voa标准英语2008年-India's Finance Minister Wants Rate Cut, Price

India's finance minister is calling for price cuts, as well as a drop in interest rates, to stimulate¹ demand as growth slows in the nation of 1.2 billion people. Palaniappan Chidambaram says, despite the global economic crisis, a dip in Indian exports and investors² pulling money out of the country, India's economy will be back on its high-growth track in six to 12 months. VOA Correspondent Steve Herman in New Delhi reports.

India's finance minister is deriding³ the "gloom and doom⁴" enveloping⁵ the domestic economic mood, contending Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government is working "24-7" to take steps to fend⁶ off the ill effects of a global slowdown.
　

India's finance minister Palaniappan Chidambaram

Speaking at a summit of the World Economic Forum⁷ in New Delhi Tuesday, Palaniappan Chidambaram called for Indian consumer lending rates to drop several points from the current 13 percent level. He also says industries - instead of sitting on inventory⁸ - need to accept a temporary cut in profits to retain market share and do their part to stimulate consumer demand.

"Hotels must cut tariffs⁹. Airlines must cut prices. Real estate must cut prices of homes and apartments they sell. Carmakers, two-wheeler makers¹⁰ must cut prices," he siad. "The classic response to a demand slowdown is to cut prices for a short time."

The finance minister acknowledged some of the other challenges facing India's economy: billions of dollars being repatriated¹¹ by foreign institutional investors, declining exports and a depreciating¹² rupee against the dollar.

Some international economists¹³ say India's economic overseers are still too concerned about inflation, preventing them from taking immediate¹⁴ steps to cut interest rates. But domestic observers point out that the government, with an eye on elections, is worried about a backlash at the polls, if it cannot keep food prices under control.

Chidambaram says, even if India's annual growth rate dips to seven percent from its recent yearly increases of about nine percent, that would be no reason don "sack cloth and ashes." He predicts, although there will be a slowdown, the agricultural sector¹⁵ - employing about half of all Indians - remains¹⁶ healthy and the country's overall economy will quickly be back on track.

"By the end of 12 months, we will back to the normal growth that we would like to have. There's no reason to spread gloom and doom," he said. "There are negatives, but there are positives. We should emphasize the positive and send out a message of confidence and our ability to overcome this crisis."

The finance minister cautions action should not be taken based on the daily gyrations of the Mumbai stock market.

His comments come following the Group of 20 crisis summit of world leaders. Prime Minister Singh and the finance minister attended the meeting.

Chidambaram says the G-20 has surpassed the G-7 as the "single-most important forum for financial and economic issues of the world."

1 stimulate   

vt.刺激，使兴奋；激励，使…振奋

参考例句：

• Your encouragement will stimulate me to further efforts.你的鼓励会激发我进一步努力。
• Success will stimulate the people for fresh efforts.成功能鼓舞人们去作新的努力。

2 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

3 deriding   

v.取笑，嘲笑( deride的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The girls are deriding that boy's foolishness. 姑娘们在嘲笑那个男孩的愚笨。 来自互联网

4 doom   

n.厄运，劫数；v.注定，命定

参考例句：

• The report on our economic situation is full of doom and gloom.这份关于我们经济状况的报告充满了令人绝望和沮丧的调子。
• The dictator met his doom after ten years of rule.独裁者统治了十年终于完蛋了。

5 enveloping   

v.包围，笼罩，包住( envelop的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Always the eyes watching you and the voice enveloping you. 那眼睛总是死死盯着你，那声音总是紧紧围着你。 来自英汉文学
• The only barrier was a mosquito net, enveloping the entire bed. 唯一的障碍是那顶蚊帐罩住整个床。 来自辞典例句

6 fend   

v.照料（自己），（自己）谋生，挡开，避开

参考例句：

• I've had to fend for myself since I was 14.我从十四岁时起就不得不照料自己。
• He raised his arm up to fend branches from his eyes.他举手将树枝从他眼前挡开。

7 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

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 tariffs   

关税制度； 关税( tariff的名词复数 )； 关税表； （旅馆或饭店等的）收费表； 量刑标准

参考例句：

• British industry was sheltered from foreign competition by protective tariffs. 保护性关税使英国工业免受国际竞争影响。
• The new tariffs have put a stranglehold on trade. 新的关税制对开展贸易极为不利。

10 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 repatriated   

v.把（某人）遣送回国，遣返( repatriate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The refugees were forcibly repatriated. 难民被强制遣送回国。
• Ancient artworks were repatriated from the US to Greece. 古代艺术品从美国遣送回希腊。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 depreciating   

v.贬值，跌价，减价( depreciate的现在分词 )；贬低，蔑视，轻视

参考例句：

• Explain how depreciating PP&E is an example of the matching principle. 解释房产、厂房、设备折旧如何体现了配比原则？ 来自互联网
• Explain how depreciating an example of the matching principle. 解释房产、房、备折旧如何体现了配比原则？ 来自互联网

13 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》

14 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

15 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。

16 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。