2007年VOA标准英语-Bush Announces Measures to Help Struggling US H

By Scott Stearns
White House
31 August 2007

President Bush is moving to help keep thousands of American homeowners from defaulting on their home loans in a growing crisis that has affected¹ worldwide financial markets. VOA White House Correspondent Scott Stearns reports, the chairman of the U.S. central bank says he will also act to keep the credit crisis from hurting the economy.

In his first public action to address the worsening mortgage crisis, President Bush wants to reassure² investors³ that the fundamentals of the U.S. economy are still strong.

Treasury4 Secretary Henry Paulson, right, and Housing Secretary Alphonso Jackson, makes a statement on home ownership financing, 31 Aug. 2007" hspace="2" src="/upimg/allimg/070907/0927210.jpg" width="211" vspace="2" border="0" />

President Bush, center, accompanied by Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, right, and Housing Secretary Alphonso Jackson, makes a statement on home ownership financing, 31 Aug 2007

"The markets are in a period of transition as participants reassess and re-price risk," he said.  "This process has been unfolding for some time and it is going to take more time to fully⁵ play out. As it does, America's overall economy remains⁶ strong enough to weather any turbulence⁷."

There has been particular strain in what is called the sub-prime adjustable⁸ rate mortgage sector⁹.  Hundreds of thousands of people purchased homes with these kinds of loans, which start out with low monthly payments.  However, as the payments have gone up many have been unable to pay.

Under the plan announced by President Bush, the government housing authority would allow about 250,000 families who are now defaulting on their payments to get new loans that would allow them to keep their houses.

The move marks a historic expansion of the role of the Federal Housing Authority, a Depression-era agency that has traditionally served low-income and moderate-income families and first-time buyers, but not delinquent¹⁰ borrowers.

Cautious of any intervention¹¹ that might appear to disrupt market forces, President Bush says the federal government has a role, but a limited role, in helping¹² homeowners.

"A federal bailout of lenders would only encourage a recurrence¹⁴ of the problem," he added.  "It is not the government's job to bail¹³ out speculators or those who made the decision to buy a home they knew they could never afford. Yet there are many American homeowners who could get through this difficult time with a little flexibility¹⁵ from their lenders or a little help from their government."

The president is urging Congress to give the FHA more flexibility in helping homeowners who hold sub-prime mortgages and is vowing¹⁶ to work with legislators to reform the tax code to help borrowers rework their loans.

Defaults on these loans, coupled with the worst housing slump¹⁷ in 16 years, has led to a widening credit crunch¹⁸ which Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke says he will not let slow the overall economy.

While he has not specified¹⁹ what the central bank will do to alleviate²⁰ the credit crisis, many analysts²¹ believe the Fed will next month cut its most important interest rate for the first time in four years.

1 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

2 reassure   

v.使放心，使消除疑虑

参考例句：

• This seemed to reassure him and he continued more confidently.这似乎使他放心一点，于是他更有信心地继续说了下去。
• The airline tried to reassure the customers that the planes were safe.航空公司尽力让乘客相信飞机是安全的。

3 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

4 treasury   

n.宝库；国库，金库；文库

参考例句：

• The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
• This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。

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 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 turbulence   

n.喧嚣，狂暴，骚乱，湍流

参考例句：

• The turbulence caused the plane to turn over.空气的激流导致飞机翻转。
• The world advances amidst turbulence.世界在动荡中前进。

8 adjustable   

adj.可调整的，可校准的

参考例句：

• More expensive cameras have adjustable focusing.比较贵的照相机有可调焦距。
• The chair has the virtue of being adjustable.这种椅子具有可调节的优点。

9 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。

10 delinquent   

adj.犯法的，有过失的；n.违法者

参考例句：

• Most delinquent children have deprived backgrounds.多数少年犯都有未受教育的背景。
• He is delinquent in paying his rent.他拖欠房租。

11 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。

12 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

13 bail   

v.舀（水），保释；n.保证金，保释，保释人

参考例句：

• One of the prisoner's friends offered to bail him out.犯人的一个朋友答应保释他出来。
• She has been granted conditional bail.她被准予有条件保释。

14 recurrence   

n.复发，反复，重现

参考例句：

• More care in the future will prevent recurrence of the mistake.将来的小心可防止错误的重现。
• He was aware of the possibility of a recurrence of his illness.他知道他的病有可能复发。

15 flexibility   

n.柔韧性，弹性，（光的）折射性，灵活性

参考例句：

• Her great strength lies in her flexibility.她的优势在于她灵活变通。
• The flexibility of a man's muscles will lessen as he becomes old.人老了肌肉的柔韧性将降低。

16 vowing   

起誓，发誓（vow的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild its collapsed bridge. 布什总统承诺将帮助明尼阿波利斯重建坍塌的大桥。
• President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild this collapse bridge. 布什总统发誓要帮助明尼阿波利斯重建起这座坍塌的桥梁。

17 slump   

n.暴跌，意气消沉，（土地）下沉；vi.猛然掉落，坍塌，大幅度下跌

参考例句：

• She is in a slump in her career.她处在事业的低谷。
• Economists are forecasting a slump.经济学家们预言将发生经济衰退。

18 crunch   

n.关键时刻；艰难局面；v.发出碎裂声

参考例句：

• If it comes to the crunch they'll support us.关键时刻他们是会支持我们的。
• People who crunch nuts at the movies can be very annoying.看电影时嘎吱作声地嚼干果的人会使人十分讨厌。

19 specified   

adj.特定的

参考例句：

• The architect specified oak for the wood trim. 那位建筑师指定用橡木做木饰条。
• It is generated by some specified means. 这是由某些未加说明的方法产生的。

20 alleviate   

v.减轻，缓和，缓解(痛苦等)

参考例句：

• The doctor gave her an injection to alleviate the pain.医生给她注射以减轻疼痛。
• Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。

21 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。