VOA标准英语2010年-Global Stocks Tumble on Weak Euro

Financial markets around the world tumbled Monday as fresh worries over debt in Europe dampened confidence in a global economic recovery.  In the US, all three major indexes fell more than 1 percent in early trading before recouping losses as the markets closed. Analysts² say volatility³ continues to spook investors⁵ and dampens confidence in the euro, which fell to a four-year low against the U.S. dollar.

Investor⁴ sentiment continues to sour over concerns that European countries are not doing enough to tackle their national debt. 

Key benchmarks in China fell sharply on Monday. 

Francis Lun at Fulbright Securities says  Asian markets still haven't recovered from last week's slump⁶. "Last week European markets fell sharply by three to four percent and that created a domino effect in global equity⁷ markets.  The Dow Jones lost 162 points and this morning (May 17) Asian markets generally fell about two percent."

It was a similar story in India. Bombay's Sensex index fell to its lowest level in two and a half months.

Market analyst¹ Sunil Shah says that may be a sign of things to come. "The BSE Sensex, which is the bell weather index of the country, is down 425 points.  The simple reason is that there is this scenario⁸ prevailing⁹ now, what we witnessed in 2008 when Lehman Brothers went bust¹⁰.  This could be far, far bigger than that," he said.

The worries stem from fears that fiscal¹¹ problems in Greece could spread to other countries in Europe.

A week before announcing major spending cuts, British Finance Minister George Osborne said the debt problems in Greece serve as a warning. "Greece is a reminder¹² of what happens when governments lack the willingness to act decisively and quickly," he said.

But many investors worry that austerity measures taken by Greece, Portugal and Spain will stifle¹³ growth in Europe and lead to recession.

Greek market analyst Constantinos Vergos says the risks are scaring away investors. "It is the recession fears but also the market is fearing that the problem that we have in Greece may continue also in other countries.  It's something that may affect the euro and the stability of the system overall," he said.

The 16-nation euro fell Monday to about a $1.22 before recovering near the $1.24 mark.

European trader Oliver Roth said, "I think what we now see is a profound crisis of faith in the euro."

Since May 1, Europe's common currency has dropped seven percent against the U.S. dollar.

Economists¹⁴ say a weaker euro could boost European exports, but make U.S. products more expensive.
 

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 volatility   

n.挥发性，挥发度，轻快，（性格）反复无常

参考例句：

• That was one reason why volatility was so low last year.这也是去年波动性如此低的原因之一。
• Yet because volatility remained low for so long,disaster myopia prevailed.然而，由于相当长的时间里波动性小，灾难短视就获胜了。

4 investor   

n.投资者，投资人

参考例句：

• My nephew is a cautious investor.我侄子是个小心谨慎的投资者。
• The investor believes that his investment will pay off handsomely soon.这个投资者相信他的投资不久会有相当大的收益。

5 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

6 slump   

n.暴跌，意气消沉，（土地）下沉；vi.猛然掉落，坍塌，大幅度下跌

参考例句：

• She is in a slump in her career.她处在事业的低谷。
• Economists are forecasting a slump.经济学家们预言将发生经济衰退。

7 equity   

n.公正，公平，（无固定利息的）股票

参考例句：

• They shared the work of the house with equity.他们公平地分担家务。
• To capture his equity,Murphy must either sell or refinance.要获得资产净值，墨菲必须出售或者重新融资。

8 scenario   

n.剧本，脚本；概要

参考例句：

• But the birth scenario is not completely accurate.然而分娩脚本并非完全准确的。
• This is a totally different scenario.这是完全不同的剧本。

9 prevailing   

adj.盛行的；占优势的；主要的

参考例句：

• She wears a fashionable hair style prevailing in the city.她的发型是这个城市流行的款式。
• This reflects attitudes and values prevailing in society.这反映了社会上盛行的态度和价值观。

10 bust   

vt.打破；vi.爆裂；n.半身像；胸部

参考例句：

• I dropped my camera on the pavement and bust it. 我把照相机掉在人行道上摔坏了。
• She has worked up a lump of clay into a bust.她把一块黏土精心制作成一个半身像。

11 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。

12 reminder   

n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示

参考例句：

• I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
• It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知，她才付应该交的房租。

13 stifle   

vt.使窒息；闷死；扼杀；抑止，阻止

参考例句：

• She tried hard to stifle her laughter.她强忍住笑。
• It was an uninteresting conversation and I had to stifle a yawn.那是一次枯燥无味的交谈，我不得不强忍住自己的呵欠。

14 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》