VOA标准英语2009年-Jobless Figures Add to US Economic Gloom

The U.S. economic gloom deepened Friday with word that the jobless rate soared to 8.1 percent last month, the highest level in 25 years.
　
Crowds wait to apply for jobs outside the New York Department of Labor¹ in the Bronx in New York, 06 Mar² 2009

There is no way to sugarcoat it - the latest jobs report is bad news for a country struggling to find a way out of a deepening recession.

On a personal level, it's a blow for this South Carolina man looking for work.

"It's tough. It's tough for everybody," he said.

Even for those with jobs, like one Seattle newspaper reporter, benefits are being cut.
　
A cartoonist recently laid-off from the Seattle Times stands with his family and packed moving boxes in Kenmore, Wash, (file photo)

"Pay cut, less medical benefits, loss of my vacation and loss of my severance³ package when I get laid off here," he said.

And college students, like this woman from California, are bracing⁴ for a very difficult job market after graduation.

"I want to get out, I want to get into the work force and start my life. But there is really no market right now, so what else can you do but go to graduate school," she said.

Economist⁵ Stuart Hoffman said a turnaround in the job market is not likely anytime soon.

"The first thing to do is to stop the bleeding. These numbers unfortunately tell us that the U.S. economy is still bleeding jobs. It suggests that at least over the spring and into the summer months, the job market is going to be a very tough place for people to hold onto their jobs, and if you've lost it, not easy to find a new one," he said.

University of Maryland economist Peter Morici said the latest jobs picture combined with other dismal⁶ indicators⁷ shows just how weak the economy is.

"We've had a constant drumbeat of bad news-durable goods orders, factory orders, auto⁸ sales at really depression levels. The economy really is quite sick," he said.

The economy obviously remains⁹ the number one priority for President Barack Obama.
　
Pres. Obama greets people in the crowd after Police Graduation Exercises in Columbus, Ohio, 06 Mar 2009

Mr. Obama told an audience in Ohio Friday that the job losses underscore the importance of his economic stimulus¹⁰ package, which he signed into law last month.

But the president also urged the country to remain patient as experts and average citizens alike wait for signs of recovery.

"All of this takes time and it will take patience. It will entail¹¹ great effort and cooperation, but most of all it will require a new sense of responsibility from every American, a responsibility to ourselves and one another," said the president.

Obama supporter Patricia Irwin of Maryland is willing to give the president time - for now.

"There is no guarantee that it is going to be turned around in a year, and I'm not going to blame the Obama administration for that. This is, I think, an unprecedented¹² financial crisis. It is worldwide, so people should not expect that the situation in the U.S. is suddenly going to get so much better," she said.

Republicans have kept up their drumbeat of opposition¹³ to the president's economic policies, charging Mr. Obama relies too heavily on government spending and tax increases for corporations and the wealthy.

But recent public opinion polls show a majority of Americans approve of the president's job performance and generally support his plans to increase government spending to boost the economy.

Experts also noted¹⁴ that, at least for the moment, most Americans seem willing to give the new president time for his policies to take effect.

"Obama talks with a lot of confidence and confidence is what people need at the moment. And so, his talk of hope and some signs of hopeful recovery will be sufficient to keep public support," said Stephen Wayne, professor of government at Georgetown University in Washington.

What's needed now, of course, are some of those hopeful signs, and experts say, the sooner the better.

1 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

2 mar   

vt.破坏，毁坏，弄糟

参考例句：

• It was not the custom for elderly people to mar the picnics with their presence.大人们照例不参加这样的野餐以免扫兴。
• Such a marriage might mar your career.这样的婚姻说不定会毁了你的一生。

3 severance   

n.离职金；切断

参考例句：

• Those laid off received their regular checks,plus vacation and severance pay.那些被裁的人都收到他们应得的薪金，再加上假期和解职的酬金。Kirchofer was terminated,effective immediately--without severance or warning.科奇弗被解雇了，立刻生效--而且没有辞退费或者警告。

4 bracing   

adj.令人振奋的

参考例句：

• The country is bracing itself for the threatened enemy invasion. 这个国家正准备奋起抵抗敌人的入侵威胁。
• The atmosphere in the new government was bracing. 新政府的气氛是令人振奋的。

5 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

6 dismal   

adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的

参考例句：

• That is a rather dismal melody.那是一支相当忧郁的歌曲。
• My prospects of returning to a suitable job are dismal.我重新找到一个合适的工作岗位的希望很渺茫。

7 indicators   

（仪器上显示温度、压力、耗油量等的）指针( indicator的名词复数 )； 指示物； （车辆上的）转弯指示灯； 指示信号

参考例句：

• The economic indicators are better than expected. 经济指标比预期的好。
• It is still difficult to develop indicators for many concepts used in social science. 为社会科学领域的许多概念确立一个指标仍然很难。

8 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。

9 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。

10 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。

11 entail   

vt.使承担，使成为必要，需要

参考例句：

• Such a decision would entail a huge political risk.这样的决定势必带来巨大的政治风险。
• This job would entail your learning how to use a computer.这工作将需要你学会怎样用计算机。

12 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

13 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。

14 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。