New California governor announces balanced state budget

    LOS ANGELES, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- One week after taking office, California Governor Jerry Brown announced a balanced state budget on Monday which slashes¹ state spending by 12.5 billion U.S. dollars.
    The budget also includes an eight to 10 percent cut in take-home pay for most state employees, and proposes a "vast and historic" restructuring of government operations.
    "These cuts will be painful, requiring sacrifice(牺牲,奉献) from every sector² of the state, but we have no choice," Brown said. "For 10 years, we've had budget gimmicks³ and tricks that pushed us deep into debt. We must now return California to fiscal⁴ responsibility(责任,职责) and get our state on the road to economic recovery and job growth."Brown's budget also calls for temporary continuation of taxes while the state pays off debt, moves forward with his plan to realign some government programs, giving cities and counties decision-making authority over certain services and programs.
    Brown said the realignment would "allow government at all levels to focus on core functions and become more efficient and less expensive by reducing duplication of services and costs.""Since it will take some time to fully⁵ implement⁶ these changes, I propose to ask the voters for a five-year extension of several current taxes so that we can restructure in an orderly manner," the governor explained.
    He said the proposed spending plan, which puts one billion dollars into a "rainy day" reserve fund, closes California's budget deficit⁷ "now and into the future."The governor called his realignment plan "vast and historic," saying it will return decisions and authority to cities, counties and schools.
    The one area of state spending spared from cuts is kindergarten through 12th grade education.
    "Schools have borne the brunt of spending reductions in recent years, so this budget maintains funding at the same level as the current year," the governor said.
    Brown's budget proposes total spending of 127.4 billion dollars for the 2011-12 fiscal year. Of this amount, proposed General Fund spending is 84.6 billion.
    The spending plan eliminates an 18-month budget gap estimated at 25.4 billion dollars, comprising of a current year shortfall of 8.2 billion and a budget year shortfall(差额,缺少) of 17.2 billion.
    A combination of 26.4 billion dollars in actions is needed in order to have a one billion reserve. In addition, the deficit will grow to 26.6 billion dollars if the proposed sale of state office buildings, blocked by court order, does not proceed, requiring 27.6 billion in budget actions in order to have a reserve.
    In addition to the 12.5 billion dollars in spending reductions, the budget also proposes 12 billion in revenue extensions and modifications⁸, 1.9 billion in other solutions to close the gap and provides for a one billion reserve.
    The spending plan was "a tough budget for tough times" that will close the state's structural⁹ deficit and provide a "strong and stable foundation" to meet future needs, Brown said.
    "Without decisive action, the state's severe budget problems will persist, threatening economic recovery, job growth, public education and the quality of life in California," he said. "The adoption¹⁰ of this budget will position the state to lead the country as it slowly recovers from the Great Recession."(本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑)

1 slashes   

n.（用刀等）砍( slash的名词复数 )；（长而窄的）伤口；斜杠；撒尿v.挥砍( slash的第三人称单数 )；鞭打；割破；削减

参考例句：

• They report substantial slashes in this year's defense outlays. 他们报道今年度国防经费的大量削减。 来自辞典例句
• Inmates suffered injuries ranging from stab wounds and slashes to head trauma. 囚犯们有的被刺伤，有的被砍伤，而有的头部首创，伤势不一而足。 来自互联网

2 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。

3 gimmicks   

n.花招，诡计，骗人的玩意儿( gimmick的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Financial institutions are also often expected yield of gimmicks. 金融机构也往往以预期收益率为噱头。 来自互联网
• However these are just marketing gimmicks that propagate the myth. 然而这些只是噱头的营销传播的神话。 来自互联网

4 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。

5 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

6 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

7 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。

8 modifications   

n.缓和( modification的名词复数 )；限制；更改；改变

参考例句：

• The engine was pulled apart for modifications and then reassembled. 发动机被拆开改型，然后再组装起来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The original plan had undergone fairly extensive modifications. 原计划已经作了相当大的修改。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 structural   

adj.构造的，组织的，建筑（用）的

参考例句：

• The storm caused no structural damage.风暴没有造成建筑结构方面的破坏。
• The North American continent is made up of three great structural entities.北美大陆是由三个构造单元组成的。

10 adoption   

n.采用，采纳，通过；收养

参考例句：

• An adoption agency had sent the boys to two different families.一个收养机构把他们送给两个不同的家庭。
• The adoption of this policy would relieve them of a tremendous burden.采取这一政策会给他们解除一个巨大的负担。