VOA标准英语2009年-World Markets Depressed Despite US Stimulus and

Despite Senate passage of its massive stimulus¹ package and the U.S. banking² bailout plan announced by Treasury³ Secretary Timothy Geithner, overseas markets did not react with enthusiasm.
　
A screen showing stock prices at a local bank in Hong Kong, 11 Feb 2009

In Asia, investors⁴ reacted with skepticism to the latest revamped U.S. bank bailout plan that could cost about $2 trillion.

Traders pointed⁵ to a lack of detail in the plan for the downturn. They also questioned whether the plan would be enough to absorb the bad assets saddling bank balance sheets and free up frozen credit markets for consumers and businesses.

Also not helping⁶, the U.S. trade deficit⁷ falling to a six-year low in December on a sharp drop in imports. The recession has cut demand for oil, autos and other foreign-made products.

In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng dropped 2.5 percent. Australia and India indexes fell by about 0.5 percent. Japanese markets were closed for a national holiday.

Also impacting the markets were new figures showing China's exports plunged⁸ 17.5 percent in January - the sharpest drop in more than a decade.

In Europe, trade was flat at best with bank stocks dragging down most indexes. Worse than expected fourth-quarter losses at Credit Suisse added to the downward pressure.

Here in Britain, new figures show that nearly two million are unemployed⁹ in the country and Prime Minister Gordon Brown came in for a grilling¹⁰ in his weekly parliamentary question session.

"It is right to say that for every person who is made unemployed, there is a sadness and sorrow and we will do what we can to help people back to work as quickly as possible," he said. "Our determination is to give people help; help to stay in jobs where possible, help to get new jobs and help for people who are existing unemployed people to get work as quickly as possible."

Although his government has aggressively launched a number of programs to help people through this difficult downturn, it is too early to see any positive results.

Mr. Brown is also down in the public opinion polls and he came under strong criticism from opposition¹¹ politicians in the House of Commons for not doing enough.

"We are now bringing through the banking bill which is in the House of Commons this week," he said. "The measures that will enable us to go further and provide a better insurance scheme for people who have problems with their mortgages, I tell him, we have taken the action that is necessary. We will continue to take whatever action is necessary. He should be supporting us and not criticizing us."

Some projections¹² point to unemployment peaking at about three million by the end of the year. That would mean an unemployment rate of around 10 percent.

1 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。

2 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。

3 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。

4 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

5 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

6 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

7 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

8 plunged   

v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降

参考例句：

• The train derailed and plunged into the river. 火车脱轨栽进了河里。
• She lost her balance and plunged 100 feet to her death. 她没有站稳，从100英尺的高处跌下摔死了。

9 unemployed   

adj.失业的，没有工作的；未动用的，闲置的

参考例句：

• There are now over four million unemployed workers in this country.这个国家现有四百万失业人员。
• The unemployed hunger for jobs.失业者渴望得到工作。

10 grilling   

v.烧烤( grill的现在分词 )；拷问，盘问

参考例句：

• The minister faced a tough grilling at today's press conference. 部长在今天的记者招待会上受到了严厉的盘问。
• He's grilling out there in the midday sun. 他在外面让中午火辣辣的太阳炙烤着。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

12 projections   

预测( projection的名词复数 )； 投影； 投掷； 突起物

参考例句：

• Their sales projections are a total thumbsuck. 他们的销售量预测纯属估计。
• The council has revised its projections of funding requirements upwards. 地方议会调高了对资金需求的预测。