VOA标准英语2009-Improved Signs on US Job Losses, Retail Sale

U.S. markets posted early gains after modestly encouraging signs concerning employment and retail¹ sales.
　
People line up at the Anaheim Orange County Job Fair and Expo in Anaheim, CA, 03 Jun 2009

The U.S. Labor² Department says 24,000 fewer Americans filed initial jobless claims last week than the previous week. The number of newly-idled workers, 601,000, was below most analysts³' expectations. The four-week average of initial unemployment claims is also down from a month ago, although well above the levels seen in May and June of last year.

The number of Americans claiming unemployment benefits now exceeds 6.8 million, the highest number ever recorded.

PNC Financial Services Group chief-economist Stuart Hoffman says the U.S. labor market continues to deteriorate⁴, but at a slower pace than a few months ago:

"I do not think it means we are going to see job growth in June or July," said Stuart Hoffman. "I think it means the rate of decline in the economy, which during late last year and the first quarter of this year was like a free-fall, is definitely slowing down.

Meanwhile, U.S. retail sales rose 0.5 percent in May, fueled by increasing traffic at auto⁵ dealerships and gasoline stations. It was the first retail sales boost in the last three months. The Commerce Department also reports businesses continued to cut inventories⁶ for an eighth consecutive⁷ month to match soft demand for products.

No one is predicting an immediate⁸ end to America's protracted⁹ recession, which began in late 2007. But PNC's Stuart Hoffman thinks a turnaround could occur by the end of 2009.

"We are looking at the end of this recession, probably, by the fourth quarter of this year," he said. "So, to me, these [positive indicators] are the signs that say the end [of the downturn] is near."

Last week, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told reporters an eventual¹⁰ economic recovery will be slow to build momentum¹¹, with the likelihood that job losses will linger after the economy begins to grow.

1 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

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 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。

4 deteriorate   

v.变坏；恶化；退化

参考例句：

• Do you think relations between China and Japan will continue to deteriorate?你认为中日关系会继续恶化吗？
• He held that this would only cause the situation to deteriorate further.他认为，这只会使局势更加恶化。

5 auto   

n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车

参考例句：

• Don't park your auto here.别把你的汽车停在这儿。
• The auto industry has brought many people to Detroit.汽车工业把许多人吸引到了底特律。

6 inventories   

n.总结( inventory的名词复数 )；细账；存货清单（或财产目录）的编制

参考例句：

• In other cases, such as inventories, inputs and outputs are both continuous. 在另一些情况下，比如存货，其投入和产出都是持续不断的。
• The store must clear its winter inventories by April 1st. 该店必须在4月1日前售清冬季存货。

7 consecutive   

adj.连续的，联贯的，始终一贯的

参考例句：

• It has rained for four consecutive days.已连续下了四天雨。
• The policy of our Party is consecutive.我党的政策始终如一。

8 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

9 protracted   

adj.拖延的；延长的v.拖延“protract”的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The war was protracted for four years. 战争拖延了四年。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We won victory through protracted struggle. 经过长期的斗争，我们取得了胜利。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 eventual   

adj.最后的，结局的，最终的

参考例句：

• Several schools face eventual closure.几所学校面临最终关闭。
• Both parties expressed optimism about an eventual solution.双方对问题的最终解决都表示乐观。

11 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。