VOA标准英语2009年-Obama Refocuses Financial Bailout to Small

By Kent Klein
White House
21 October 2009
 
President Barack Obama speaks at Metropolitan¹ Archives facility, in Landover, Maryland, 21 Oct 2009
U.S. President Barack Obama is announcing plans to make more credit available to America's small businesses. The president is shifting the focus of the government's financial industry bailout from big businesses to small entrepreneurs and community banks. 

President Obama says the big banks that were in critical condition a year ago do not need any new government help. But he says small businesses are the engine of job growth in America, and they are still having trouble getting loans.

"There are still too many entrepreneurs who cannot get the loan they need to open their doors and start hiring," said President Obama. "There are still too many who are struggling to make payroll³ and stay open. And there are still too many successful small businesses that want to expand further and hire more but just do not have the capital to do it."

At a small company near Washington, Mr. Obama said he will ask Congress to allow small businesses to get larger government loans, using money from the $700 billion financial bailout.

"These are the loans most frequently handed out by the Small Business Administration to help folks open their doors and buy machinery⁴, equipment, land and buildings," said Mr. Obama. "These larger loans will help more small business owners and franchisees⁵ grow."

The president also wants to give more government help to the smaller banks that help finance the country's entrepreneurs.

"But to spur lending to small businesses, it is essential that we make more credit available to the smaller banks and community financial institutions that these businesses depend on," he said.

Mr. Obama is making the change amid outrage⁶ over record payouts to financial executives, some of whom work at companies that needed Washington to bail² them out with billions of taxpayer⁷ dollars last year. Administration officials have called the bonuses "offensive."

Meanwhile, the president says small businesses have created 65 percent of all new jobs in the U.S. in the past decade and a half. He also says more than half of all Americans working in the private sector⁸ are either employed by a small business or own one. 

1 metropolitan   

adj.大城市的，大都会的

参考例句：

• Metropolitan buildings become taller than ever.大城市的建筑变得比以前更高。
• Metropolitan residents are used to fast rhythm.大都市的居民习惯于快节奏。

2 bail   

v.舀（水），保释；n.保证金，保释，保释人

参考例句：

• One of the prisoner's friends offered to bail him out.犯人的一个朋友答应保释他出来。
• She has been granted conditional bail.她被准予有条件保释。

3 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。

4 machinery   

n.(总称)机械，机器；机构

参考例句：

• Has the machinery been put up ready for the broadcast?广播器材安装完毕了吗？
• Machinery ought to be well maintained all the time.机器应该随时注意维护。

5 franchisees   

n.特许经营人( franchisee的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Works on these franchisees' facilities were moving ahead rapidly. 这些专营设施的工程正迅速推展。 来自互联网
• Another good source of information about a franchise is other franchisees. 另一个了解特许经营的可靠信息源是其他经营者。 来自互联网

6 outrage   

n.暴行，侮辱，愤怒；vt.凌辱，激怒

参考例句：

• When he heard the news he reacted with a sense of outrage.他得悉此事时义愤填膺。
• We should never forget the outrage committed by the Japanese invaders.我们永远都不应该忘记日本侵略者犯下的暴行。

7 taxpayer   

n.纳税人

参考例句：

• The new scheme will run off with a lot of the taxpayer's money.这项新计划将用去纳税人许多钱。
• The taxpayer are unfavourably disposed towards the recent tax increase.纳税者对最近的增加税收十分反感。

8 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。