美国有线新闻 CNN 2012-10-10

 The first thing we are talking about today involves jobs, the monthly unemployment report includes information about who has them, who doesn’t and who is looking. And teenagers who are searching for work or maybe getting part time jobs, you are part of this, too. The report includes two big numbers, one is the unemployment rate, that’s lower than it has been in more than three years, the other is the jobs number. Experts say the economy needs to add about 150,000 jobs each month, just to keep up with population growth. In the last month, it didn’t hit that level. Now, Lisa Sylvester is going to explain how that monthly report gets put together. And she is going to examine why some people are questioning the number in the latest report.

 

The Labor¹ Department has a bureau that every month asks for 400,000 businesses in all kinds of fields from retail² to manufacturing, to hotel services from all around the country how many people are on your payroll³. That number is reported as the payroll survey on the first Friday of every month. That’s what we usually call the jobs number. In September, 114,000 payroll jobs were added, but there is another survey also done. This one from the Census⁴ Bureau, about 60,000 households are phoned every month and asked among other things, are you working? In September, a whopping 873,000 more people reported working than the month before. That’s a big number. And that household report pushed the unemployment rate down from 8.1% to 7.8%. That’s a strong jobs showing, good news for the White House. But some naysayers are wondering if it’s too good to be true. Jack⁵ Welch, General Electric’s former CEO tweeting this, quote, “Unbelievable jobs numbers. These Chicago guys will do anything, can’t debate, so change numbers.” And the group, Americans for Limited Government has suggested maybe someone tinkered with the numbers. 

 

“Very convenient timing⁶ for the president, if he’d mapped it out to be able to have it, this would be when you want to have it, you know, he is facing 43 straight months of 8% plus of unemployment, the longest time in the history since the Great Depression. 

 

The Labor Department and the Bureau of Labor Statistics scuff⁷ at any notion that someone manipulated the jobs report. 

 

It’s collected by about 2,000 interviewers who are all federal employees, career federal employees. And so, you’d have to imagine that the people who participate in the survey, and they do this voluntarily are for some reason trying to manipulate things. 

 

And it’s not unusual for the two surveys, one based on asking companies and the other based on asking individuals to have wide disparities. Why? The household number that shows a gain of 873,000 new workers includes all kinds of workers, including self-employed and certain agriculture workers. And it’s based on a much smaller sample than the survey of business. Keith Hall is a former commissioner⁸ of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. He says the numbers can vary widely. 

 

I understand people’s frustration⁹ and suspicion when the unemployment rate goes down, you know, right before an election. But in reality, the all the federal statistical¹⁰ agencies, including the Bureau of Labor Statistics are independent agencies, they have a long tradition of being very professional and very non-political. 

 

To change the report, well, that would be a crime, and also, very difficult to do. Lisa Sylvester, CNN, Washington. 

 

All right now, based on your perspective, our next story is either 50 or possibly 200 million years in the making. A scientist says he’s discovered a new species of dinosaur¹¹. Actually, he came across it in a fossil that was discovered in South Africa back in the 1960s. But this is the first scientist to describe it. He is calling it Pegamastics Africanos. He says it lived around 200 million years ago, and this is what it might have looked like. The scientists compared it to a two-legged porcupine¹², saying it was covered with bristles¹³ about the size of a house cat, you could see those sharp teeth. The scientist says he thinks those teeth were for self-defense. He believes Pegamastics was a plant eater, not a meat eater.

1 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

2 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

3 payroll   

n.工资表，在职人员名单，工薪总额

参考例句：

• His yearly payroll is $1.2 million.他的年薪是120万美元。
• I can't wait to get my payroll check.我真等不及拿到我的工资单了。

4 census   

n.(官方的)人口调查，人口普查

参考例句：

• A census of population is taken every ten years.人口普查每10年进行一次。
• The census is taken one time every four years in our country.我国每四年一次人口普查。

5 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

6 timing   

n.时间安排，时间选择

参考例句：

• The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。
• The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。

7 scuff   

v. 拖着脚走；磨损

参考例句：

• Polly,bewildered and embarrassed,dropped her head and scuffed her feet.波莉既困惑又尴尬，低下头拖着脚走开了。
• Constant wheelchair use will scuff almost any floor surface.任何地板上经常有轮椅走动几乎都会有所磨损。

8 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

9 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

10 statistical   

adj.统计的，统计学的

参考例句：

• He showed the price fluctuations in a statistical table.他用统计表显示价格的波动。
• They're making detailed statistical analysis.他们正在做具体的统计分析。

11 dinosaur   

n.恐龙

参考例句：

• Are you trying to tell me that David was attacked by a dinosaur?你是想要告诉我大卫被一支恐龙所攻击？
• He stared at the faithful miniature of the dinosaur.他凝视著精确的恐龙缩小模型。

12 porcupine   

n.豪猪， 箭猪

参考例句：

• A porcupine is covered with prickles.箭猪身上长满了刺。
• There is a philosophy parable,call philosophy of porcupine.有一个哲学寓言，叫豪猪的哲学。

13 bristles   

短而硬的毛发，刷子毛( bristle的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• the bristles on his chin 他下巴上的胡楂子
• This job bristles with difficulties. 这项工作困难重重。