VOA标准英语2009年-Obama, Brown Discuss Global Economy

U.S. President Barack Obama met on Tuesday at the White House with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The session helped set the stage for the upcoming London meeting of the world's 20 leading developed and emerging economies.
　
Pres. Obama meets with British PM Brown in the Oval Office at the White House, 03 March 2009

Since taking office, President Obama has focused on the ailing¹ U.S. economy - pushing a stimulus² package through Congress and taking steps to repair damage to the financial sector³.

But as he sat down with Britain's Gordon Brown, Mr. Obama stressed the international nature of the economic crisis. He said countries must work together to get the global economy back on track.

Mr. Obama added that the process will not be easy or quick.

"It's going to be sort of full of fits and starts in terms of getting the mess cleaned up. But it's going to get cleaned up. And we are going to recover. And we are going to emerge more prosperous, more unified⁴ and, I think, more protected from systemic risk, having learned these lessons, than we were before," he said.

Prime Minister Brown made specific mention of the need to overhaul⁵ the world's financial regulations and institutions - an issue he likely will raise when he hosts the London summit on April 2.

"A bad bank anywhere can affect good banks everywhere. So we've got to root out the problems that exist in other parts of the world as well, set principles with the banking⁶ system for the future and make sure that the banks subscribe⁷ to lending agreements where they actually increase the lending that is available to citizens in every country," he said.

Gordon Brown is the first European leader to meet with President Obama at the White House. As the two men sat down for talks, reporters asked whether Britain still has a special place in U.S. foreign policy.

President Obama said it always has and always will.

"I think this notion that somehow there is any lessening⁸ of that special relationship is misguided. Great Britain is one of our closest, strongest allies and there is a link, a bond there, that will not break. And I think that's true not only on the economic front, but also on issues of common security," the president said.

Mr. Obama made specific mention of Britain's role in Afghanistan and Iraq. The situation in Afghanistan will be the central issue when NATO holds its 60th anniversary summit on the French-German border in April, immediately after the economic talks in London.

1 ailing   

v.生病

参考例句：

• They discussed the problems ailing the steel industry. 他们讨论了困扰钢铁工业的问题。
• She looked after her ailing father. 她照顾有病的父亲。

2 stimulus   

n.刺激，刺激物，促进因素，引起兴奋的事物

参考例句：

• Regard each failure as a stimulus to further efforts.把每次失利看成对进一步努力的激励。
• Light is a stimulus to growth in plants.光是促进植物生长的一个因素。

3 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

4 unified   

(unify 的过去式和过去分词)； 统一的； 统一标准的； 一元化的

参考例句：

• The teacher unified the answer of her pupil with hers. 老师核对了学生的答案。
• The First Emperor of Qin unified China in 221 B.C. 秦始皇于公元前221年统一中国。

5 overhaul   

v./n.大修，仔细检查

参考例句：

• Master Worker Wang is responsible for the overhaul of this grinder.王师傅主修这台磨床。
• It is generally appreciated that the rail network needs a complete overhaul.众所周知，铁路系统需要大检修。

6 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。

7 subscribe   

vi.(to)订阅，订购；同意；vt.捐助，赞助

参考例句：

• I heartily subscribe to that sentiment.我十分赞同那个观点。
• The magazine is trying to get more readers to subscribe.该杂志正大力发展新订户。

8 lessening   

减轻，减少，变小

参考例句：

• So however much he earned, she spent it, her demands growing and lessening with his income. 祥子挣多少，她花多少，她的要求随着他的钱涨落。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子
• The talks have resulted in a lessening of suspicion. 谈话消减了彼此的怀疑。