voa标准英语2008-Auto Rescue Plan Nearing House Vote; US Deficit

As Congress debates a multi-billion-dollar rescue plan for the U.S. auto¹ industry, the government's budget deficit² has reached record levels.
　

Sen. Richard Shelby, R-AL, center, accompanied by several Republican senators speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill, 10 Dec. 2008

The proposed $14 billion government bailout for Detroit's Big Three auto companies is moving closer to a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Democratic Congressman³ Barney Frank of Massachusetts said the carmakers cannot be allowed to fail.

"This economy, which is already in trouble, would take a staggering hit if you had this kind of collapse," he said.

If the plan passes the House, it could face trouble in the Senate, where Republicans, like Bob Corker of Tennessee, said it does not go far enough to require the car companies to reform the way they do business.

"I always want to read the details, but based on what I know, I cannot support it," he said.

Corker and some other Senate Republicans believe a government rescue plan may not solve Detroit's problems.

"I have tried to offer a plan that keeps them from going into bankruptcy⁴, but I am beginning to believe that maybe the only way for them to do what needs to happen is through that process, which we have worked to try to avoid," he said.

The Bush administration is supporting the concept of the initiative, which would allow General Motors and Chrysler to receive government loans, and would eventually let Ford⁵ have access to government credit.

Meanwhile, the U.S. government has registered a record budget deficit. The Treasury⁶ Department said the deficit surpassed $164 billion last month, the largest federal deficit ever recorded for the month of November. Experts blamed the growing deficit on both the impact of the recession on tax receipts and the costs of the $700 billion financial rescue program.

European stock markets closed mostly higher Wednesday. The DAX index in Frankfurt was up half a percent, at 4,804, while the CAC 40 in Paris gained seven-tenths of a percent, to 3,320. London's Financial Times 100 was the only major index to fall, dropping one-half percent to 4,361.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng index surged 5.6 percent, to finish at 15,577. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 rose 3.2 percent, to 8,660.

China is reporting an unexpected drop in exports in November, as global demand plunged⁷. China's exports in November fell by 2.2 percent from a year earlier, which could mean more job losses, leading to further political unrest, and a deeper slump⁸ for the world's fourth largest economy.

And Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has created an anti-crisis commission, to be led by one of his deputies, to develop a coordinated⁹ approach to economic and social problems. Plunging¹⁰ oil prices and sinking investor¹¹ confidence are threatening the economic gains of Putin's presidency¹².

Oil prices rebounded¹³ Wednesday, as a government report showed U.S. inventories¹⁴ were much smaller than expected. Crude oil for January delivery rose more than $3.50, or 8 percent, to $45.57 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

1 auto   

n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车

参考例句：

• Don't park your auto here.别把你的汽车停在这儿。
• The auto industry has brought many people to Detroit.汽车工业把许多人吸引到了底特律。

2 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

3 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

4 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。

5 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
• If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。

6 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。

7 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。

8 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。

9 coordinated   

adj.协调的

参考例句：

• The sound has to be coordinated with the picture. 声音必须和画面协调一致。
• The numerous existing statutes are complicated and poorly coordinated. 目前繁多的法令既十分复杂又缺乏快调。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

10 plunging   

adj.跳进的，突进的v.颠簸( plunge的现在分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降

参考例句：

• War broke out again, plunging the people into misery and suffering. 战祸复发，生灵涂炭。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• He is plunging into an abyss of despair. 他陷入了绝望的深渊。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 investor   

n.投资者，投资人

参考例句：

• My nephew is a cautious investor.我侄子是个小心谨慎的投资者。
• The investor believes that his investment will pay off handsomely soon.这个投资者相信他的投资不久会有相当大的收益。

12 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

13 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。

14 inventories   

n.总结( inventory的名词复数 )；细账；存货清单（或财产目录）的编制

参考例句：

• In other cases, such as inventories, inputs and outputs are both continuous. 在另一些情况下，比如存货，其投入和产出都是持续不断的。
• The store must clear its winter inventories by April 1st. 该店必须在4月1日前售清冬季存货。