VOA标准英语2013--美央行可能减少经济刺激措施

 

US Central Bank May Cut Economic Stimulus¹ 美央行可能减少经济刺激措施

Investors² are watching nervously³ as the U.S. central bank considers when to reduce its efforts to stimulate⁴ the economy.  Many economists⁵ predict that the cuts will come sometime next year, while others say it might be as soon as next Wednesday.

投资者紧张地关注着美国中央银行认为当减少其刺激经济的努力。许多经济学家预测,裁员将在明年的某个时候,而另一些人则认为可能最快下个星期三。

Stock prices plunged⁶ earlier this year when the U.S. central bank said it might gradually reduce stimulus efforts.

Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke said a strengthening economy would, eventually, no longer needed the boost it got from a huge program of bond purchases.

"If the incoming data support the view that the economy can sustain a reasonable cruising speed, we will ease the pressure on the accelerator by gradually reducing the pace of purchases," he said.

The National Association for Business Economics said its economists saw growth improving this year, rising to a three percent annual rate next year.

The group's survey of its members said stronger growth meant less need for stimulus this year, and made cuts nearly certain next year.

National Defense⁷ University Professor Nayantara Hensel designed the survey. “The bulk of our panelists think there is an 80 percent probability that the Fed is going to taper⁸ off in 2014,” she said.

The Fed has been trying to boost economic growth since the recession sharply increased unemployment.

First, it cut short-term interest rates to nearly zero and pledged to keep them ultra-low until unemployment falls to 6.5 percent or lower.

Then it created a second program to cut long-term interest rates, making it easier for families to borrow money for new homes and easier for businesses to raise capital for new equipment.

Under the program, the Fed is buying $85 billion in securities each month. So cutting that stimulus would reduce those purchases.

Hensel said not all the data supported a cutback. “We are seeing sort of some economic growth, but not as sudden and as significant as one might expect,” she said.

And a survey of the American Institute of Certified⁹ Public Accountants showed some members were worried that renewed wrangling¹⁰ over taxes and government spending in Congress could discourage investments needed for growth.

Gary Lubin, CEO of Centerphase Solutions, helped organize the survey and spoke¹¹ to VOA via Skype.

“The debt ceiling, sequestration, issues around patent protection and some international business practices - all really create a certain level of uncertainty¹² which leads to some apprehension¹³ or some holding back of items, for example capital spending,” he said.

Top officials of the U.S. Federal Reserve are scheduled to meet next Tuesday and Wednesday for debate on economic policy.  On Wednesday, Bernanke is scheduled to meet with journalists to explain the changes - if any - in the bank’s strategy.

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 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

3 nervously   

adv.神情激动地，不安地

参考例句：

• He bit his lip nervously,trying not to cry.他紧张地咬着唇，努力忍着不哭出来。
• He paced nervously up and down on the platform.他在站台上情绪不安地走来走去。

4 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。

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 plunged   

v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降

参考例句：

• The train derailed and plunged into the river. 火车脱轨栽进了河里。
• She lost her balance and plunged 100 feet to her death. 她没有站稳，从100英尺的高处跌下摔死了。

7 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

8 taper   

n.小蜡烛，尖细，渐弱；adj.尖细的；v.逐渐变小

参考例句：

• You'd better taper off the amount of time given to rest.你最好逐渐地减少休息时间。
• Pulmonary arteries taper towards periphery.肺动脉向周围逐渐变细。

9 certified   

a.经证明合格的；具有证明文件的

参考例句：

• Doctors certified him as insane. 医生证明他精神失常。
• The planes were certified airworthy. 飞机被证明适于航行。

10 wrangling   

v.争吵，争论，口角( wrangle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The two sides have spent most of their time wrangling over procedural problems. 双方大部分时间都在围绕程序问题争论不休。 来自辞典例句
• The children were wrangling (with each other) over the new toy. 孩子为新玩具（互相）争吵。 来自辞典例句

11 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

12 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

13 apprehension   

n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑

参考例句：

• There were still areas of doubt and her apprehension grew.有些地方仍然存疑，于是她越来越担心。
• She is a girl of weak apprehension.她是一个理解力很差的女孩。