VOA标准英语2009年-Global Economic Gloom Spooks Stock Investors in

Most Asia-Pacific stock markets closed lower on their first trading day of the week. Market analysts² say investors³ have yet to see relief in the global economic gloom as more statistics point to a deepening downturn.
　
Pedestrian walks past share prices board in Tokyo, 02 Mar¹ 2009

Investors in Asia sold a lot of financial stocks Monday worried about bad debts and capital adequacy in the global banking⁴ system.

In Hong Kong, investors waited anxiously for HSBC Holdings bank's annual earnings⁵ announcement. HSBC said Monday profit shrunk 70 percent in 2008 and that it will raise nearly $18 billion to boost capital.

Castor Pang⁶, strategist at Sun Hung Kai Financial, says the results are unlikely to lift market sentiment in Hong Kong, where HSBC is the biggest bank.

"This announcement would continue to hurt market sentiment and the confidence on HSBC," Pang said.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng index tumbled four percent and Japan's Nikei Index also fell nearly four percent.

Bank stocks across the region were also battered⁷. Shares of Japan's biggest bank, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, declined 6.8 percent. The Commonwealth⁸ Bank of Australia fell nearly five percent.

Analysts say the selling Monday was also a reaction to bleak⁹ U.S. economic numbers announced late last week, which pointed¹⁰ to a deepening economic recession.

Gloomy statistics are coming out of the region as well. Japan said Monday monthly wages continued to decline. In Australia, the government treasurer¹¹, Wayne Swan, warned of weak economic numbers to be released Wednesday.

"There's no doubt there will be a dramatic impact on growth in the December quarter from what has occurred around the globe," Swan said.

Australia's S&P/ASX 200 index fell nearly three percent to a five-year low.

South Korea's KOSPI fell four percent, while Taiwan dropped three percent. Thailand's index was down more than three percent.

Shanghai recovered from early losses and closed half a percent higher.

1 mar   

vt.破坏，毁坏，弄糟

参考例句：

• It was not the custom for elderly people to mar the picnics with their presence.大人们照例不参加这样的野餐以免扫兴。
• Such a marriage might mar your career.这样的婚姻说不定会毁了你的一生。

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 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

4 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。

5 earnings   

n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得

参考例句：

• That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
• Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。

6 pang   

n.剧痛，悲痛，苦闷

参考例句：

• She experienced a sharp pang of disappointment.她经历了失望的巨大痛苦。
• She was beginning to know the pang of disappointed love.她开始尝到了失恋的痛苦。

7 battered   

adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损

参考例句：

• He drove up in a battered old car.他开着一辆又老又破的旧车。
• The world was brutally battered but it survived.这个世界遭受了惨重的创伤,但它还是生存下来了。

8 commonwealth   

n.共和国，联邦，共同体

参考例句：

• He is the chairman of the commonwealth of artists.他是艺术家协会的主席。
• Most of the members of the Commonwealth are nonwhite.英联邦的许多成员国不是白人国家。

9 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。

10 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

11 treasurer   

n.司库，财务主管

参考例句：

• Mr. Smith was succeeded by Mrs.Jones as treasurer.琼斯夫人继史密斯先生任会计。
• The treasurer was arrested for trying to manipulate the company's financial records.财务主管由于试图窜改公司财政帐目而被拘留。