VOA标准英语2009年-Obama Administration Moves to Ease Credit Crunc

The Obama administration has announced details of a $100 billion plan to entice¹ investors² to buy up bad loans from the nations troubled banks. It is hoped the plan will help ease the credit crunch³ that has disrupted the American economy. President Barack Obama is confident the plan will work.
　
President Barack Obama speaks as Treasury⁴ Secretary Tim Geithner (C) and FDIC Chairwoman Sheila Bair listen during an economic daily meeting, 23 Mar⁵ 2009

President Obama says this latest initiative will help get credit flowing again.

"It is not going to happen overnight," he said. "There is still great fragility in the financial systems. But we think that we are moving in the right direction."

Many banks have been reluctant to loan money because they are unsure if they will need their cash reserves to cover the cost of billions of dollars in questionable⁶ loans, which are frequently referred to as toxic⁷ assets. Investors have been reluctant to buy up these questionable bank assets because of the high amount of risk involved.

President Obama says the new program will be a partnership⁸ between the government and private investors.

The government will use as much as $100 billion from an existing fund set up to rescue the ailing⁹ financial sector¹⁰ to provide guarantees and low interest loans to those willing to purchase these assets.

Analysts¹¹ say by including private investors in the new initiative the government will be able to better evaluate the true value of these troubled assets and investors will have a stake in making a profit.

Mr. Obama says helping¹² the financial sector is one aspect of an all-out effort to shore up the U.S. economy. But he says freeing up the credit market is crucial.

"We have got a lot of work to do," he said. "But I am very confident that with the team we have got assembled we are going to be able to make it happen."

News of the plan sent prices higher on international stock markets and U.S. stock prices opened higher on Wall Street.

Mr. Obama says he plans to discuss his overall economic strategy with world leaders next week at a summit in London being held under the auspices¹³ of the G-20 group of the world largest developed and emerging economies.

He says a coordinated¹⁴ approach is key to solving the global economic crisis.

"... and I am looking forward to traveling to the G-20 so that we ensure that the activities that we are doing here in the United States are effectively matched with comparable actions in other countries," he said.

President Obama spoke¹⁵ at the end of a meeting with U.S. central bank head Ben Bernanke, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, and other members of his economic team.

Later, he continued his campaign to win public support for his proposed 2010 federal budget - particularly his request for billions of dollars for health care, education, and alternative energy.

He addressed a group of researchers and entrepreneurs involved in developing new energy technology.

"You are helping us to build a cleaner, brighter future and a stronger more prosperous economy and my administration and our country will support you in that difficult work," said President Obama.

He said billions of dollars from the economic stimulus¹⁶ bill he signed last month will go to encourage and support energy research and development. He said America has a choice: remain the world's largest importer of foreign oil, or become the largest exporter of renewable energy.

1 entice   

v.诱骗，引诱，怂恿

参考例句：

• Nothing will entice the children from television.没有任何东西能把孩子们从电视机前诱开。
• I don't see why the English should want to entice us away from our native land.我不明白，为什英国人要引诱我们离开自己的国土。

2 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

3 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。

4 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。

5 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。

6 questionable   

adj.可疑的，有问题的

参考例句：

• There are still a few questionable points in the case.这个案件还有几个疑点。
• Your argument is based on a set of questionable assumptions.你的论证建立在一套有问题的假设上。

7 toxic   

adj.有毒的，因中毒引起的

参考例句：

• The factory had accidentally released a quantity of toxic waste into the sea.这家工厂意外泄漏大量有毒废物到海中。
• There is a risk that toxic chemicals might be blasted into the atmosphere.爆炸后有毒化学物质可能会进入大气层。

8 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

9 ailing   

v.生病

参考例句：

• They discussed the problems ailing the steel industry. 他们讨论了困扰钢铁工业的问题。
• She looked after her ailing father. 她照顾有病的父亲。

10 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

11 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

12 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。

13 auspices   

n.资助，赞助

参考例句：

• The association is under the auspices of Word Bank.这个组织是在世界银行的赞助下办的。
• The examination was held under the auspices of the government.这次考试是由政府主办的。

14 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

15 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。

16 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。