VOA常速英语2013--华盛顿政治对峙下市场仍然保持相对稳定

 

Markets Remained Relatively¹ Stable Throughout Political Debate 华盛顿政治对峙下市场仍然保持相对稳定

NEW YORK — The Wall Street financial markets have remained relatively stable throughout the protracted² debate in Washington over extending the $16.7- trillion government borrowing limit.  However, now that a last minute agreement has been reached to avert³ an unprecedented⁴ national debt default, some investors⁵ are still anxious about how this recent crisis will affect America's financial standing⁶ in the long term.

Stocks surged higher on Wednesday after Senate leaders reached a deal to raise the government debt ceiling.

在参议院的领导人们达成了一项提高政府债务上限的协议后股市在周三一片大好。

The news came one day before the U.S. Treasury⁷ said it could run out of ways to avoid default on its debt.

这一消息来自美国财政部表示可能会用尽所有方法来避免拖欠债务的一天前。

Many investors say they have not been surprised by either the political brinkmanship on display in Washington or the announcement of last minute deals.

许多投资者表示没有因华盛顿政治边缘政策或最后一分钟宣布的协议感到惊讶。

Ken⁸ Williams, a stockbroker⁹ with Blackwall Capital Markets, said it is just how business gets done in Washington these days.

布莱克沃尔资本市场股票经纪人肯·威廉姆斯表示这些天在华盛顿只是关于交易如何完成。

“Unfortunately we'll hit our rocks and have our problems and scare everybody.

“不幸的是,我们只会搬起石头砸自己的脚,用我们的问题吓吓大家。

It's just like a roller coaster, aahh, oohh, eehh, but in the end, guess what?

这就像一辆过山车,虽然经历波折，但你猜结果怎么着?

It'll come out nice and smooth and you'll get off and you'll look behind you and say, 'what a ride,'” said Williams.

万事OK，你下车会看看后面,然后说太过瘾了。”威廉姆斯说道。

Offering an alternative view is Gennadiy Goldberg, a strategist with TD Securities, who feels that even the threat of a default drove some investors to pull money from short-term money markets.

提供另一种观点的是道明证券策略师戈那迪·戈德伯格,他觉得甚至违约的威胁会促使一些投资者把钱从短期货币市场撤出。

Goldberg is worried the Congressional drama could also undermine long term international confidence in U.S. currency markets and the dollar.

戈德伯格担心国会的闹剧也会削弱长期美国货币市场及美元的国际信心。

“The Treasuries¹⁰ are used as kind of a risk-free base rate for things.

“美国国债是一种无风险基准利率的事物。

So obviously when your risk-free base is no longer risk-free, that will throw everything up in the air and have people reconsider how they see the U.S. dollar as a global reserve currency, how they see Treasuries as the risk-free assets,” explained Goldberg.

所以很明显当你无风险的基础不再是无风险,那一切将无济于事,而人们也会开始考虑他们如何看待作为全球储备货币的美元,如何看待作为无风险资产的美国国债。”戈德伯格解释道。

Goldberg also feels that not only has the U.S. financial reputation been tarnished¹¹, but in addition the national debt will actually increase because of the government shutdown.

戈德伯格也认为不仅美国的金融声誉遭到玷污,更有甚者由于政府关闭国家债务实际上会增加。

“There is no reason to assume that this would have actually saved us any money.

“认为这实际上会为我们节省任何金钱是完全不切实际的。

So the irony¹² is that by shutting down the government, we're actually going to be paying more because you have to pay back the workers,

因此讽刺的是关闭政府让我们实际上要付出更多,因为你必须支付工人,

you have to pay back your debt and essentially¹³ it will cost you more in the end,” said Goldberg.

你必须偿还自身债务,本质上, 最后它将使你花费更多,”戈德伯格说道。

Even though Wall Street investors were prepared for a last-minute deal,

尽管华尔街投资者已经对即将到来的最后时刻有所准备,

Goldberg feels political stand-offs in Washington are likely to make the markets more volatile¹⁴ in the future.

但戈德伯格认为华盛顿政治对峙有可能造成未来市场的更加不稳定。

1 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

2 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》

3 avert   

v.防止，避免；转移(目光、注意力等)

参考例句：

• He managed to avert suspicion.他设法避嫌。
• I would do what I could to avert it.我会尽力去避免发生这种情况。

4 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。

5 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

6 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。

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。

8 ken   

n.视野，知识领域

参考例句：

• Such things are beyond my ken.我可不懂这些事。
• Abstract words are beyond the ken of children.抽象的言辞超出小孩所理解的范围.

9 stockbroker   

n.股票（或证券），经纪人（或机构）

参考例句：

• The main business of stockbroker is to help clients buy and sell shares.股票经纪人的主要业务是帮客户买卖股票。
• My stockbroker manages my portfolio for me.我的证券经纪人替我管理投资组合。

10 treasuries   

n.（政府的）财政部( treasury的名词复数 )；国库，金库

参考例句：

• Yields on Treasuries, Bunds and gilts can remain at historically low levels. 美国国债、德国国债和英国国债的收益率仍然可以维持在历史低位。 来自互联网
• Treasuries and gold rose in response but the dollar fell sharply. 接着，国债和黄金的价格上涨，而美元价格则猛跌。 来自互联网

11 tarnished   

（通常指金属）（使）失去光泽，（使）变灰暗( tarnish的过去式和过去分词 )； 玷污，败坏

参考例句：

• The mirrors had tarnished with age. 这些镜子因年深日久而照影不清楚。
• His bad behaviour has tarnished the good name of the school. 他行为不轨，败坏了学校的声誉。

12 irony   

n.反语，冷嘲；具有讽刺意味的事，嘲弄

参考例句：

• She said to him with slight irony.她略带嘲讽地对他说。
• In her voice we could sense a certain tinge of irony.从她的声音里我们可以感到某种讥讽的意味。

13 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

14 volatile   

adj.反复无常的，挥发性的，稍纵即逝的，脾气火爆的；n.挥发性物质

参考例句：

• With the markets being so volatile,investments are at great risk.由于市场那么变化不定，投资冒着很大的风险。
• His character was weak and volatile.他这个人意志薄弱，喜怒无常。