VOA标准英语2010年-Markets Volatile Day After Wall Street

Stock markets were volatile¹ Friday, one day after a massive plunge² and bounceback on Wall Street. U.S. President Barack Obama says regulatory authorities are evaluating Thursday's wild swing.

Speaking to reporters in Washington Friday, Mr. Obama billed Thursday's roller coaster ride on Wall Street as "unusual market activity."

Unusual is an understatement.  In a matter of minutes, the Dow Jones industrial average plummeted³ almost 1,000 points -- its biggest intraday loss since the 1987 market crash.  Just as mysteriously, it largely rebounded⁴.  Shares of Accenture illustrated⁵ this volatility⁶ -- dropping from $40 to one cent Thursday afternoon only to bounce back to about its pre-plummet price.

The U.S. president says authorities are trying to unravel⁷ just what triggered this massive fluctuation⁸. "The regulatory authorities are evaluating this closely, with a concern for protecting investors⁹ and preventing this from happening again. And they will make findings of their review public, along with recommendations for appropriate action," he said.

A number of trades made as the market went amok Thursday were canceled Friday.  There are suggestions that a glitch¹⁰ in electronic trading or the New York Stock Exchange's structure or simple human error played a roll in that boomerang activity. 

And when a reporter asked if something sinister¹¹ could have been behind Thursday's sudden plunge, White House Spokesman Robert Gibbs said he would not rule anything out.  

Art Cashin, a trader in New York with UBS Financial Services, says Thursday's volatility was eye-opening.  "I think it was a sobering experience, and it tells us a couple of things: that unless you're careful, markets can be very thin and that we need a little more work to get everybody on the same page as far as speed bumps and safety are concerned," he said.

Cashin said he fears that one day, someone is going to hit a wrong button and the market will melt down if safety measures are not in place.

Beyond those concerns, there are fears about Greece's financial instability and whether it can be contained -- even as the European Union and the International Monetary¹³ Fund move forward with a massive $145 billion rescue package for Athens.

Francis Lun is the general manager of Fulbright Securities Limited in Honk¹⁴ Kong.  "Even with the rescue - 110 billion euro [$145 billion] rescue - Greece is simply bankrupt unless its industry, its tourist industry, can recover. It's just that the European Central Bank is avoiding the tough question that it should kick out Greece from the monetary union.  It's unattainable," he said.

President Obama says he spoke¹² with German Chancellor¹⁵ Angela Merkel Friday morning about economic and financial developments in Europe. "We agreed on the importance of a strong policy response by the affected¹⁶ countries and a strong financial response from the international community," he said.

Mr. Obama said he told Ms. Merkel that the United States supports such efforts and will continue to cooperate with European authorities and the IMF.

As for the markets, on this last day of trading before the weekend, European and Asian stock markets closed lower, while U.S. stock market indexes got a boost in early morning trading, but declined later in the day.
 

1 volatile   

adj.反复无常的，挥发性的，稍纵即逝的，脾气火爆的；n.挥发性物质

参考例句：

• With the markets being so volatile,investments are at great risk.由于市场那么变化不定，投资冒着很大的风险。
• His character was weak and volatile.他这个人意志薄弱，喜怒无常。

2 plunge   

v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲

参考例句：

• Test pool's water temperature before you plunge in.在你跳入之前你应该测试水温。
• That would plunge them in the broil of the two countries.那将会使他们陷入这两国的争斗之中。

3 plummeted   

v.垂直落下，骤然跌落( plummet的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Share prices plummeted to an all-time low. 股票价格暴跌到历史最低点。
• A plane plummeted to earth. 一架飞机一头栽向地面。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 rebounded   

弹回( rebound的过去式和过去分词 )； 反弹； 产生反作用； 未能奏效

参考例句：

• The ball rebounded from the goalpost and Owen headed it in. 球从门柱弹回，欧文头球将球攻进。
• The ball rebounded from his racket into the net. 球从他的球拍上弹回网中。

5 illustrated   

adj. 有插图的，列举的 动词illustrate的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• His lecture was illustrated with slides taken during the expedition. 他在讲演中使用了探险时拍摄到的幻灯片。
• The manufacturing Methods: Will be illustrated in the next chapter. 制作方法将在下一章说明。

6 volatility   

n.挥发性，挥发度，轻快，（性格）反复无常

参考例句：

• That was one reason why volatility was so low last year.这也是去年波动性如此低的原因之一。
• Yet because volatility remained low for so long,disaster myopia prevailed.然而，由于相当长的时间里波动性小，灾难短视就获胜了。

7 unravel   

v.弄清楚（秘密）；拆开，解开，松开

参考例句：

• He was good with his hands and could unravel a knot or untangle yarn that others wouldn't even attempt.他的手很灵巧，其他人甚至都不敢尝试的一些难解的绳结或缠在一起的纱线，他都能解开。
• This is the attitude that led him to unravel a mystery that long puzzled Chinese historians.正是这种态度使他解决了长期以来使中国历史学家们大惑不解的谜。

8 fluctuation   

n.(物价的)波动，涨落；周期性变动；脉动

参考例句：

• The erratic fluctuation of market prices are in consequence of unstable economy.经济波动致使市场物价忽起忽落。
• Early and adequate drainage is essential if fluctuation occurs.有波动感时，应及早地充分引流。

9 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

10 glitch   

n.干扰；误操作，小故障

参考例句：

• There is a glitch in the computer program somewhere.这个计算机程序中的某个部分有点小问题。
• It could just be a random glitch that can be solved by restarting the machine.可能只是一个小故障，重新启动主机就能解决了。

11 sinister   

adj.不吉利的，凶恶的，左边的

参考例句：

• There is something sinister at the back of that series of crimes.在这一系列罪行背后有险恶的阴谋。
• Their proposals are all worthless and designed out of sinister motives.他们的建议不仅一钱不值，而且包藏祸心。

12 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

13 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。

14 honk   

n.雁叫声，汽车喇叭声

参考例句：

• Don't honk the horn indiscriminately.不要乱鸣喇叭！
• While passing another vehicle,you must honk your horn.通过另一部车时必须鸣按喇叭。

15 chancellor   

n.(英)大臣；法官；(德、奥)总理；大学校长

参考例句：

• They submitted their reports to the Chancellor yesterday.他们昨天向财政大臣递交了报告。
• He was regarded as the most successful Chancellor of modern times.他被认为是现代最成功的财政大臣。

16 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。