VOA标准英语2009年-EU Commission President Barroso Unveils Pl

The European Union's executive arm has proposed far-reaching financial reforms to help prevent future financial crises, like the one now pummelling Europe and the rest of the world. European officials hope to put the reforms in place next year.
　
President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso

The reforms proposed by the European Commission, the European Union executive arm, include a tough, new, cross-border monitoring system for banks and other financial institutions.

If approved, the reforms would set up two new bodies. The first, a risk council made up of financial bankers and financial regulators, would serve as a sort of early warning system to prevent future financial crises.

The European Commission has also proposed a new steering¹ group aimed to ensure European financial rules are applied² consistently across the 27-member European Union.

The commission wants the reforms to be in place by 2010, two years earlier than first proposed. At a press conference in Brussels, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said it is critical to move swiftly.

"Now is the time for action. It will be now or never If we cannot reform the financial sector³, financial supervision⁴ when we have a real crisis, when will we reform? I am determined⁵ to reform the financial supervision in Europe. I can only hope the member states will follow us," Barroso said.

The financial crisis has plunged⁶ European countries into major recessions and many workers have been laid off. Still, Barroso said that millions of dollars of money spent on stimulus⁷ measures were beginning to pay off.

"The measures we have taken to tackle the crisis are starting to work. But fiscal⁸ stimulus by definition is temporary. The real economy needs ethical⁹, financial markets if it is to prosper," he said.

Barroso hopes the EU members will sign off on the proposals when their leaders meet for a summit in June.

 

1 steering   

n.操舵装置

参考例句：

• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration. 他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。
• Steering according to the wind, he also framed his words more amicably. 他真会看风使舵，口吻也马上变得温和了。

2 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

3 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。

4 supervision   

n.监督，管理

参考例句：

• The work was done under my supervision.这项工作是在我的监督之下完成的。
• The old man's will was executed under the personal supervision of the lawyer.老人的遗嘱是在律师的亲自监督下执行的。

5 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。

6 plunged   

v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降

参考例句：

• The train derailed and plunged into the river. 火车脱轨栽进了河里。
• She lost her balance and plunged 100 feet to her death. 她没有站稳，从100英尺的高处跌下摔死了。

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 fiscal   

adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的

参考例句：

• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
• The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。

9 ethical   

adj.伦理的，道德的，合乎道德的

参考例句：

• It is necessary to get the youth to have a high ethical concept.必须使青年具有高度的道德观念。
• It was a debate which aroused fervent ethical arguments.那是一场引发强烈的伦理道德争论的辩论。