VOA标准英语2010年-US Economy Growing Faster Than Expecte

The U.S. economy is growing faster than expected, further evidence that the worst recession since the 1930s may be over. Yet financial analysts² warn the nation still faces economic problems. 

Wall Street cheered Friday following an upbeat fourth quarter report from the Commerce Department showing the U.S. economy grew at the fastest pace in more than six years. The 5.7 percent growth in GDP from October to December beat analyst¹ expectations by more than one percent.  Wells Fargo chief economist³ John Silva said, "For an economist it does reflect some underlying⁴ improvement in consumer spending and in business investment.  And I think those two components⁵ probably will sustain the economy going forward."

Government officials still have not declared the recession officially over, but the GDP report marks the second quarter of expansion after a record four quarters of decline. Some analysts credit the government's massive stimulus⁶ programs for the improvement. 

But Mark Zandi at Moody's Economy.com warns the recovery may be fragile. "I don't think the coast is clear.  I don't think there's any guarantee that the recovery is going to evolve into a self sustaining economic expansion.  The odds⁷ are that it will, but the odds are also uncomfortably high that it won't," he said.

Speaking at a panel discussion at the Urban Institute in Washington, Zandi cited the nation's double digit⁸ unemployment as reason for caution. "There is no evidence that businesses have started to hire yet and without hiring we can't get net job creation and without net job creation we won't have the income growth to support the consumer spending that is the fodder⁹ for a self sustaining economic expansion," he said.

Consumer spending accounts for about 70 percent of the U.S. economy and is closely linked to unemployment. But it tends to lag behind other indicators¹⁰. 

In a rare meeting with Republican Party lawmakers Friday, President Barack Obama decried¹¹ the partisan¹² politics of the past and urged both parties to work together on creating more jobs for Americans. "I don't believe the American people want us to focus on our job security, they want us to focus on their job security, he said.

Many analysts expect the jobless rate will remain close to 10 percent for the rest of the year.  Most predict U.S. growth to slow to between two and half and three percent in 2010 as government stimulus efforts begin to fade.

1 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

2 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。

3 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。

4 underlying   

adj.在下面的，含蓄的，潜在的

参考例句：

• The underlying theme of the novel is very serious.小说隐含的主题是十分严肃的。
• This word has its underlying meaning.这个单词有它潜在的含义。

5 components   

（机器、设备等的）构成要素，零件，成分； 成分( component的名词复数 )； [物理化学]组分； [数学]分量； （混合物的）组成部分

参考例句：

• the components of a machine 机器部件
• Our chemistry teacher often reduces a compound to its components in lab. 在实验室中化学老师常把化合物分解为各种成分。

6 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。

7 odds   

n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别

参考例句：

• The odds are 5 to 1 that she will win.她获胜的机会是五比一。
• Do you know the odds of winning the lottery once?你知道赢得一次彩票的几率多大吗？

8 digit   

n.零到九的阿拉伯数字，手指，脚趾

参考例句：

• Her telephone number differs from mine by one digit.她的电话号码和我的只差一个数字。
• Many animals have five digits.许多动物有5趾。

9 fodder   

n.草料；炮灰

参考例句：

• Grass mowed and cured for use as fodder.割下来晒干用作饲料的草。
• Guaranteed salt intake, no matter which normal fodder.不管是那一种正常的草料，保证盐的摄取。

10 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。

11 decried   

v.公开反对，谴责( decry的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The measures were decried as useless. 这些措施受到指责，说是不起作用。
• The old poet decried the mediocrity of today's writing. 老诗人抨击了现代文体的平庸无奇。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

12 partisan   

adj.党派性的；游击队的；n.游击队员；党徒

参考例句：

• In their anger they forget all the partisan quarrels.愤怒之中，他们忘掉一切党派之争。
• The numerous newly created partisan detachments began working slowly towards that region.许多新建的游击队都开始慢慢地向那里移动。