VOA标准英语2009年-British Leader Prepares Country for Tough Year

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is warning of a bleak¹, economically tough 2009. Unemployment, home foreclosures and business bankruptcies² are all expected to rise dramatically in Britain over the next 12 months.
　

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, (file photo)

If 2008 was financially difficult in Britain, 2009 may be even tougher. The economic challenges will be enormous with jobs ebbing³ away and businesses fighting to survive.

In his New Year message to a country already rocked by the credit crunch⁴, Prime Minister Gordon Brown candidly⁵ admitted Thursday there will be trouble ahead.

"This coming year will not be easy but I am determined⁶ that this government will be the rock of stability and fairness upon which the British people can depend," he said.
　

London Shoppers pass a High Street shop offering large discounts to encourage shoppers, 23 Dec 2008

In 2008, Brown's government was forced to nationalize two banks and take stakes in several others. A number of notable retail⁷ names have disappeared from the main streets here and others will follow in the New Year.

While the British economy is contracting at its sharpest level since the early 1990s, Brown remains⁸ determined to fight back with more government spending. He predicts when the global economy does eventually recover, the underlying⁹ financial landscape will be very different.

"And when the history books come to be written, 2008 will largely be remembered for the scale of the great economic and financial crisis. A year in which an old era of unbridled free market dogma was finally ushered¹⁰ out. And I want 2009 to be when the dawn of a new progressive era breaks across the world, purposeful and energetic governments giving real help to families and businesses when they need it the most," he said.

But Brown is a man not without his critics. The main opposition¹¹ Conservative party said the prime minister's spending plans are unsustainable and they will leave future generations with a mountain of debt.

While his message was somber¹², Brown did stress that the country will be well placed to move forward once the downturn is over with jobs for the digital age and new and improved transportation and communications infrastructure¹³.

He also said Britons have always risen to challenges in the past, and this economic crisis will prove to be no different.

1 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。

2 bankruptcies   

n.破产( bankruptcy的名词复数 )；倒闭；彻底失败；（名誉等的）完全丧失

参考例句：

• It's a matter of record that there were ten bankruptcies in the town last year. 去年这个城市有十家破产是事实。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Business bankruptcies rose 50 percent over the previous year. 破产企业的数量比前一年增加５０％。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

3 ebbing   

（指潮水）退( ebb的现在分词 )； 落； 减少； 衰落

参考例句：

• The pain was ebbing. 疼痛逐渐减轻了。
• There are indications that his esoteric popularity may be ebbing. 有迹象表明，他神秘的声望可能正在下降。

4 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。

5 candidly   

adv.坦率地，直率而诚恳地

参考例句：

• He has stopped taking heroin now,but admits candidly that he will always be a drug addict.他眼下已经不再吸食海洛因了,不过他坦言自己永远都是个瘾君子。
• Candidly,David,I think you're being unreasonable.大卫，说实话我认为你不讲道理。

6 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

7 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

8 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。

9 underlying   

adj.在下面的，含蓄的，潜在的

参考例句：

• The underlying theme of the novel is very serious.小说隐含的主题是十分严肃的。
• This word has its underlying meaning.这个单词有它潜在的含义。

10 ushered   

v.引，领，陪同( usher的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The secretary ushered me into his office. 秘书把我领进他的办公室。
• A round of parties ushered in the New Year. 一系列的晚会迎来了新年。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

12 somber   

adj.昏暗的，阴天的，阴森的，忧郁的

参考例句：

• He had a somber expression on his face.他面容忧郁。
• His coat was a somber brown.他的衣服是暗棕色的。

13 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。