voa标准英语2008年-Obama Envisions Massive Economic Stimulus

With the reeling U.S. economy his top concern, President-elect Barack Obama will announce members of his economic team at a news conference Monday. VOA's Michael Bowman reports from Washington, Mr. Obama and his aides are signaling their intention to lay the groundwork for swift action on the economic front when the new administration takes over in January.
　

A U.S. Secret Service agent, right, holds the door open for President-elect Barack Obama

In his radio address Saturday, the president-elect spoke¹ of his determination to jump-start the American economy and create millions of jobs through large-scale infrastructure² projects and alternative energy initiatives. He has also pledged to cut taxes for middle-income workers and small businesses.

But while Mr. Obama must wait until Inauguration³ Day - January 20 - to begin implementing⁴ his economic program, he is moving quickly to form his economic team and craft proposals in consultation⁵ with congressional leaders.

David Axelrod, who served as Mr. Obama's campaign strategist and will be a senior advisor⁶ in the new administration, spoke on Fox News Sunday.

"The economic recovery plan we are going to bring in January has to be big enough to deal with the huge problem we face, to do the range of things we need to do - not just to get out of our problems in the short-term, but to build our economy in the long-term," said David Axelrod. "Our hope is the new Congress begins work on this as soon as they take office in January, because we do not have time to waste."

Given a contracting economy with rising unemployment and a plummeting⁷ stock market, Mr. Obama clearly believes that aggressive government action is required to reverse America's financial slide.

An economic advisor to the president-elect, Austan Goolsbee, says the amount of money Mr. Obama wants to commit to a stimulus⁸ program is much larger than what he envisioned during the campaign.

"It [the stimulus plan] has to be big," said Austan Goolsbee. "In the campaign, he [Obama] was looking at stimulus in the $175 billion range, and the economy has gotten substantially worse since then. We have got to make investments in the future of this country, and we have got to provide relief to ordinary Americans, to 95 percent of Americans. And that will be in the package."

Goolsbee was speaking on the CBS program Face the Nation.

The November 4 election increased the Democratic Party's majorities in both houses of Congress, which may make it easier for Mr. Obama to win passage of his economic plan. In the meantime, the outgoing Bush administration has signaled its willingness to consider some modest measures, such as an extension of federal benefits for the unemployed⁹. There appears to be no consensus¹⁰ in Washington on how to rescue U.S. automakers, all of which could face bankruptcy¹¹ in coming months.

Democratic congressional leaders say, in the weeks ahead, they will work with the Obama team to draft a stimulus plan they hope can be voted on and signed into law when Mr. Obama takes office.

New York Senator Charles Schumer, a member of the Senate Finance Committee, spoke on ABC's This Week program.

"I believe we need a pretty big [stimulus] package," said Charles Schumer. "First, I think Congress will work with the president-elect starting now and will have a major stimulus package on his desk by Inauguration Day. In my view, it has to be between $500 and $700 billion. And that is because our economy is in serious, serious trouble."

The president-elect has stated his desire to forge a bipartisan consensus on all major initiatives undertaken during his administration. When it comes to economic stimulus, Republicans have ideas of their own, including an extension of the tax cuts enacted¹² during the Bush administration - some of which Mr. Obama has pledged to eliminate.

The ranking Republican on the Senate Banking¹³ Committee, Richard Shelby of Alabama, is taking a wait-and-see approach regarding the Obama economic program.

"I would like to see the details of any stimulus package: what it would do, how it would work, and who would benefit from it," said Richard Shelby. "One thing we better be careful about is not just throwing money [at the problem], borrowing money and throwing it at deals. I want to support things that area meaningful for the economy."

Shelby was also speaking on This Week.

Meanwhile, numerous media reports say Mr. Obama has tapped Federal Reserve official Tim Geithner as the next Treasury¹⁴ Secretary, and picked New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson to be Commerce Secretary. Former Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers is expected to be named White House economic advisor.

New York Senator Hillary Clinton is widely reported to be Mr. Obama's first choice for Secretary of State, but no formal announcement has been made.

1 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。

2 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

3 inauguration   

n.开幕、就职典礼

参考例句：

• The inauguration of a President of the United States takes place on January 20.美国总统的就职典礼于一月二十日举行。
• Three celebrated tenors sang at the president's inauguration.3位著名的男高音歌手在总统就职仪式上演唱。

4 implementing   

v.实现( implement的现在分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• -- Implementing a comprehensive drug control strategy. ――实行综合治理的禁毒战略。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• He was in no hurry about implementing his unshakable principle. 他并不急于实行他那不可动摇的原则。 来自辞典例句

5 consultation   

n.咨询；商量；商议；会议

参考例句：

• The company has promised wide consultation on its expansion plans.该公司允诺就其扩展计划广泛征求意见。
• The scheme was developed in close consultation with the local community.该计划是在同当地社区密切磋商中逐渐形成的。

6 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

7 plummeting   

v.垂直落下，骤然跌落( plummet的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Prices are rising, falling, going up, going down, shooting up, plummeting, etc. 物价在上涨、下跌、上升、下落、猛然上涨、骤然下跌等。 来自辞典例句
• The enemy plane went plummeting into the sea. 敌机直直掉进海里。 来自辞典例句

8 stimulus   

n.刺激，刺激物，促进因素，引起兴奋的事物

参考例句：

• Regard each failure as a stimulus to further efforts.把每次失利看成对进一步努力的激励。
• Light is a stimulus to growth in plants.光是促进植物生长的一个因素。

9 unemployed   

adj.失业的，没有工作的；未动用的，闲置的

参考例句：

• There are now over four million unemployed workers in this country.这个国家现有四百万失业人员。
• The unemployed hunger for jobs.失业者渴望得到工作。

10 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？

11 bankruptcy   

n.破产；无偿付能力

参考例句：

• You will have to pull in if you want to escape bankruptcy.如果你想避免破产，就必须节省开支。
• His firm is just on thin ice of bankruptcy.他的商号正面临破产的危险。

12 enacted   

制定（法律），通过（法案）( enact的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• legislation enacted by parliament 由议会通过的法律
• Outside in the little lobby another scene was begin enacted. 外面的小休息室里又是另一番景象。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

13 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。

14 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。