclosures.
他表示，联邦政府正在采取措施来解决这些问题，其中包括对于失业人员延长失业救济期限、扩展信贷发放范围和防止房主丧失抵押住房赎回权。
"It is going to take time for all the actions we have taken to have their full impact. But I am confident that the steps we are taking will help fix the problems in our economy, and return it to strength."
布什总统说：“要让我们所采取的所有行动都彻底发挥作用需要时间。但是我坚信，我们所采取的措施将帮助解决我们经济中的问题，使我们的经济恢复活力。”
At a hearing on Capitol Hill, Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Keith Hall, described the unemployment figures as dismal.
在国会联合经济委员会举行的一个听证会上，劳工统计局局长凯斯.霍尔表示，新的失业数据的确令人沮丧。
"There is very little in this report that is positive," he said. "This is maybe one of the worst jobs report the Bureau of Labor Statistics has ever produced."
“在这个报告中实在没有什么正面的东西。这恐怕是劳工统计局迄今为止所拿出的最差的就业报告。”
"Families are conserving their dwindling resources and simply not buying much of anything, including durable goods, such as cars," said Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, who chaired the hearing before the Joint Economic Committee.
国会议员卡罗琳.马洛尼主持了这次听证会。她说：“(美国)家庭都在努力保存他们日趋减少的资源，根本不买多少东西，包括汽车之类的耐用品。”
Elsewhere on Capitol Hill, executives from the three major automakers testified at a congressional hearing for the second straight day, making their case for $34 billion in loans to help shore up their industry, which has seen thousands of job losses.
与此同时，在国会山的另一则，来自美国三大汽车公司的主管们连续第二天出席一个国会听证会，谋求获得340亿美元的政府贷款，帮助支撑美国的汽车制造业。成千上万的美国汽车工人已经失去了工作。
President Bush urged Congress to act on a proposal that would redirect $25 billion in loans to help the automakers, but only to those that can survive.
布什总统敦促国会采取行动，把一笔250亿美元的救市款转贷给汽车制造商，不过，这笔贷款只能发给那些有能力生存下去的厂商。
Congress could vote on an aid package to the auto industry when it returns for a brief post-election session next week.
国会有可能在下个星期投票表决一个向汽车工业提供援助的计划。 |