VOA标准英语2012--IMF Seeking Additional Funding From Member Nations

IMF Seeking Additional Funding From Member Nations

Despite a slowly improving outlook, the global financial system remains¹ fragile. The IMF's Christine Lagarde uses a weather analogy to describe the risks.

"We are seeing a light recovery blowing in a spring wind, but we are also seeing some very dark clouds on the horizon," said Lagarde.

To combat future threats, Lagarde is asking finance ministers attending the IMF and World Bank meetings in Washington to pledge additional funds to the global lending institution she heads.

Lagarde says boosting the IMF's resources will help contain the debt crisis in Europe and increase the IMF's lending capacity to economically troubled nations.

"As part of the outcome of this meeting, we expect our firepower to be significantly increased," she said. 

The IMF has already collected $320 billion in pledges from member countries, including $60 billion from Japan.

But absent from the new pledges is the IMF's largest shareholder². Treasury³ Secretary Tim Geithner defends the U.S. position, saying the United States has never shied away from supporting its trading partners in Europe.

"It is a mistake to see this and suggest that the United States is holding back from, and standing⁴ apart from, this broad effort," said Geithner. "We have been, as you know, central to the broad effort by the world to help reinforce what Europe is doing, and we are doing it in ways that are more effective for what Europe needs right now."

The United States has set aside $171 billion in available loans to the IMF but has yet to ratify⁵ a 2010 commitment to increase funding by $60 billion. Agreement could prove difficult in an election year - but given the interconnected nature of the financial system, Lagarde says, if the European economy falters⁶, so would the American recovery. 

1 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

2 shareholder   

n.股东，股票持有人

参考例句：

• The account department have prepare a financial statement for the shareholder.财务部为股东准备了一份财务报表。
• A shareholder may transfer his shares in accordance with the law.股东持有的股份可以依法转让。

3 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。

4 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

5 ratify   

v.批准，认可，追认

参考例句：

• The heads of two governments met to ratify the peace treaty.两国政府首脑会晤批准和平条约。
• The agreement have to be ratify by the board.该协议必须由董事会批准。

6 falters   

（嗓音）颤抖( falter的第三人称单数 )； 支吾其词； 蹒跚； 摇晃

参考例句：

• He never falters in his determination. 他的决心从不动摇。
• The plan never falters; the design never changes. It is all ordered. 大自然从不步履蹒跚，从不三心二意，一切都是有条不紊。