VOA标准英语2009年-European Leaders Discuss Common Ground in Econo

European leaders agreed to a common platform to combat the global financial crisis that includes oversight¹ of all financial markets and products around the world. The proposed measures were drafted in Berlin in preparation for a key meeting of the world's economic powers in April.
　
From left: Angela Merkel, Nicolas Sarkozy and Silvio Berlusconi, meeting in Berlin, 22 Feb 2009

The measures for financial markets proposed by EU leaders are a sweeping² and tough reaction to what many perceive to be excesses and lack of regulation that helped trigger the global economic crisis. At a meeting in Berlin, leaders from eight European countries called for regulating financial markets and hedge funds, investment funds that typically lead to aggressive financial strategies.

German Chancellor³ Angela Merkel, who hosted the summit, said all financial markets, products and participants that pose a major risk must be regulated.

Ms. Merkel also called for world economies to coordinate⁴ in establishing sanctions for tax shelters and regions where financial deals are opaque⁵.

The European meeting comes ahead of a London summit on the international crisis in early April of the so-called G-20 nations, the world's top economic powers. But it is unclear whether the Europeans' call for widespread regulation will be well received by other G-20 members, which include the United States, China, Japan and several developing nations.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the European leaders had also agreed on the need to shore up international institutions like the World Bank, including in their role in helping⁶ the poorest nations.

"We decided⁷ that the international institutions should have at least $500 billion to enable them not just to deal with crises, but to enable them to be able to prevent crises," said Gordon Brown. "We have also decided we want to see a greater role for the World Bank in helping the poorest countries of the world."

Mr. Brown also said the European nations support championing an environmentally sound economy as part of global stimulus⁸ deals, notably⁹ reducing heat-trapping carbon dioxide emmissions. Sunday's proposals will be examined by the entire 27-member European Union in March.

1 oversight   

n.勘漏，失察，疏忽

参考例句：

• I consider this a gross oversight on your part.我把这件事看作是你的一大疏忽。
• Your essay was not marked through an oversight on my part.由于我的疏忽你的文章没有打分。

2 sweeping   

adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的

参考例句：

• The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
• Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

3 chancellor   

n.(英)大臣；法官；(德、奥)总理；大学校长

参考例句：

• They submitted their reports to the Chancellor yesterday.他们昨天向财政大臣递交了报告。
• He was regarded as the most successful Chancellor of modern times.他被认为是现代最成功的财政大臣。

4 coordinate   

adj.同等的，协调的；n.同等者；vt.协作，协调

参考例句：

• You must coordinate what you said with what you did.你必须使你的言行一致。
• Maybe we can coordinate the relation of them.或许我们可以调和他们之间的关系。

5 opaque   

adj.不透光的；不反光的，不传导的；晦涩的

参考例句：

• The windows are of opaque glass.这些窗户装着不透明玻璃。
• Their intentions remained opaque.他们的意图仍然令人费解。

6 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

7 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

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 notably   

adv.值得注意地，显著地，尤其地，特别地

参考例句：

• Many students were absent,notably the monitor.许多学生缺席，特别是连班长也没来。
• A notably short,silver-haired man,he plays basketball with his staff several times a week.他个子明显较为矮小，一头银发，每周都会和他的员工一起打几次篮球。