VOA标准英语2009年-Upbeat US Economic Indicators Amid Record

The U.S. economy is showing further signs of recovery, even as America's national debt continues to skyrocket.
　
U.S. dollars

Despite some of the most challenging economic conditions in decades, American consumer confidence jumped unexpectedly this month, a sign that widespread pessimism¹ might be dissipating.

The New York-Based Conference Board reports that its consumer confidence index stands at 54.1, up from a revised 47.4 reading in July. "Confidence is on the mend. There is still a lot of apprehension². Consumers definitely feel that the worst is behind us, but we still have a ways to go," said Lynn Franco, who heads the group's consumer research center.

Even with the rise, the latest figure remains³ nearly 50 percent below the consumer confidence number reported two years ago. Nevertheless, rising confidence is a welcome sign, as consumer spending accounts for more than two-thirds of U.S. economic activity.

America's battered⁴ housing sector⁵ also got a dose of encouraging news, with a national index reporting a three percent jump in housing prices in the second quarter of this year.

"There has only been one quarter of positive news. But just looking at the latest data, it does look like there might be some stability in the [housing] market at this point," said Maureen Maitland of Standard and Poor's.

Falling housing prices have been a major contributor to U.S. economic woes⁶ since 2007. A rash of home mortgage defaults helped spark last year's financial meltdown.

Tuesday's upbeat economic data stand in contrast to gloomy budget deficit⁷ projections⁸. The White House and the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, or CBO, project a federal deficit of about $1.6 trillion for the current fiscal¹⁰ year -- a record-high, although slightly less than had been projected a few months ago.

Swelling¹¹ debt is no surprise, according to John Irons, who directs research at the Washington-based Economic Policy Institute. "Both reports are very stark¹² reminders¹³ of the steep recession that we find ourselves in. Lower incomes, lower business activity are largely driving the revenue side. On the spending side, there are some higher outlays¹⁴ that are due to the recession, also. Obviously, unemployment at high levels means that there is more demand for public services," he said.

Irons says temporary deficits¹⁵ are normal and even desirable during severe economic downturns, but must be corrected in the long term. But the White House and the Congressional Budget Office say that America's national debt will continue to expand for years to come, even assuming that the U.S. economy will begin to recover at the end of this year.

During the next decade, the White House estimates America's national debt will grow by $9 trillion. The CBO projection⁹ is $7 trillion. The difference between the two estimates lies primarily in the fact that the CBO assumes the expiration¹⁶ of Bush administration-era tax cuts, while the White House is assuming that President Barack Obama will honor his pledge against allowing taxes to rise on families earning less than $250,000 a year.

1 pessimism   

n.悲观者，悲观主义者，厌世者

参考例句：

• He displayed his usual pessimism.他流露出惯有的悲观。
• There is the note of pessimism in his writings.他的著作带有悲观色彩。

2 apprehension   

n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑

参考例句：

• There were still areas of doubt and her apprehension grew.有些地方仍然存疑，于是她越来越担心。
• She is a girl of weak apprehension.她是一个理解力很差的女孩。

3 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

4 battered   

adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损

参考例句：

• He drove up in a battered old car.他开着一辆又老又破的旧车。
• The world was brutally battered but it survived.这个世界遭受了惨重的创伤,但它还是生存下来了。

5 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

6 woes   

困境( woe的名词复数 )； 悲伤； 我好苦哇； 某人就要倒霉

参考例句：

• Thanks for listening to my woes. 谢谢您听我诉说不幸的遭遇。
• She has cried the blues about its financial woes. 对于经济的困难她叫苦不迭。

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 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。

9 projection   

n.发射，计划，突出部分

参考例句：

• Projection takes place with a minimum of awareness or conscious control.投射在最少的知觉或意识控制下发生。
• The projection of increases in number of house-holds is correct.对户数增加的推算是正确的。

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 swelling   

n.肿胀

参考例句：

• Use ice to reduce the swelling. 用冰敷消肿。
• There is a marked swelling of the lymph nodes. 淋巴结处有明显的肿块。

12 stark   

adj.荒凉的；严酷的；完全的；adv.完全地

参考例句：

• The young man is faced with a stark choice.这位年轻人面临严峻的抉择。
• He gave a stark denial to the rumor.他对谣言加以完全的否认。

13 reminders   

n.令人回忆起…的东西( reminder的名词复数 )；提醒…的东西；（告知该做某事的）通知单；提示信

参考例句：

• The film evokes chilling reminders of the war. 这部电影使人们回忆起战争的可怕场景。
• The strike has delayed the mailing of tax reminders. 罢工耽搁了催税单的投寄。

14 outlays   

v.支出，费用( outlay的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• They report substantial slashes in this year's defense outlays. 他们报道今年度国防经费的大量削减。 来自辞典例句
• For MU, there were no upfront risks or cash outlays. 对摩托罗拉大学而言，没有风险或现金费用。 来自互联网

15 deficits   

n.不足额( deficit的名词复数 )；赤字；亏空；亏损

参考例句：

• The Ministry of Finance consistently overestimated its budget deficits. 财政部一贯高估预算赤字。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Many of the world's farmers are also incurring economic deficits. 世界上许多农民还在遭受经济上的亏损。 来自辞典例句

16 expiration   

n.终结，期满，呼气，呼出物

参考例句：

• Can I have your credit card number followed by the expiration date?能告诉我你的信用卡号码和它的到期日吗?
• This contract shall be terminated on the expiration date.劳动合同期满，即行终止。