澳洲新闻 (ABC新闻快递) 2011-08-21

 Stock markets across globe have finished lower, prompted by fears of another global recession. In the US, stocks seesawed¹ through the session before closing lower. The Dow fell 173 points to finish around 1.6 per cent lower. European stocks closed down as recession fears and global growth concerns continued to spook investors². The FTSE in London fell 51 points to finish 1 per cent lower. And in Asia, the Hang Seng also ended the week lower, falling just over 3 per cent.

 

And back home, the Australian share market slumped³ 3.5 per cent on close, seeing around $40 billion wiped off the value of the market. The All Ords index slumped 3.4 per cent. And the Australian dollars is currently hovering⁴ around 104 US cents.

 

Ratings agency Standard & Poor's says it's confident it will maintain France's AAA credit rating. Rumours⁵ that the country could face a downgrade had made the markets jittery⁶. But the S&P says it's confident in France's top-notch rating. Earlier this month, the agency cut the credit rating of the US from AAA to AA+ for the first time in its history.

 

Bank of America is cutting 3,500 jobs this quarter as it grapples with $1 trillion problem-loan portfolio⁷ and growing economic concerns. The cuts are expected to be completed by the end of September. Bank of America is the biggest bank in the US with around 280,000 employees.

1 seesawed   

v.使上下（来回）摇动( seesaw的过去式和过去分词 )；玩跷跷板，上下（来回）摇动

参考例句：

• The boat seesawed in the heavy sea. 小舟在波涛汹涌的海中颠簸不已。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• He seesawed between two opinions. 他在两种意见之间举棋不定。 来自互联网

2 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

3 slumped   

大幅度下降，暴跌( slump的过去式和过去分词 )； 沉重或突然地落下[倒下]

参考例句：

• Sales have slumped this year. 今年销售量锐减。
• The driver was slumped exhausted over the wheel. 司机伏在方向盘上，疲惫得睡着了。

4 hovering   

鸟( hover的现在分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫

参考例句：

• The helicopter was hovering about 100 metres above the pad. 直升机在离发射台一百米的上空盘旋。
• I'm hovering between the concert and the play tonight. 我犹豫不决今晚是听音乐会还是看戏。

5 rumours   

n.传闻( rumour的名词复数 )；风闻；谣言；谣传

参考例句：

• The rumours were completely baseless. 那些谣传毫无根据。
• Rumours of job losses were later confirmed. 裁员的传言后来得到了证实。

6 jittery   

adj. 神经过敏的, 战战兢兢的

参考例句：

• However, nothing happened though he continued to feel jittery. 可是，自从拉上这辆车，并没有出什么错儿，虽然他心中嘀嘀咕咕的不安。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子
• The thirty-six Enterprise divebombers were being squandered in a jittery shot from the hip. 这三十六架“企业号”上的俯冲轰炸机正被孤注一掷。

7 portfolio   

n.公事包；文件夹；大臣及部长职位

参考例句：

• He remembered her because she was carrying a large portfolio.他因为她带着一个大公文包而记住了她。
• He resigned his portfolio.他辞去了大臣职务。