VOA标准英语2008年-Financial Markets Wait Nervously as Washington

Europe waits nervously¹ as lawmakers in Washington continue to wrangle² over a $700 billion rescue package for U.S. financial institutions. Talks between the Bush administration and congressional negotiators continue Friday after reportedly contentious³ discussions a day earlier ended with no agreement. VOA's Sonja Pace reports from London on the European reaction to the ongoing⁴ financial crisis.
　
U.S. President George W. Bush speaks on status of Congressional financial rescue package negotiations⁵ outside Oval Office, 26 Sep 2008

Speaking in Washington Friday morning, President Bush promised that a financial rescue package would be passed, warning there is no choice but to act.

Meanwhile, for financial markets in Europe and around the world, it's a nervous wait-and-see.

Economist⁶ Margaret Bray⁷ of the London School of Economics says there is good reason to be nervous. "This is a situation where panic feeds upon itself," she said. "The financial markets are very jittery⁸ and until some sort of more normal action comes back to these markets it does make it very difficult for important aspects of the economy to function."

And that normal economic activity affects not just the movers and shakers in London's financial district or on Wall Street, but small businesses and average workers, as Bray explains.

"You're running a business, you need to borrow to meet your payroll⁹ this month because you're not going to get in money for what you're selling for another month - you want to have a loan to put your daughter through college - you want to buy a house - it affects all these things and those have a knock-on effect for people's jobs," she said.

To keep economic activity flowing, central banks around the world have coordinated¹⁰ efforts to inject funds into the banking¹¹ system. Major European central banks pumped billions of dollars into the system on Friday. Margaret Bray says that is a necessary and effective measure.

"It's being done because the banks are unwilling¹² to lend to each other," she said. "They don't trust each other and because of that it's hard for them to lend to us. It makes their depositors anxious also and the central bank injection of funds is about lending short-term to the banks to oil the wheels of the financial system, to keep these from seizing up altogether."

Bray says it is important to have a larger financial rescue package such as the one under discussion in Washington. But, she says the outlines have thus far been very vague and the success of any such package will depend on the details.

 

1 nervously   

adv.神情激动地，不安地

参考例句：

• He bit his lip nervously,trying not to cry.他紧张地咬着唇，努力忍着不哭出来。
• He paced nervously up and down on the platform.他在站台上情绪不安地走来走去。

2 wrangle   

vi.争吵

参考例句：

• I don't want to get into a wrangle with the committee.我不想同委员会发生争执。
• The two countries fell out in a bitter wrangle over imports.这两个国家在有关进口问题的激烈争吵中闹翻了。

3 contentious   

adj.好辩的，善争吵的

参考例句：

• She was really not of the contentious fighting sort.她委实不是好吵好闹的人。
• Since then they have tended to steer clear of contentious issues.从那时起，他们总想方设法避开有争议的问题。

4 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

5 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

6 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

7 bray   

n.驴叫声, 喇叭声；v.驴叫

参考例句：

• She cut him off with a wild bray of laughter.她用刺耳的狂笑打断了他的讲话。
• The donkey brayed and tried to bolt.这头驴嘶叫着试图脱缰而逃。

8 jittery   

adj. 神经过敏的, 战战兢兢的

参考例句：

• However, nothing happened though he continued to feel jittery. 可是，自从拉上这辆车，并没有出什么错儿，虽然他心中嘀嘀咕咕的不安。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子
• The thirty-six Enterprise divebombers were being squandered in a jittery shot from the hip. 这三十六架“企业号”上的俯冲轰炸机正被孤注一掷。

9 payroll   

n.工资表，在职人员名单，工薪总额

参考例句：

• His yearly payroll is $1.2 million.他的年薪是120万美元。
• I can't wait to get my payroll check.我真等不及拿到我的工资单了。

10 coordinated   

adj.协调的

参考例句：

• The sound has to be coordinated with the picture. 声音必须和画面协调一致。
• The numerous existing statutes are complicated and poorly coordinated. 目前繁多的法令既十分复杂又缺乏快调。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

11 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。

12 unwilling   

adj.不情愿的

参考例句：

• The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。
• His tightfisted employer was unwilling to give him a raise.他那吝啬的雇主不肯给他加薪。