2007年VOA标准英语-US Central Bank Chief Upbeat About US Economic

By Barry Wood
Washington
28 February 2007

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told Congress Wednesday regulators are closely watching U.S. markets following the huge drop in stock prices Tuesday. But U.S. stock markets rebounded¹ early Wednesday on Bernanke's optimistic assessment² of America's economic outlook for 2007. VOA's Barry Wood reports.

The global sell-off continued in Asia -- with the exception of mainland China -- and Europe before Wall Street rebounded in early trading.

fiscal3 challenges and the economy, 28 Feb 2007" hspace="2" src="/upimg/allimg/070522/1446340.jpg" width="210" vspace="2" border="0" />

Ben Bernanke testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, before the House Budget Committee hearing on long-term fiscal challenges and the economy, 28 Feb 2007

Traders said investors⁴ took heart from upbeat congressional testimony⁵ by Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke.

He told legislators U.S. economic activity remains⁶ solid and saw no single factor that had contributed to Tuesday's decline.

The New York Stock Exchange dropped more than 416 points Tuesday in the largest sell-off in five years.

Bernanke noted⁷ there is continuing weakness in the U.S. housing sector⁸, but said even there improvement is likely.

He said, "We believe that if the housing sector begins to stabilize⁹ and if some of the inventory¹⁰ corrections that are still going on in manufacturing are completed that there is a reasonable chance that we'll see some strengthening of the economy in the middle of the year."

Bernanke spoke¹¹ after the U.S. Commerce Department released a sharp downward revision of U.S. economic growth to 2.2 percent in the fourth quarter of 2006. Its earlier growth figure was 3.5 percent. Most forecasters anticipate U.S. economy to grow at two and a half to three percent this year.

Some financial analysts¹² had said the rising stock markets around the globe were due for what they call a "correction." They attributed Tuesday's precipitous sell-off to a number of factors, including a sharp drop on the Shanghai stock exchange and an earlier statement by Bernanke's predecessor¹³, Alan Greenspan, that the U.S. economy is heading for a possible recession.

1 rebounded   

弹回( rebound的过去式和过去分词 )； 反弹； 产生反作用； 未能奏效

参考例句：

• The ball rebounded from the goalpost and Owen headed it in. 球从门柱弹回，欧文头球将球攻进。
• The ball rebounded from his racket into the net. 球从他的球拍上弹回网中。

2 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

3 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。

4 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

5 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

6 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

7 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

8 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。

9 stabilize   

vt.（使）稳定，使稳固，使稳定平衡；vi.稳定

参考例句：

• They are eager to stabilize currencies.他们急于稳定货币。
• His blood pressure tended to stabilize.他的血压趋向稳定。

10 inventory   

n.详细目录，存货清单

参考例句：

• Some stores inventory their stock once a week.有些商店每周清点存货一次。
• We will need to call on our supplier to get more inventory.我们必须请供应商送来更多存货。

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 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

13 predecessor   

n.前辈，前任

参考例句：

• It will share the fate of its predecessor.它将遭受与前者同样的命运。
• The new ambassador is more mature than his predecessor.新大使比他的前任更成熟一些。