VOA慢速英语 2009 019a

This is the VOA Special English Economics Report.

President-elect Barack Obama is calling on Congress to pass an economic recovery plan in the next few weeks. He warned about the deepening recession in a speech in Virginia on Thursday, less than two weeks before he takes office.

BARACK OBAMA: "Now, I don't believe it's too late to change course. But it will be if we don't take dramatic action as soon as possible. If nothing is done, this recession could linger for years."

On Wednesday, the Congressional Budget Office estimated the federal budget deficit¹ this year at one trillion two hundred billion dollars. That is almost three times the size of last year's deficit. And the estimate does not include an economic stimulus² plan, like the president-elect proposes.
　

President-elect Barack Obama speaking Thursday at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia

But Barack Obama warns that without decisive action, trillion-dollar deficits³ will be a reality for years to come. His proposals could cost around seven hundred seventy-five billion dollars in government spending and tax cuts over two years. Some economists⁴ think the plan needs to provide as much as one trillion dollars or more to be effective.

Forty percent of the plan could come in the form of tax cuts. That provision is partly an effort to gain support from Republicans.

BARACK OBAMA: "Now I understand that some might be skeptical⁵ of this plan. Our government has already spent a good deal of money but we haven't yet seen that translate into more jobs, or higher incomes or renewed confidence in our economy. And that's why the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan won't just throw money at our problems. We'll invest in what works."

Mister Obama says the plan should save or create at least three million jobs over the next few years, mostly in private industry. It includes money for needed repairs to roads and bridges. But it would also invest in clean energy, health care and education.

Mister Obama says his team is beginning discussions with members of Congress about how to deal with the deficit and control federal spending. He has to present his first budget proposal to Congress early next month.

He says the emergency legislation he proposes must be free of special-interest spending projects. His plan will "help struggling states avoid harmful budget cuts," he says. But he added that they must use the money to support services like police, fire, education and health care. He promises to show, online, where taxpayer⁶ money is being spent.

On Wednesday he named Nancy Killefer to a new White House position -- chief performance officer. She is a former assistant Treasury⁷ secretary currently at the management consulting company McKinsey. A big part of her job will be to look for ways to cut government waste.

And that's the VOA Special English Economics Report, written by Mario Ritter. I'm Steve Ember.

1 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。

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 deficits   

n.不足额( deficit的名词复数 )；赤字；亏空；亏损

参考例句：

• The Ministry of Finance consistently overestimated its budget deficits. 财政部一贯高估预算赤字。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Many of the world's farmers are also incurring economic deficits. 世界上许多农民还在遭受经济上的亏损。 来自辞典例句

4 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》

5 skeptical   

adj.怀疑的，多疑的

参考例句：

• Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
• Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。

6 taxpayer   

n.纳税人

参考例句：

• The new scheme will run off with a lot of the taxpayer's money.这项新计划将用去纳税人许多钱。
• The taxpayer are unfavourably disposed towards the recent tax increase.纳税者对最近的增加税收十分反感。

7 treasury   

n.宝库；国库，金库；文库

参考例句：

• The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
• This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。