VOA标准英语2009年-Russian Economy Declines Faster Than Expec

President Dmitri Medvedev says Russia's economy is declining more than expected, resulting in the country's first federal budget deficit¹ in ten years. Mr. Medvedev is also warning the government not to plan on higher prices for oil and other Russian natural resources.
　
President Dmitry Medvedev speaks during a cabinet meeting in the Moscow's Kremlin, 25 May 2009

Mr. Medvedev told a meeting of government ministers in Moscow the global economic crisis has caused a sharp decline in Russian federal revenues.

The Kremlin leader says expenditures² will exceed revenues for the first time in ten years, creating a budget deficit of no less than seven percent of the country's gross domestic product. He notes that is an optimistic figure.

Economic figures recently released by the Russian Federal Statistics Service show the GDP declined in the first quarter of this year by 9.5 percent. The Economic Development Ministry³ had initially⁴ predicted a 2.2 percent drop.

The Russian national budget relies heavily on taxes from the sale of oil and other natural resources, and oil prices have dropped sharply over the past year. Mr. Medvedev says the government's economic planning should not necessarily count on a return to higher prices.

The Russian president says budget plans should be based on conservative estimates of future prices for raw materials. He notes prices could, of course, be higher, which would be better for Russia, but warns the government does not have the right to risk the budget on the possibility.

Unemployment in Russia hit 10.2 percent at the end of April, and industrial production fell nearly 17 percent.

1 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。

2 expenditures   

n.花费( expenditure的名词复数 )；使用；（尤指金钱的）支出额；（精力、时间、材料等的）耗费

参考例句：

• We have overspent.We'll have to let up our expenditures next month. 我们已经超支了，下个月一定得节约开支。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The pension includes an allowance of fifty pounds for traffic expenditures. 年金中包括50镑交通费补贴。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

4 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。