VOA标准英语2009年-Economic Leaders Expand G7 to G20

By Jim Randle
Pittsburgh
25 September 2009

 
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown during the G20 Summit in Pittsburgh, 25 Sep 2009
The G20 summit will give emerging economies a larger role in the debate and decisions about global economic issues in the future. The gathering¹ is also moving toward agreements to limit bonuses paid to bankers.

Group of 20 leaders, including Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown, agreed to shift economic issues that have traditionally been handled by the G7, a small group of wealthy nations, to the larger G20.

"The G20 will now be seen as the premier² economic organization for dealing³ with issues of economic management around the world," Mr. Brown said.

The change moves the discussion from mostly western nations to the larger group that includes economies like China and India.

The change recognizes that these nations are a large and growing share of the world's economic output. Carnegie Mellon University Economics Professor Lester Lave says the economic crisis made the change urgent.

"Your people and your economy are being put at risk by nations that are not necessarily thinking about you or their good, so you would want to have more of a say in what is going on," he said.

Some G20 leaders say that there is progress toward putting limits on huge and controversial bonuses paid to bankers.

Professor Lave says the goal is to craft financial incentives⁴ that encourage bankers to consider the long term consequences of their investments, not just short term profits.

"In order to prevent the kind of speculation⁵ we saw in the past few years that really brought down the economy, what we need to do is manage the risks better," he said. 

The deal may put some restraints on the bonuses that have been the target of a torrent⁶ of criticism, but the agreement may not include the absolute limits sought by European nations.

The group is also expected to approve new rules requiring that banks keep larger reserves to cover losses from bad loans.

Many G20 members have been trying to bolster⁷ their economies by cutting interest rates and raising spending on public works.

Prime Minister Brown says the economic recovery is still so fragile that leaders will continue stimulus⁸ efforts for a while. "We will agree that it is premature⁹ to remove the fiscal¹⁰ and monetary¹¹ policy stimulus that exists, so that the economics can move forward," he said.

The two-day summit in Pittsburgh is the third meeting of G-20 leaders in less than a year as nations struggle to ease the recession.

The downturn pushed millions of people into unemployment around the world, cost trillions of dollars in lost wealth and massive amounts of government stimulus spending intended to jump-start economic growth.

 

1 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

2 premier   

adj.首要的；n.总理，首相

参考例句：

• The Irish Premier is paying an official visit to Britain.爱尔兰总理正在对英国进行正式访问。
• He requested that the premier grant him an internview.他要求那位总理接见他一次。

3 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

4 incentives   

激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 )； 刺激； 诱因； 动机

参考例句：

• tax incentives to encourage savings 鼓励储蓄的税收措施
• Furthermore, subsidies provide incentives only for investments in equipment. 更有甚者，提供津贴仅是为鼓励增添设备的投资。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

5 speculation   

n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机

参考例句：

• Her mind is occupied with speculation.她的头脑忙于思考。
• There is widespread speculation that he is going to resign.人们普遍推测他要辞职。

6 torrent   

n.激流，洪流；爆发，(话语等的)连发

参考例句：

• The torrent scoured a channel down the hillside. 急流沿着山坡冲出了一条沟。
• Her pent-up anger was released in a torrent of words.她压抑的愤怒以滔滔不绝的话爆发了出来。

7 bolster   

n.枕垫；v.支持，鼓励

参考例句：

• The high interest rates helped to bolster up the economy.高利率使经济更稳健。
• He tried to bolster up their morale.他尽力鼓舞他们的士气。

8 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。

9 premature   

adj.比预期时间早的；不成熟的，仓促的

参考例句：

• It is yet premature to predict the possible outcome of the dialogue.预言这次对话可能有什么结果为时尚早。
• The premature baby is doing well.那个早产的婴儿很健康。

10 fiscal   

adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的

参考例句：

• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
• The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。

11 monetary   

adj.货币的，钱的；通货的；金融的；财政的

参考例句：

• The monetary system of some countries used to be based on gold.过去有些国家的货币制度是金本位制的。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。