NPR 2009-02-07

President Barack Obama said today with an estimated 3.6 million people losing their jobs since the start of the current recession, there is no time to waste in getting the economic stimulus¹ plan through Congress. President's remarks coming as Senate lawmakers continued to debate on his more than 900-billion-dollar economic stimulus bill. Mr. Obama also said now it's not a time to get caught up in political posturing². "It is inexcusable and irresponsible for any of us to get bogged³ down in distraction⁴, delay or politics as usual while millions of Americans are being put out of work." Obama admitted the stimulus bill is not perfect but said it's absolutely necessary. Senate Democrats⁵ have expressed optimism about the prospects⁶ for the package with both sides working to trim the measure with an eye towards passing it later today.

Labor⁷ Department said today unemployment jumped to 7.6% in January. That's worse than many economists⁸ had anticipated. NPR's Yuki Noguchi has more.

January logged the biggest one month job loss in 34 years. With unemployment rising for over a year now, there are an estimated 11. 6 million people out of work. But the figure is worse if you take a broader look at the numbers. If part-time workers looking for more work are included, the unemployment rate is closer to 14%. Meanwhile, state unemployment benefits funds are starting to run low as the list of those needing assistance grows. Last week a record 4.8 million people collected unemployment insurance. Most economists expect unemployment to reach 9% some time this year. But it's already hit double digits⁹ in some parts of the country. Yuki Noguchi, NPR News, Washington.

A top Iranian official has welcomed the offer of the new US administration for direct talks but sharply criticized Washington for its past policies in the Middle East. NPR's Rob Gifford reports.

The Speaker of the Iran's Parliament Ali Larijani called the US offer of direct talks and of sending an envoy¹⁰ to the Middle East to sound out countries in the region a positive sign and a golden opportunity for Washington. But he said it's not enough to ease the pain inflicted¹¹ on Teheran through what he called "decades of hostile and misguided American policies against his country". He said Washington must totally rethink its approach to Teheran for any chance of reconciliation¹². Larijani who was formerly¹³ Iran's top nuclear negotiator was speaking at the Munich Security Conference, an annual gathering¹⁴ of senior global leaders to discuss international security. US Vice¹⁵ President Joseph Biden will address the conference on Saturday, an event being closely watched in Europe and elsewhere for clues as to how the new administration intends to engage with the world. Rob Gifford, NPR News, Munich.

On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 217 points today to end the week at 8, 280. For the week, the Dow was up 3. 5%. The NASDAQ rose 45 points. The S&P 500 gained 22 points today.

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Japanese automaker Toyota is expected to report its first annual loss since 1950 as a weak US economy has sharply reduced demand for new cars and trucks. Toyota says it lost $1. 8 billion for the three months ending in December, while the company reports its quarterly sales plunge¹⁶ by 28%. Toyota joins a string of companies that are now expecting the slide into the red for the year. The news comes even as Toyota has continued to boost its market share. The company last year overtook General Motors as the world's best selling automaker.

More than 200, 000 California government employees were told not to come to work today, as the state imposed its first ever furloughs to try and save money. More from NPR's Carrie Kahn.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger ordered most state workers to take two days off a month without pay to save the state $1.3 billion. The closure of state offices made residents like Mario Dal Poz upset. He couldn't get into the shuttered downtown L.A Department of Motor Vehicles. "We are tax paying customers and we are keen to come here to pay our taxes that how they provide us not to do it. They know we need that… " Lonna Clark-Braxton, a worker at the office said she is used to dealing¹⁷ with upset customers but this is tough. "We're just trying to inform the public that it’s not our fault. Because there is no budget, you know, we are required to pay for the budget stuck stalemate." Lawmakers have been unable to close a 42-billion-dollar deficit¹⁸. Without a budget the state will begin issuing IOUs for tax refunds¹⁹ next week. Carrie Kahn, NPR News.

Crude oil futures²⁰ prices moved lower at week’s end. The near-month contract for benchmark grade crude oil fell $1 a barrel today, ending the session at $40.17 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

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 posturing   

做出某种姿势( posture的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• She was posturing a model. 她正在摆模特儿的姿势。
• She says the President may just be posturing. 她说总统也许只是在做样子而已。

3 bogged   

adj.陷于泥沼的v.（使）陷入泥沼， （使）陷入困境( bog的过去式和过去分词 )；妨碍，阻碍

参考例句：

• The professor bogged down in the middle of his speech. 教授的演讲只说了一半便讲不下去了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• The tractor is bogged down in the mud. 拖拉机陷入了泥沼。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 distraction   

n.精神涣散，精神不集中，消遣，娱乐

参考例句：

• Total concentration is required with no distractions.要全神贯注，不能有丝毫分神。
• Their national distraction is going to the disco.他们的全民消遣就是去蹦迪。

5 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

7 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

8 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》

9 digits   

n.数字( digit的名词复数 )；手指，足趾

参考例句：

• The number 1000 contains four digits. 1000是四位数。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The number 410 contains three digits. 数字 410 中包括三个数目字。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

10 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

11 inflicted   

把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• They inflicted a humiliating defeat on the home team. 他们使主队吃了一场很没面子的败仗。
• Zoya heroically bore the torture that the Fascists inflicted upon her. 卓娅英勇地承受法西斯匪徒加在她身上的酷刑。

12 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

13 formerly   

adv.从前，以前

参考例句：

• We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
• This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。

14 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

15 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

16 plunge   

v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲

参考例句：

• Test pool's water temperature before you plunge in.在你跳入之前你应该测试水温。
• That would plunge them in the broil of the two countries.那将会使他们陷入这两国的争斗之中。

17 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

18 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。

19 refunds   

n.归还，偿还额，退款( refund的名词复数 )v.归还，退还( refund的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Tomorrow he would return them to the store and claim refunds. 明天他要把它们退还给商店并要求退款。 来自辞典例句
• The new method means that taxpayers get refunds much faster. 这种新办法意味着纳税人可以较快地领到退还款。 来自辞典例句

20 futures   

n.期货，期货交易

参考例句：

• He continued his operations in cotton futures.他继续进行棉花期货交易。
• Cotton futures are selling at high prices.棉花期货交易的卖价是很高的。