VOA标准英语2010年-Spotlight on Currencies at G20 Finance

Finance policy makers¹ from the world's 20 largest economies and the heads of the World Bank and International Monetary² Fund are in South Korea. Their two-day meeting, which began Friday, focuses on avoiding a currency war that could lead to another global economic downturn.

The Group of 20 nations have a consensus³ on which way they need to go in terms of currencies. That is the word from Canada's finance minister, Jim Flaherty. He spoke⁴ Friday just before the G20 finance ministers and central bank governors began their meeting.

"Where we're trying to get to is an action plan that will avoid the temptation by some countries to protect their currencies in different ways," Flaherty said.

None of the G20 members, he explained, wants to be confrontational⁵ or leave here without an agreement.

Officials from host South Korea predict some progress will be made on resolving the currency issue.

There are growing concerns that many nations may competitively depreciate⁶ their currencies to protect exports.

Many economists⁷, however, caution not to expect any sort of grand bargain similar to the 1985 Plaza⁸ Accord, which addressed the value of the U.S. dollar.

Ahead of the G20 session, ministers of the G7 economies huddled⁹. Canada's Flaherty, who chaired those talks, said there was a "frank exchange of views" at the informal meeting

China, as the number two economy, faces pressure to stop controlling its currency, which the United States, European Union and Japan say is undervalued.

The weakened U.S. dollar has prompted more money to pour into Asian currencies where there is a better return on investment. But there are concerns that this flow of money could destabilize economies.

But research fellow Jeong Young-Sik at the Samsung Economic Research Institute in Seoul does not envision a unified¹⁰ Asian stance at this G20 meeting.

Jeong expects that Japan, as a highly developed country, will take a stance closer to that of the United States. South Korea and China, he explains, will be more sensitive to the appreciation¹¹ of their own currencies.

Japan's finance minister, Yoshihiko Noda, earlier this month said South Korea's role as summit chair would be called into question if it repeatedly intervened to weaken its currency, the won.

But Noda, on Friday, also rebuffed a U.S. proposal that all G20 nations agree on a target for current account balances to ease currency tensions. He called numerical targets "unrealistic."

U.S. Treasury¹² Secretary Timothy Geithner in a letter to G20 members, urges countries running big trade surpluses - notably¹³ China - to change policies to boost domestic sources of growth and support global demand. At the same time, he says countries that have trade and budget deficits¹⁴, such as the U.S., should focus on sustainable policies to cut both.

The meeting here, which ends Saturday, is to set the agenda for next month's G20 leaders' summit in Seoul.

Gyeongju is playing host to the G20 finance ministers and central bank governors. On the outskirts¹⁵ of the capital of the ancient Silla kingdom is Yangdong Village.
 

1 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 monetary   

adj.货币的，钱的；通货的；金融的；财政的

参考例句：

• The monetary system of some countries used to be based on gold.过去有些国家的货币制度是金本位制的。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。

3 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？

4 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。

5 confrontational   

adj.挑衅的；对抗的

参考例句：

• Fans love rappers partly because they strike such a confrontational pose. 乐迷热爱这些饶舌艺人一定程度上是因为他们所采取的那种战斗姿态。 来自互联网
• You prefer a non confrontational approach when it comes to resolving disputes. 面对争端，你不喜欢采用对抗性的手段来解决。 来自互联网

6 depreciate   

v.降价，贬值，折旧

参考例句：

• The computer value will depreciate by $ 500 in the first year.在头一年里这台电脑会贬值500美元。
• If you neglect this property,it will depreciate.如果你忽视这份资产，它无形中就贬值了。

7 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 plaza   

n.广场，市场

参考例句：

• They designated the new shopping centre York Plaza.他们给这个新购物中心定名为约克购物中心。
• The plaza is teeming with undercover policemen.这个广场上布满了便衣警察。

9 huddled   

挤在一起（huddle的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• We huddled together for warmth. 我们挤在一块取暖。
• We huddled together to keep warm. 我们挤在一起来保暖。

10 unified   

(unify 的过去式和过去分词)； 统一的； 统一标准的； 一元化的

参考例句：

• The teacher unified the answer of her pupil with hers. 老师核对了学生的答案。
• The First Emperor of Qin unified China in 221 B.C. 秦始皇于公元前221年统一中国。

11 appreciation   

n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨

参考例句：

• I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to you all.我想对你们所有人表达我的感激和谢意。
• I'll be sending them a donation in appreciation of their help.我将送给他们一笔捐款以感谢他们的帮助。

12 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。

13 notably   

adv.值得注意地，显著地，尤其地，特别地

参考例句：

• Many students were absent,notably the monitor.许多学生缺席，特别是连班长也没来。
• A notably short,silver-haired man,he plays basketball with his staff several times a week.他个子明显较为矮小，一头银发，每周都会和他的员工一起打几次篮球。

14 deficits   

n.不足额( deficit的名词复数 )；赤字；亏空；亏损

参考例句：

• The Ministry of Finance consistently overestimated its budget deficits. 财政部一贯高估预算赤字。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Many of the world's farmers are also incurring economic deficits. 世界上许多农民还在遭受经济上的亏损。 来自辞典例句

15 outskirts   

n.郊外，郊区

参考例句：

• Our car broke down on the outskirts of the city.我们的汽车在市郊出了故障。
• They mostly live on the outskirts of a town.他们大多住在近郊。