VOA标准英语2012--Analysts: Foreclosure Mess Hurts US, Global Economy

 

Analysts¹: Foreclosure Mess Hurts US, Global Economy

Deborah Harris faces possible eviction² from the home she has owned for the past 17 years, after failing to make some of her mortgage payments.

Harris was a paramedic with Washington's fire department.

"Here you are about to lose your home. It's nowhere else to go. I don't have any husband, I don't have any children. I've worked 23 years in the Fire Department, saving lives, keeping people alive, and here I am retired³, and I don’t have a place to stay. Come on. I mean, that's ridiculous," Harris said.

Harris won awards and promotions⁴ for her service on an ambulance, but stopped working after she was hurt carrying a large patient.

It took many months of doctor's exams and filing paperwork to convince officials she was entitled to a pension. During that period without pay, she fell behind on her mortgage.

The financial crisis that started in 2007 brought rising unemployment, falling home values and surging foreclossures.

Foreclosure specialty⁵ firm RealtyTrac says foreclosures soared to more than one million a year at the peak of the crisis, from about 200,000 in an average year.

A slightly better economy has cut the foreclosure rate, but it will probably still hit about 700,000 this year.

The chief economist⁶ from the National Association of Realtors, Lawrence Yun, says the flood of foreclosures hurts the U.S. economy, which cuts demand for products from other nations and slows global growth.

"Foreclosure is the predominant reason for why the housing market is taking a long time to recover," Yun said. "Historically, the housing market always leads the economy, so when housing market goes down, the economy goes into a recession. When (the) housing market recovers, economy comes out of recession."

Harris says falling into foreclosure has been a nightmare. "If it had not been for God to help me, I know I could have just gotten a stroke and died, because it was just so devastating⁷, knowing, I didn't know when they were going to come and try to get me out of here," she said.

Harris is just one of 4.3 million people who have gone all the way through the foreclosure process since the beginning of the financial crisis. But with help from a community group and a lawyer, she is fighting the foreclosure in court. 

1 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

2 eviction   

n.租地等的收回

参考例句：

• The family have won a temporary reprieve from eviction.这个家庭暂时免于被逐出。
• He claimed damages for unlawful eviction.他要求对非法驱逐作出赔偿。

3 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

4 promotions   

促进( promotion的名词复数 )； 提升； 推广； 宣传

参考例句：

• All services or promotions must have an appeal and wide application. 所有服务或促销工作都必须具有吸引力和广泛的适用性。
• He promptly directed the highest promotions and decorations for General MacArthur. 他授予麦克阿瑟将军以最高的官阶和勋奖。

5 specialty   

n.(speciality)特性，特质；专业，专长

参考例句：

• Shell carvings are a specialty of the town.贝雕是该城的特产。
• His specialty is English literature.他的专业是英国文学。

6 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

7 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。