在线英语听力室_免费在线英语听力学习网站

President Bush says he is confident tax incentives¹ and tax rebates² will make the U.S. economy "stronger than ever before." President and Congress agreed on a temporary stimulus³ plan last month after rising energy prices and falling property values slowed economic growth.

布什总统说，他相信，税收激励措施和退税将使美国经济比以往任何时候都更加强劲。在不断上涨的能源价格以及继续下跌的房产价值拖累了经济增长之后，布什总统和国会上个月就一个临时性的经济刺激计划达成了协议。

President Bush says the government has taken decisive action to ease the pains of a slowing economy by agreeing to tax incentives for businesses and tax rebates for more than 130 million households.

布什总统说，政府通过同意给美国企业提供税收激励以及给1亿3千万家庭提供退税而采取了果断行动来缓解经济减缓所带来的痛苦。

"I fully⁴ recognize that people are concerned about our economy, but they must understand that this package has yet to fully kick in yet," he said. "We have taken action, but it is going to take awhile for the economy to feel the effects of this good law that I have signed."

他说：“我充分意识到大家对我们的经济感到关注，但是他们必须理解，这个一揽子经济刺激方案还没有开始充分发挥作用。我们已经采取了行动，但是还需要一段时间才能使经济感受到我签署的这个好法案的效果。”

Mr. Bush spoke⁵ to reporters at a printing plant in the state of Virginia. The visit was meant to highlight tax incentives for businesses to invest in new equipment this year.

布什总统是在维吉尼亚州一个印刷厂对记者做出上述表示的。他来这个印刷厂参观是为了突出显示鼓励企业今年对新的设备进行投资的税收激励措施。

"Small business owners are dreamers and doers," he added. "And we want to watch them and help them expand, because as they expand, more and more people find work. We are in a rough patch right now in our economy, but I am confident that in the long term we will come out stronger than ever before."

他说：“小企业主既是梦想家，也是实干家。我们要关注它们，而且要帮助它们发展壮大，因为随著它们的壮大，更多的人会找到工作。我们的经济现在处于一个比较艰难的处境，但是我有信心，从长远来看，我们会比以往任何时候都要更加强劲。”

Two government reports show further evidence of a slowing economy. The Commerce Department said sales of newly built homes last month fell to the lowest level in 13 years. The median price of homes sold was down nearly three percent from a year earlier.

美国联邦政府星期三公布的两个报告显示了经济正在减缓的进一步证据。商务部说，上个月新建房屋的销售下降到13年来的最低水平，售出房屋的中间价格几乎比一年前下跌了3%。

The number of unsold homes on the market held steady from January, creating the biggest inventory⁶ of residential⁷ property in more than 26 years. That is partly the result of banks trying to resell homes they have foreclosed on because owners could not make higher payments on adjustable-rate mortgages.

从1月以来，市场上没有售出的房屋数量没有什么变化，从而使民宅的库存量达到26年多来的最高水平。银行因为房主在房贷利率调整后不能支付更高的贷款而收回这些房子后试图重新出售这些房子也是造成这种现象的部分原因。

A separate government report showed a second straight month of declining U.S. manufacturing activity as orders for items intended to last more than three years dropped 1.7 percent. Demand for manufacturing equipment fell more than 13 percent, the largest drop on record.

另外一份政府报告显示，美国的制造业活动连续第二月出现下降，对那些可以使用3年以上产品的订单下跌了1.7%，对制造设备的需求下跌了13%以上，是有记录以来的最大跌幅。

Consumer confidence is also down. A regular survey of 5,000 American households found consumer confidence in the economy at a five-year low. Expectations for future business conditions, jobs and income are at a 35-year low.

消费者信心也处于低迷状态。对5千个美国家庭定期进行的调查发现，消费者对经济的信心处于5年来的低水平，对今后的商业条件、就业和收入的预期则处于35年来的新低。

A public-opinion poll this month by NBC News and the Wall Street Journal found that two-thirds of Americans disapprove⁸ of the president's handling of the economy. The economy has now replaced the war in Iraq as the number-one issue for voters before the November presidential election.

全国广播公司和华尔街日报这个月进行的一项民意调查发现，三分之二的美国人不满意布什总统对经济的处理。经济问题已经取代伊拉克战争成为11月总统大选之前选民最关心的问题。