澳洲新闻 (ABC新闻快递) 2013-07-17

 The OECD has painted a bleak¹ picture for unemployment in the Eurozone. The yearly outlook says young workers will continue to suffer from high unemployment rates. It also says older workers are facing financial pressures and are being denied access to early retirement² schemes.

 

The jobless rate across the region varies widely. The OECD predicts Germany's rate will dip below five percent next year, while it remains³ around 28 per cent in Spain and Greece.

 

Inflation in the  US crept higher in June, but it's still below the Federal Reserve's target of two per cent. The inflation rate hit 1.8 per cent, almost half a per cent higher than in May.

 

The price of clothing, petrol and services all went up. While the US economy has been growing, unemployment has been putting downward pressure on wages, making it harder for retailers⁴ to raise prices.

 

OK, let's go to the numbers now.

 

And stocks in the US were down slightly overnight. In London, the FTSE lost half a per cent in value.

 

To the commodity markets. 

 

West Texas Crude is trading at 106 US dollars a barrel. Tapis Crude is 114 US dollars a barrel. And gold is worth 1,292 US dollars an ounce.

 

The Australian dollar has strengthened. It's now buying about 92.5 US cents, 70 Euro cents and 61 pence sterling⁵.

1 bleak   

adj.(天气)阴冷的；凄凉的；暗淡的

参考例句：

• They showed me into a bleak waiting room.他们引我来到一间阴冷的会客室。
• The company's prospects look pretty bleak.这家公司的前景异常暗淡。

2 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

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 retailers   

零售商，零售店( retailer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• High street retailers reported a marked increase in sales before Christmas. 商业街的零售商报告说圣诞节前销售量显著提高。
• Retailers have a statutory duty to provide goods suitable for their purpose. 零售商有为他们提供符合要求的货品的法定义务。

5 sterling   

adj.英币的(纯粹的，货真价实的)；n.英国货币(英镑)

参考例句：

• Could you tell me the current rate for sterling, please?能否请您告诉我现行英国货币的兑换率？
• Sterling has recently been strong,which will help to abate inflationary pressures.英国货币最近非常坚挺，这有助于减轻通胀压力。