2006年VOA标准英语-Energy Costs Hurting US Worker Paychecks

By Mil Arcega
Washington, DC
05 September 2006
 
watch US Workers Pay

Workers' pay is not keeping up with rising energy costs  
  
The largest industrial trade association in the U.S. says manufacturing production has increased at the fastest pace in more than six years.  The latest numbers released by the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) show U.S. manufacturers posted outstanding gains in the past year.  But VOA's Mil Arcega reports the group's annual snapshot of the U.S. economy shows a different picture for workers. 

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U.S. manufacturing output has grown 5.8 percent over the last 12 months. That is its strongest gain since 1998.  The economy picked up 1.7 million new jobs to push unemployment below the five percent mark.  The growth in productivity combined with a tightening¹ labor² market boosted worker wages by 1.7 percent.   

John Engler  
  
But N.A.M. president John Engler says his group's annual Labor Day report shows workers are actually losing buying power.  "Wages, when adjusted for inflation, are not rising.  In fact, they averaged a decline of a half of one percent during that same period.  The culprit, the main reason wages did not keep pace with inflation?  Energy costs -- they went up 23 percent last year."

N.A.M. chief economist³ David Huether computes⁴ so-called "real wages" by factoring in the impact of surging gasoline prices along with benefits and employer contributions. He says those "real wages" have declined by nearly two percent since 2001.

David Huether   
  
"This illustrates⁵ how vulnerable the U.S. economy and workers are to the volatile⁶ global energy market, which has become an increasing burden to working Americans," says Huether.

President Bush spoke⁷ to a group of workers in Maryland. He agrees energy prices have taken a bite out of workers' paychecks. He says his administration is working hard to develop new technologies to reduce the nation's dependence⁸ on foreign oil.

"In order to become less dependent on foreign oil, why don't we become more reliant on American farmers to produce energy for our automobiles⁹? That's the kinds of things we’re doing," said President Bush.

But N.A.M. president John Engler wants the president to go one step further and make energy reform a national priority.

Graph showing rising cost (green) versus¹⁰ workers' pay (black)  
  
"Rising energy costs are clobbering¹¹ worker paychecks. Congress and the administration need to recognize: we must act or the cost of energy will continue to impair¹² America's economic growth, hurt its manufacturing base and shrink employee wages,” Engler said.

The report says that even if the U.S. improves energy efficiency over the next 20 years, foreign oil imports will still account for 32 percent of domestic energy consumption.

1 tightening   

上紧，固定，紧密

参考例句：

• Make sure the washer is firmly seated before tightening the pipe. 旋紧水管之前，检查一下洗衣机是否已牢牢地固定在底座上了。
• It needs tightening up a little. 它还需要再收紧些。

2 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

3 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。

4 computes   

v.计算，估算( compute的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• This article also computes STL model volume and research simply model complexity. 文章还评估了STL实体体积，对模型的复杂度进行了研究。 来自互联网
• This macro computes the length of the day, from sunrise to sunset. 把根据要求确定出来的日出日没间隔作为我们通常直觉上的一个白天。 来自互联网

5 illustrates   

给…加插图( illustrate的第三人称单数 )； 说明； 表明； （用示例、图画等）说明

参考例句：

• This historical novel illustrates the breaking up of feudal society in microcosm. 这部历史小说是走向崩溃的封建社会的缩影。
• Alfred Adler, a famous doctor, had an experience which illustrates this. 阿尔弗莱德 - 阿德勒是一位著名的医生，他有过可以说明这点的经历。 来自中级百科部分

6 volatile   

adj.反复无常的，挥发性的，稍纵即逝的，脾气火爆的；n.挥发性物质

参考例句：

• With the markets being so volatile,investments are at great risk.由于市场那么变化不定，投资冒着很大的风险。
• His character was weak and volatile.他这个人意志薄弱，喜怒无常。

7 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

8 dependence   

n.依靠，依赖；信任，信赖；隶属

参考例句：

• Doctors keep trying to break her dependence of the drug.医生们尽力使她戒除毒瘾。
• He was freed from financial dependence on his parents.他在经济上摆脱了对父母的依赖。

9 automobiles   

n.汽车( automobile的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• When automobiles become popular,the use of the horse and buggy passed away. 汽车普及后，就不再使用马和马车了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Automobiles speed in an endless stream along the boulevard. 宽阔的林荫道上，汽车川流不息。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

10 versus   

prep.以…为对手，对；与…相比之下

参考例句：

• The big match tonight is England versus Spain.今晚的大赛是英格兰对西班牙。
• The most exciting game was Harvard versus Yale.最富紧张刺激的球赛是哈佛队对耶鲁队。

11 clobbering   

v.狠揍， （不停）猛打( clobber的现在分词 )；彻底击败

参考例句：

• Other metals have suffered a similar clobbering. 其它金属价格亦遭受了同样的痛击。 来自互联网
• A clobbering now would probably make them more likely to turn to an electable candidate in2008. 因此，现在的失败也许将在2008年重新为他们赢回候选席位。 来自互联网

12 impair   

v.损害，损伤；削弱，减少

参考例句：

• Loud noise can impair your hearing.巨大的噪音有损听觉。
• It can not impair the intellectual vigor of the young.这不能磨灭青年人思想活力。