VOA标准英语 New Report: Asia Stocks on 'Tentative Recovery'

Stocks in Asia reached a three-month high this week, injecting fresh hopes among investors¹ of an early turnaround in the global financial crisis. A new report by the Asian Development Bank says, although Asia's stock markets are showing signs of stabilizing², the real recovery could be "lengthy³".

The Asian Development Bank's Asia Capital Markets Monitor report says the outflow of capital from emerging markets in Asia has slowed in the first quarter of 2009, after huge withdrawals⁴ in the second half of 2008.
　
A man walks past a share prices board in Tokyo, (File Photo - 8 Apr 2009)

The report say there are signs of a "tentative recovery" in Asia's stock markets, as investors becoming less pessimistic about the region's prospects⁵.

This week, the Morgan Stanley Composite index, which tracks stocks of some of the biggest companies in the Asia-Pacific region except Japan, reached a three-month high. On Monday, the Shanghai Composite Index reached its highest level since August, as investors were encouraged by Premier⁶ Wen Jiabao's recent remarks that the country's massive stimulus⁷ spending is beginning to bear results.

Lee Jong-wha, the head of the regional economic integration⁸ office of the Asia Development Bank - a Manila-based bank which lends to governments in the region - says continued economic expansion in countries like China and India will help push this recovery.

"The fast-growing economies in the region provide plenty of opportunities for long-term investors. I think these strong development need especially to build infrastructure⁹, and Asia's strong growth momentum¹⁰ should also help local markets recover," said Lee.

The report says as much as $65 billion in private capital is expected to come to the region this year, although that number is sharply lower than previous years. Emerging Asia includes China, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea.

But Lee warns that the immediate¹¹ economic outlook for the region remains¹² "cloudy." The ADB report says that, even if the markets may have reached bottom, the eventual¹³ recovery could still be drawn-out.

New York University economics professor Nouriel Roubini, also known as "Dr. Doom¹⁴" for his predictions of financial crises, agrees.

"I do agree that we are closer right now to the bottom of this stock market, U.S. and globally than we were, say, a year ago. But I think, even the latest rally is a bear market rally, and there will be more contraction," said Roubini.

In Hong Kong Monday, Roubini said bad earnings¹⁵ from American companies and poor results from the "stress tests" being conducted by authorities on U.S. financial institutions, will scare investors.

Indeed, some of Asia's major markets fell Tuesday, on what analysts¹⁶ say is reaction to news of rising bad loans in American banks. Japan's Nikkei 225 index fell two-point-four percent. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index dropped nearly three percent, while Shanghai was down nearly one percent. South Korea's KOSPI was up nearly half a percent. Taiwan's stock index also rose one-point-seven percent.

1 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

2 stabilizing   

n.稳定化处理[退火]v.（使）稳定， （使）稳固( stabilize的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The disulfide bridges might then be viewed primarily as stabilizing components. 二硫桥可以被看作是初级的稳定因素。 来自辞典例句
• These stabilizing design changes are usually not desirable for steady-state operation. 这些增加稳定性的设计改变通常不太符合稳态工作的要求。 来自辞典例句

3 lengthy   

adj.漫长的，冗长的

参考例句：

• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。
• The professor wrote a lengthy book on Napoleon.教授写了一部有关拿破仑的巨著。

4 withdrawals   

n.收回，取回，撤回( withdrawal的名词复数 )；撤退，撤走；收回[取回，撤回，撤退，撤走]的实例；推出（组织），提走（存款），戒除毒瘾，对说过的话收回，孤僻

参考例句：

• He has made several withdrawals from his bank account. 他从银行账户上提了几次款。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• It is not the bank's policy to deduct interest on withdrawals. 提款需扣除利息这并非是本银行的政策。 来自辞典例句

5 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

6 premier   

adj.首要的；n.总理，首相

参考例句：

• The Irish Premier is paying an official visit to Britain.爱尔兰总理正在对英国进行正式访问。
• He requested that the premier grant him an internview.他要求那位总理接见他一次。

7 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。

8 integration   

n.一体化，联合，结合

参考例句：

• We are working to bring about closer political integration in the EU.我们正在努力实现欧盟內部更加紧密的政治一体化。
• This was the greatest event in the annals of European integration.这是欧洲统一史上最重大的事件。

9 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。

10 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。

11 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

12 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。

13 eventual   

adj.最后的，结局的，最终的

参考例句：

• Several schools face eventual closure.几所学校面临最终关闭。
• Both parties expressed optimism about an eventual solution.双方对问题的最终解决都表示乐观。

14 doom   

n.厄运，劫数；v.注定，命定

参考例句：

• The report on our economic situation is full of doom and gloom.这份关于我们经济状况的报告充满了令人绝望和沮丧的调子。
• The dictator met his doom after ten years of rule.独裁者统治了十年终于完蛋了。

15 earnings   

n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得

参考例句：

• That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
• Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。

16 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。