澳洲新闻 (ABC新闻快递) 2010-01-09

US employers have unexpectedly cut 85,000 jobs in December but the unemployment rate is holding steady at 10%. The construction sector¹ bore the brunt of the job losses shedding 53,000 positions. In manufacturing, 27,000 positions were lost. It's a setback² from the November figures showing a net gain of 4,000 jobs, making November the first positive month after 22 months of losses.

That weak employment report dashed hopes of a quick recovery in the labor³ market although losses were slight. The Dow closed just 0.3% down as forecast for a stronger reporting season for aluminium⁴ giant Alcoa offset⁵ losses. In London, the FTSE closed slightly higher led by banks and miners on the back of positive broker⁶ sentiment. And the dollar is up. It's buying 92.4 US cents. 

China has overtaken Germany to become the world's largest exporter. Data released in Frankfurt shows Germany exporting 1,050 billion dollars worth of goods in the first 11 months of last year. That's 20 billion short of China's own reported figures. If confirmed, the development would consolidate⁷ China's global position. The country is expected to replace Japan as the world's second largest economy this year.

And that's ABC Business News.

 

1 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。

2 setback   

n.退步，挫折，挫败

参考例句：

• Since that time there has never been any setback in his career.从那时起他在事业上一直没有遇到周折。
• She views every minor setback as a disaster.她把每个较小的挫折都看成重大灾难。

3 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。

4 aluminium   

n.铝 (=aluminum)

参考例句：

• Aluminium looks heavy but actually it is very light.铝看起来很重，实际上却很轻。
• If necessary, we can use aluminium instead of steel.如果必要，我们可用铝代钢。

5 offset   

n.分支，补偿；v.抵消，补偿

参考例句：

• Their wage increases would be offset by higher prices.他们增加的工资会被物价上涨所抵消。
• He put up his prices to offset the increased cost of materials.他提高了售价以补偿材料成本的增加。

6 broker   

n.中间人，经纪人；v.作为中间人来安排

参考例句：

• He baited the broker by promises of higher commissions.他答应给更高的佣金来引诱那位经纪人。
• I'm a real estate broker.我是不动产经纪人。

7 consolidate   

v.使加固，使加强；(把...)联为一体，合并

参考例句：

• The two banks will consolidate in July next year. 这两家银行明年7月将合并。
• The government hoped to consolidate ten states to form three new ones.政府希望把十个州合并成三个新的州。