VOA标准英语10月-Asia Stocks Fall in Response to US Bank Rescue

Asia's stock markets have fallen, as fears grow of an extended global recession. As Ron Corben reports from Bangkok, oil prices also sank, as investors¹ showed they had little confidence in measures in Europe and the United States to end the credit crisis.
　

A woman looks on at a stock brokerage in Beijing, China, 06 Oct 2008

Nervous investors fled markets Monday in Asia.

Hong Kong's key Hang Seng Index closed down five percent while Tokyo's benchmark Nikkei 225 index fell to its lowest closing level since February 2004 at 10,473 points. Indonesia's stock market plunged² 10 percent, the steepest single day decline on record.

Investors did not appear impressed with the $700 billion rescue plan approved Friday to help U.S. banks saddled with massive amounts of bad loans. And economists⁴ say the markets were further rattled⁵ new reports of troubled banks in Europe.

"So it's like its spreading," said Connie Bolland, the chief economist³ at Economic Research Analysis in Hong Kong. "I think people are getting more alarmed that a global recession is coming."

In another sign that investors expect a severe recession, the price of a barrel of oil fell briefly⁶ below $90 Monday in Asia. Oil prices peaked at $147 in July but have fallen since then over fears demand a recession will cut demand.

Shuvojit Banerjee is an economist with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific. He says the outlook is bleak⁷ for economies dependent on export markets for growth.

"Clearly the Asia export-oriented economies will be hard hit by the continuing problems in the United States and Europe Union," he said. "Many countries in the region are highly dependent on exports and they are likely to face a difficult scenario⁸ in the next few months and the year going forward."

Banerjee says the full effects of the credit crisis on Asia are expected to be seen next year. He says a shift of money to lower-risk investments outside Asia also will further hurt share prices.

"There's likely to be a major re-correction of markets both worldwide and specifically in Asia. Asian markets have done very well over the last few years. [But] money is likely to be pulled out of this region and back into safe assets like American treasury⁹ bonds," he said. "So markets here are likely to continued outflows of capital."

Banerjee expects Asia to see firm signs of recovery over the next two years, given the region's trade balances and large foreign exchange reserves, as well as growing domestic demand. But, he says, a full recovery will come only after developed economies again return to growth.

1 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

2 plunged   

v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降

参考例句：

• The train derailed and plunged into the river. 火车脱轨栽进了河里。
• She lost her balance and plunged 100 feet to her death. 她没有站稳，从100英尺的高处跌下摔死了。

3 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

4 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》

5 rattled   

慌乱的，恼火的

参考例句：

• The truck jolted and rattled over the rough ground. 卡车嘎吱嘎吱地在凹凸不平的地面上颠簸而行。
• Every time a bus went past, the windows rattled. 每逢公共汽车经过这里，窗户都格格作响。

6 briefly   

adv.简单地，简短地

参考例句：

• I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
• He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。

7 bleak   

adj.(天气)阴冷的；凄凉的；暗淡的

参考例句：

• They showed me into a bleak waiting room.他们引我来到一间阴冷的会客室。
• The company's prospects look pretty bleak.这家公司的前景异常暗淡。

8 scenario   

n.剧本，脚本；概要

参考例句：

• But the birth scenario is not completely accurate.然而分娩脚本并非完全准确的。
• This is a totally different scenario.这是完全不同的剧本。

9 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。