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（在线收听）

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 Vice 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  analysts believe she’s a safe choice to steer US monetary 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 poised 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 qualified 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 sector 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 economist is being tapped to take the reins of the U.S.  central bank when Chairman Ben Bernanke steps down in January.  She  thanked the president for his trust in her and vowed to preserve the  Federal Reserve’s mandate.

“If confirmed by the Senate, I pledge to do my utmost to keep that  trust and meet the great responsibilities that Congress has entrusted  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 stabilizing 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 nomination 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 consensus within a group as much as  possible, so I think that will continue," said Gagnon.

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