VOA标准英语2009年-Experts Debate Merits of Spending to Boost US E

President-elect Barack Obama is proposing an emergency $800 billion economic stimulus¹ plan that would use government spending and taxing power to help pull the faltering² U.S. economy out of recession.
　

President-elect Barack Obama speaks to reporters in Washington, 12 Jan 2009

The president-elect said only government can provide the short-term boost necessary to lift the economy out of deep recession. In a January 10 radio address, Mr. Obama said his plan to inject billions of dollars into the economy will create three to four million new jobs over two years.

"90 percent of these jobs will be created in the private sector³. The remaining 10 percent will be in the public sector, mainly jobs that we save like teachers, police officers, firefighters and others who provide vital services to our communities," he said.

The Obama stimulus plan will be a combination of government spending and tax cuts, proposals that will soon be debated in congress. A year ago the Bush administration and Congress implemented⁴ a much smaller $168 billion stimulus that did boost economic growth for a short time, before the economy resumed the slide that began in December 2007. That first stimulus plan, combined with big spending on wars in Iraq and Afghanistan has pushed the government budget into deep deficit⁵. Even before the planned Obama stimulus, the U.S. government was projected to be incurring⁶ a $1.2 trillion deficit in the current fiscal⁷ year. That is an amount equal to eight percent of economic output. Kevin Hasset, a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, believes government spending is out of control.

"The deficit next year, if we pass the Obama stimulus plan...will be larger than the size of government when Bush was elected, in nominal⁸ dollar terms," he said.
　

A "for sale" sign stands in front of a KIK Custom Products manufacturing plant (R) in Cumberland, R.I., (Dec 2008 file photo)

Martin Baily, chief economist⁹ to former President Bill Clinton, worries whether foreigners will continue to buy the Treasury¹⁰ debt needed to fund the rapidly growing government deficit.

"I think that is a danger. I said at the beginning of my comments that it is quite uncertain where the economy is going. It is possible that it will turn around more quickly and strongly than the current [Bush] administration's economic advisors¹¹ think it will. In which case, the Fed [central bank] will be scrambling¹² like crazy to rein¹³ in some of this money it has put out there," said Baily.

At a [Monday] conference on the stimulus plan, speakers including Hassett and Baily, expressed concern about the eventual¹⁴ inflationary impact of both greatly increased government spending and rapid increases in the money supply. Most economists¹⁵, however, agree that the unprecedented¹⁶ severity of the credit squeeze and global slowdown requires extraordinary measures to maintain consumer purchasing power.

1 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。

2 faltering   

犹豫的，支吾的，蹒跚的

参考例句：

• The economy shows no signs of faltering. 经济没有衰退的迹象。
• I canfeel my legs faltering. 我感到我的腿在颤抖。

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 implemented   

v.实现( implement的过去式和过去分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• This agreement, if not implemented, is a mere scrap of paper. 这个协定如不执行只不过是一纸空文。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The economy is in danger of collapse unless far-reaching reforms are implemented. 如果不实施影响深远的改革，经济就面临崩溃的危险。 来自辞典例句

5 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。

6 incurring   

遭受，招致，引起( incur的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• 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。
• He spoke to the Don directly, taking a chance on incurring Michael's ill will. 他直接向老头子谈自己的意见，这显然要冒引起迈克尔反感的风险。 来自教父部分

7 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。

8 nominal   

adj.名义上的；(金额、租金)微不足道的

参考例句：

• The king was only the nominal head of the state. 国王只是这个国家名义上的元首。
• The charge of the box lunch was nominal.午餐盒饭收费很少。

9 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

10 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。

11 advisors   

n.顾问，劝告者( advisor的名词复数 )；（指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授

参考例句：

• The governors felt that they were being strung along by their advisors. 地方长官感到他们一直在受顾问们的愚弄。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• We will consult together with advisors about her education. 我们将一起和专家商议她的教育事宜。 来自互联网

12 scrambling   

v.快速爬行( scramble的现在分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞

参考例句：

• Scrambling up her hair, she darted out of the house. 她匆忙扎起头发，冲出房去。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• She is scrambling eggs. 她正在炒蛋。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 rein   

n.疆绳，统治，支配；vt.以僵绳控制，统治

参考例句：

• The horse answered to the slightest pull on the rein.只要缰绳轻轻一拉,马就作出反应。
• He never drew rein for a moment till he reached the river.他一刻不停地一直跑到河边。

14 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。

15 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》

16 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。