US Central Bank to Hold Interest Rates Low

 　　The U.S. central bank says America’s economic recovery has slowed, and that near-zero interest rates are expected to remain in place for another year. The statement from Federal Reserve policymakers came after a U.S. credit rating downgrade and significant losses on global financial markets.

　　If nervous investors¹ were looking for swift, aggressive action from the Federal Reserve in response to the U.S. credit rating downgrade, lagging economic growth, and upheaval² in financial markets, Tuesday’s meeting of Fed policymakers gave them little to cheer about.

　　With interest rates already at historic lows, the U.S. central bank announced no interest rate or policy changes, nor any new rounds of monetary³ infusions⁴. That, despite noting what the Fed termed heightened “downside” risks to an economic recovery that many economists⁵ believe is stalling.

　　Even so, the Federal Reserve did not rule out future action, saying its Open Market Committee discussed a “range of policy tools available to promote a stronger economic recovery.”

　　Bank of New York Mellon global financial strategist Jack⁶ Malvey said, “I think they [Federal Reserve officials] would prefer to see the markets try and reach equilibrium⁷ on their own," said Malvey. "This [market upheaval] really is not [a repeat of the financial crisis of] 2008. This is a response to an overload⁸ of negative factors over the course of the last couple of weeks. And it does provide some basis for optimism and not-too-distant [market] stabilization⁹.”

　　Malvey appeared on Bloomberg Television. He said market fears of another recession in the United States have eclipsed those stemming from Standard & Poor’s downgrade of U.S. creditworthiness. “The chances of a recession in the U.S. are probably up in the 50-percent category [range]. In many respects, the [S&P] downgrade was no big deal. It was in recognition of what was fairly obvious over the last year, that the U.S. fiscal¹⁰ position is not as strong as it had been," he said.

　　A slowing U.S. economy will exacerbate¹¹ America’s fiscal imbalances. Yet a $1.5 trillion deficit¹² gives the federal government little room to stimulate¹³ growth. Given these realities, the Obama administration is advocating short-term measures to spur job growth and consumer activity while also urging long-term efforts to cut the deficit and slow the growth of the national debt.

　　Gene¹⁴ Sperling, who heads President Barack Obama’s National Economic Council, also appeared on Bloomberg Television. “We need to do both the short-term and the long-term. And the best thing we can have is that we are willing to take aggressive bipartisan action on job growth in the short-term, in the same context in which we are also signaling that we are going to get control of our long-term fiscal situation," he said.

　　Sperling said the administration wants to see an extension of a temporary cut in taxes paid by workers to fund Social Security, thereby¹⁵ giving wage earners higher take-home pay. Monday, President Obama renewed his call for a bipartisan formula to reduce America’s debt burden. Washington’s lack of progress in confronting America’s fiscal challenges was listed as a primary factor in Standard & Poor’s decision to cut the U.S. credit rating last week.

1 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

2 upheaval   

n.胀起，(地壳)的隆起；剧变，动乱

参考例句：

• It was faced with the greatest social upheaval since World War Ⅱ.它面临第二次世界大战以来最大的社会动乱。
• The country has been thrown into an upheaval.这个国家已经陷入动乱之中。

3 monetary   

adj.货币的，钱的；通货的；金融的；财政的

参考例句：

• The monetary system of some countries used to be based on gold.过去有些国家的货币制度是金本位制的。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。

4 infusions   

n.沏或泡成的浸液（如茶等）( infusion的名词复数 )；注入，注入物

参考例句：

• Intravenous infusions are also used to administer medications. 静脉输液也可作为一种给药方法。 来自辞典例句
• INTERPRETATION: GKI infusions significantly reduced plasma glucose concentrations and blood pressure. 结论：静脉滴注GKI显著降低血压和血糖浓度。 来自互联网

5 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

7 equilibrium   

n.平衡，均衡，相称，均势，平静

参考例句：

• Change in the world around us disturbs our inner equilibrium.我们周围世界的变化扰乱了我们内心的平静。
• This is best expressed in the form of an equilibrium constant.这最好用平衡常数的形式来表示。

8 overload   

vt.使超载；n.超载

参考例句：

• Don't overload the boat or it will sink.别超载，否则船会沉。
• Large meals overload the digestive system.吃得太饱会加重消化系统的负担。

9 Stabilization   

稳定化

参考例句：

• The position of barycentre on plane directly impacts the stabilization and manipulation of plane. 飞机重心位置直接影响飞机的稳定和操纵特性。
• With the higher olefins, stabilization of the energetic intermediates occurs more easily. 在较高的烯烃情况下，高能的中间物稳定作用更易出现。

10 fiscal   

adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的

参考例句：

• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
• The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。

11 exacerbate   

v.恶化，增剧，激怒，使加剧

参考例句：

• WMO says a warming climate can exacerbate air pollution.世界气象组织说，气候变暖可能会加剧空气污染。
• In fact efforts will merely exacerbate the current problem.实际上努力只会加剧当前的问题。

12 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

13 stimulate   

vt.刺激，使兴奋；激励，使…振奋

参考例句：

• Your encouragement will stimulate me to further efforts.你的鼓励会激发我进一步努力。
• Success will stimulate the people for fresh efforts.成功能鼓舞人们去作新的努力。

14 gene   

n.遗传因子，基因

参考例句：

• A single gene may have many effects.单一基因可能具有很多种效应。
• The targeting of gene therapy has been paid close attention.其中基因治疗的靶向性是值得密切关注的问题之一。

15 thereby   

adv.因此，从而

参考例句：

• I have never been to that city,,ereby I don't know much about it.我从未去过那座城市，因此对它不怎么熟悉。
• He became a British citizen,thereby gaining the right to vote.他成了英国公民，因而得到了投票权。