VOA标准英语2013--奥巴马提名珍妮特·耶伦 取代美联储主席伯南克

 

Obama Taps Yellen to Replace Fed Chief Bernanke 奥巴马提名珍妮特·耶伦 取代美联储主席伯南克

President Barack Obama has named Federal Reserve Vice¹ Chairman Janet  Yellen to head the U.S. central bank after Ben Bernanke steps down at  the end of January. The US senate still has to confirm Yellen, but  analysts² believe she’s a safe choice to steer³ US monetary⁴ policy in  troubled economic times.

美国总统奥巴马提名美联储副主席珍妮特·耶伦在1月底本?伯南克下台后担任美 国中央银行美联储主席。美国参议院仍需确认耶伦,但分析师相信她是个安全的选 择,来引导我们的货币政策在经济艰难时期。

She’s poised⁵ to become the first woman to head the U.S. central bank.  And with more than a decade at the Federal Reserve, Janet Yellen may be  one of the most qualified⁶ to run it.

President Obama described her as tough and effective.

“She sounded the alarm early about the housing bubble, about excesses  in the financial sector⁷ and about the risks of a major recession.  She  doesn’t have a crystal ball but what she does have is a keen  understanding about how markets and the economy work not just in theory  but also in the real world," said President Obama.

The 67-year-old economist⁸ is being tapped to take the reins⁹ of the U.S.  central bank when Chairman Ben Bernanke steps down in January.  She  thanked the president for his trust in her and vowed¹⁰ to preserve the  Federal Reserve’s mandate¹¹.

“If confirmed by the Senate, I pledge to do my utmost to keep that  trust and meet the great responsibilities that Congress has entrusted¹²  to the Federal Reserve, to promote maximum employment, stable prices  and a strong and stable financial system," said Yellen.

The president also heaped praise on Bernanke for providing a steady  hand - through the worst financial crisis in decades.

“He has truly been a stabilizing¹³ force not just for our country but  for the rest of the world," said Obama.

Under Bernanke’s leadership, the Fed cut short term interest rates to  near zero and has kept long term rates at record lows with an $85  billion a month bond buying program.  

Financial markets welcomed the Yellen nomination¹⁴ as a nod to  continuity.

Former central bank official Joseph Gagnon says Yellen is likely to  continue Bernanke’s policies.

“I don’t see big changes. I think they’re both rather collegial in  terms of encouraging, trying to get consensus¹⁵ within a group as much as  possible, so I think that will continue," said Gagnon.

Analysts expect an easy confirmation¹⁶ by the Democratic controlled  Senate with help from moderate Republicans.  But given the sharp  partisan divide in Congress, economists¹⁷ say Yellen’s biggest  challenges are yet to come.

1 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

2 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。

3 steer   

vt.驾驶，为…操舵；引导；vi.驾驶

参考例句：

• If you push the car, I'll steer it.如果你来推车，我就来驾车。
• It's no use trying to steer the boy into a course of action that suits you.想说服这孩子按你的方式行事是徒劳的。

4 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。

5 poised   

a.摆好姿势不动的

参考例句：

• The hawk poised in mid-air ready to swoop. 老鹰在半空中盘旋，准备俯冲。
• Tina was tense, her hand poised over the telephone. 蒂娜心情紧张，手悬在电话机上。

6 qualified   

adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的

参考例句：

• He is qualified as a complete man of letters.他有资格当真正的文学家。
• We must note that we still lack qualified specialists.我们必须看到我们还缺乏有资质的专家。

7 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。

8 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。

9 reins   

感情，激情； 缰( rein的名词复数 )； 控制手段； 掌管； （成人带着幼儿走路以防其走失时用的）保护带

参考例句：

• She pulled gently on the reins. 她轻轻地拉着缰绳。
• The government has imposed strict reins on the import of luxury goods. 政府对奢侈品的进口有严格的控制手段。

10 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

11 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。

12 entrusted   

v.委托，托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He entrusted the task to his nephew. 他把这任务托付给了他的侄儿。
• She was entrusted with the direction of the project. 她受委托负责这项计划。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 stabilizing   

n.稳定化处理[退火]v.（使）稳定， （使）稳固( stabilize的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The disulfide bridges might then be viewed primarily as stabilizing components. 二硫桥可以被看作是初级的稳定因素。 来自辞典例句
• These stabilizing design changes are usually not desirable for steady-state operation. 这些增加稳定性的设计改变通常不太符合稳态工作的要求。 来自辞典例句

14 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。

15 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？

16 confirmation   

n.证实，确认，批准

参考例句：

• We are waiting for confirmation of the news.我们正在等待证实那个消息。
• We need confirmation in writing before we can send your order out.给你们发送订购的货物之前，我们需要书面确认。

17 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》