voa标准英语2008-US Vice President-Elect Promises Action to Reviv

U.S. Vice¹ President-elect Joe Biden says the incoming White House economic team is making progress toward agreeing on details of an economic stimulus² plan. President-elect Barack Obama's advisers³ are increasing the number of jobs they want to create.
　

Vice President-elect Joe Biden speaks during a meeting on the economy in Washington, 23 Dec. 2008

As he met with the economic team, Biden said Tuesday that America's job losses are more than experts had previously⁴ believed, and so a bigger stimulus package is needed.

"This deterioration⁵ in the nation's unemployment situation has led the president-elect to instruct our economic team, some of which are assembled here today, to raise the goal of our stimulus plan from 2.5 milion jobs to three million new jobs to be created over the next two years," he said.

Former Clinton administration Treasury⁶ Secretary Larry Summers, who will lead Mr. Obama's National Economic Council, told reporters that bold action is required immediately.
　

VP-elect Joe Biden, right, listens as President-elect Obama's National Economic Council director Lawrence Summers, left, speaks during a meeting in Washington, 23 Dec. 2008

"Without substantial policy action, we would almost certainly face the worst economic downturn since the Second World War," he said.

Mr. Obama's economic team and the Democrats⁷ who control Congress are trying to agree on the outline of the plan in time for lawmakers to act on it early in January. They hope to have it ready for Mr. Obama to enact⁸ it as soon as possible after he takes office on January 20.

Vice President-elect Biden says the new administration and congressional leaders are very close to agreeing on the size of the stimulus package, and where the money will go. He says the president-elect and his advisers want to spend much of it to rebuild the nation's infrastructure⁹.

"This plan will be focused on making investments in health care, education and energy, among other areas. And it will be directed at critical investments in the nation's roads and our bridges," he said. "I know there is some talk of us investing in programs that are already in existence. But we have let our infrastructure crumble¹⁰ for a long, long time - from water to roads to bridges - and it makes sense to invest in them now."

The cost of the proposed stimulus plan is estimated to be between $650 billion and $850 billion. Mr. Biden says U.S. taxpayers¹¹ can rest assured that the package will not contain earmarks - special-interest projects that lawmakers often attach to spending bills.

"This is not going to be politics as usual. And we will not tolerate business as usual in Washington," he said. "There will be - let me say it again - there will be no earmarks in this economic recovery plan."

Meanwhile, the Commerce Department reported that the nation's gross domestic product, or GDP - the value of all of the goods and services produced in the United States - shrank by an annual rate of one-half of one percent between July and September.

1 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

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 advisers   

顾问，劝告者( adviser的名词复数 )； （指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授

参考例句：

• a member of the President's favoured circle of advisers 总统宠爱的顾问班子中的一员
• She withdrew to confer with her advisers before announcing a decision. 她先去请教顾问然后再宣布决定。

4 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

5 deterioration   

n.退化；恶化；变坏

参考例句：

• Mental and physical deterioration both occur naturally with age. 随着年龄的增长，心智和体力自然衰退。
• The car's bodywork was already showing signs of deterioration. 这辆车的车身已经显示出了劣化迹象。

6 treasury   

n.宝库；国库，金库；文库

参考例句：

• The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
• This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。

7 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 enact   

vt.制定(法律)；上演，扮演

参考例句：

• The U.S. Congress has exclusive authority to enact federal legislation.美国国会是唯一有权颁布联邦法律的。
• For example,a country can enact laws and economic policies to attract foreign investment fairly quickly.例如一个国家可以很快颁布吸引外资的法令和经济政策。

9 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

10 crumble   

vi.碎裂，崩溃；vt.弄碎，摧毁

参考例句：

• Opposition more or less crumbled away.反对势力差不多都瓦解了。
• Even if the seas go dry and rocks crumble,my will will remain firm.纵然海枯石烂，意志永不动摇。

11 taxpayers   

纳税人，纳税的机构( taxpayer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Finance for education comes from taxpayers. 教育经费来自纳税人。
• She was declaiming against the waste of the taxpayers' money. 她慷慨陈词猛烈抨击对纳税人金钱的浪费。