VOA标准英语2008年-McCain, Obama Address US Credit Crisis

The U.S. financial crisis continued to dominate the presidential campaign Friday, as both major party candidates for the White House spoke¹ about what they would do to deal with the market turmoil². VOA National correspondent Jim Malone has more from Washington.
　
John McCain and his VP running mate Sarah Palin, greet supporters during rally for business leaders in Wisconsin, 19 Sep 2008

Republican candidate John McCain spoke in Wisconsin and said the U.S. central bank should stop bailing³ out failed financial institutions, and should return to the main job of managing the money supply and guarding against inflation.

McCain said that, if elected president, he would set up a Mortgage and Financial Institutions Trust, MFI for short, which he says would help homeowners avoid foreclosure.

"The MFI will restore investor⁴ and market confidence, build sound financial institutions, assist troubled institutions and protect our financial system, while minimizing taxpayer⁵ exposure," he said.

McCain also ramped⁶ up the attacks on his Democratic opponent, Senator Barack Obama. McCain said Obama's ties to the failed mortgage lenders Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, including campaign contributions, make him part of the problem.

"We've heard a lot of words from Senator Obama over the course of this campaign," he said. "But maybe, just this once, he could spare us the lectures, and admit to his own poor judgment⁷ in contributing to these problems."
　
Barack Obama, accompanied by former Treasury⁸ Secretary Robert Rubin, during a news conference in Coral Gables, Florida, 19 Sept. 2008

Senator Obama campaigned in Florida Friday, and met with his group of economic advisors⁹, including several veterans of the Clinton administration.

Obama said he supports President Bush's decision to give the Treasury Department broad authority to deal with the financial crisis.

Obama also said he would hold off for a while before presenting his own detailed¹⁰ plan, which he said must take into account what he called the needs of Main Street as well as Wall Street.

"I'm glad that our government is moving so quickly in addressing the crisis that threatens some of our biggest banks and corporations," he said. "But a similar crisis has threatened families, workers and homeowners for months and months, and Washington has done far too little to help."

Obama also struck a note of bipartisanship by appealing to Senator McCain, President Bush and lawmakers from both major political parties to support an emergency economic stimulus¹¹ plan for working families.

"John McCain and I can continue to argue about our different economic agendas for next year, but we should come together now to work on what this country urgently needs this year," he said.

Both candidates focused on the financial crisis all this week, well aware that the economy ranks as the Number One issue with voters in this year's election.

Obama has seen a modest boost in his poll ratings this week, as Americans react to the bad economic news.

 

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 turmoil   

n.骚乱，混乱，动乱

参考例句：

• His mind was in such a turmoil that he couldn't get to sleep.内心的纷扰使他无法入睡。
• The robbery put the village in a turmoil.抢劫使全村陷入混乱。

3 bailing   

（凿井时用吊桶）排水

参考例句：

• Both fountains were going furiously and both pumps bailing with might and main. 两个人的口水只管喷泉似地朝外涌，两个抽水机全力以赴往外抽水。
• The mechanical sand-bailing technology makes sand-washing operation more efficient. 介绍了机械捞砂的结构装置及工作原理，提出了现场操作注意事项。

4 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。

5 taxpayer   

n.纳税人

参考例句：

• The new scheme will run off with a lot of the taxpayer's money.这项新计划将用去纳税人许多钱。
• The taxpayer are unfavourably disposed towards the recent tax increase.纳税者对最近的增加税收十分反感。

6 ramped   

土堤斜坡( ramp的过去式和过去分词 )； 斜道； 斜路； （装车或上下飞机的）活动梯

参考例句：

• With the arrival of George Lucas, the pace has ramped up. 随着乔治·卢卡斯的到来，速度大大加快。
• They also sold corporate bonds as the global financial crisis ramped up. 在全球金融危机加剧之际，他们还抛售了公司债券。

7 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

8 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。

9 advisors   

n.顾问，劝告者( advisor的名词复数 )；（指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授

参考例句：

• The governors felt that they were being strung along by their advisors. 地方长官感到他们一直在受顾问们的愚弄。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• We will consult together with advisors about her education. 我们将一起和专家商议她的教育事宜。 来自互联网

10 detailed   

adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。

11 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。