VOA标准英语2009年-Obama Launches Revived Campaign for Financ

U.S. President Barack Obama is pushing for new regulations on the American financial services sector¹, warning industry leaders there can be no return to the abuses of the past. The president made the case for reform in a speech in the heart of New York's financial sector - one year to the day after the giant investment banking² firm Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy³.
　
US President Barack Obama delivers major speech on financial crisis at Federal Hall in New York, 14 Sep 2009

The collapse⁴ of Lehman Brothers was a turning point for Wall Street - a sign the financial services industry was in deep trouble. The government stepped in, using billions of taxpayer⁵ dollars to help banks, investment firms, and even major insurers weather the storm.

President Obama says an expensive lesson was learned. "We will not go back to the days of reckless behavior and unchecked excess that was at the heart of this crisis, where too many were motivated only by the appetite for quick kills and bloated bonuses. Those on Wall Street cannot resume taking risks without regard for consequences, and expect that next time, American taxpayers⁶ will be there to break their fall," he said.

In a speech to leaders of the financial community in the historic Wall Street building where George Washington was inaugurated as the nation's first president, Mr. Obama spoke⁷ of the need for new regulations and industry responsibility. He said the financial sector is returning to normalcy, but warned normalcy must not lead to complacency.

"The old ways that led to this crisis cannot stand. And to the extent that some have so readily returned to them underscores the need for change and change now,” said the president. “History cannot be allowed to repeat itself."

The president said his administration wants to work with the financial industry to come up with new rules. He said they must include strong protections for consumers, and greater accountability for large financial firms.

He also spoke once again about the need to reform the global financial system, saying the issue will be on the agenda next week when he hosts the Group of 20 economic summit in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. "As the United States is aggressively reforming our regulatory system, we are going to be working to ensure the rest of the world does the same."

Most of the steps he outlined were first proposed months ago. But with health care dominating debate in Congress, the White House wanted to use the first anniversary of the collapse of Lehman Brothers to draw renewed attention to the need for financial reform.

The speech also provided the president with an opportunity to speak publicly about the controversy⁸ surrounding his decision to impose tariffs⁹ on Chinese-made tires. Mr. Obama said he remains¹⁰ committed to expanding trade, but he said America must enforce its trade agreements. "So when, as happened this weekend, we invoke¹¹ provisions of existing agreements, we do so not to be provocative¹² or to promote self-defeating protectionism. We do so because enforcing trade agreements is part and parcel of maintaining an open and free trading system," the president explained.

The White House says China agreed when it joined the World Trade Organization to allow its trading partners to take actions to counter surges of imported goods.

1 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。

2 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。

3 bankruptcy   

n.破产；无偿付能力

参考例句：

• You will have to pull in if you want to escape bankruptcy.如果你想避免破产，就必须节省开支。
• His firm is just on thin ice of bankruptcy.他的商号正面临破产的危险。

4 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

5 taxpayer   

n.纳税人

参考例句：

• The new scheme will run off with a lot of the taxpayer's money.这项新计划将用去纳税人许多钱。
• The taxpayer are unfavourably disposed towards the recent tax increase.纳税者对最近的增加税收十分反感。

6 taxpayers   

纳税人，纳税的机构( taxpayer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Finance for education comes from taxpayers. 教育经费来自纳税人。
• She was declaiming against the waste of the taxpayers' money. 她慷慨陈词猛烈抨击对纳税人金钱的浪费。

7 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。

8 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

9 tariffs   

关税制度； 关税( tariff的名词复数 )； 关税表； （旅馆或饭店等的）收费表； 量刑标准

参考例句：

• British industry was sheltered from foreign competition by protective tariffs. 保护性关税使英国工业免受国际竞争影响。
• The new tariffs have put a stranglehold on trade. 新的关税制对开展贸易极为不利。

10 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。

11 invoke   

v.求助于(神、法律)；恳求，乞求

参考例句：

• Let us invoke the blessings of peace.让我们祈求和平之福。
• I hope I'll never have to invoke this clause and lodge a claim with you.我希望我永远不会使用这个条款向你们索赔。

12 provocative   

adj.挑衅的，煽动的，刺激的，挑逗的

参考例句：

• She wore a very provocative dress.她穿了一件非常性感的裙子。
• His provocative words only fueled the argument further.他的挑衅性讲话只能使争论进一步激化。