VOA标准英语2008年-US Finance Chiefs Urge Congress to Pass Emergen
时间：2019-01-12 作者：英语课 分类：VOA标准英语2008年（九月）
Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke and Treasury 1 Secretary Henry Paulson Tuesday implored 2 members of the Senate Banking 3 Committee to quickly enact 4 legislation that would permit the government to buy up bad housing-related loans that have negatively impacted credit markets. VOA's Barry Wood has more.
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, right, and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson testify on Capitol Hill in Washington, before the Senate Banking Committee, 23 Sep 2008
Bernanke said quick action is required to stabilize 5 financial markets and combat the threat of economic slowdown. He said markets wildly gyrated last week and dire 6 consequences loomed 7 as the government scrambled 8 to come up with a plan to shore up bad housing related loans.
Treasury Secretary Paulson told skeptical 9 lawmakers that the two-year long slump 10 in the U.S. housing market is the cause of the crisis.
"The root cause is the housing correction [price declines], as you have all pointed 11 out, that has resulted in illiquid mortgage assets choking off the flow of credit, which is so vitally important to our economy," said Paulson.
Bernanke defended recent actions by the government to deal with the problem. Those measures since September 7, included taking over the two government sponsored entities 12 most involved in home finance, allowing the Lehman Brothers investment bank to fail, taking over AIG - the world's biggest insurer, and then announcing Friday a $700-billion rescue plan that must be approved by Congress.
Bernanke denied that the government has been too generous to the shareholders 14 and managers of failing institutions.
"We have insisted on bringing the shareholder 13 value down close to zero, imposing 15 tough terms and so on. But the firms we are dealing 16 with now [with the proposed legislation] are not necessarily failing," he said. "They are contracting, de-leveraging and pulling back. And they will be unwilling 18 to make credit available as long as market conditions are as they are now."
Lawmakers were insistent 19 that bankers not be rescued at the expense of ordinary homeowners and consumers. Both Bernanke and Paulson agreed, but said without a comprehensive bailout all consumers will suffer.
Paulson, who was a top executive of the Goldman Sachs investment bank before coming to Washington, blamed weak regulation for the abuses in mortgage finance.
"I was shocked, absolutely shocked [when I arrived in DC two years ago], to find that it was not deregulation or too much regulation or too little regulation, it was just a flawed regulatory structure built for a different model," said Paulson.
In 1999 Congress gave increased freedoms to the financial service industry, but failed to create a comprehensive regulatory structure.
President Bush, speaking at the United Nations in New York, said he is acting 17 decisively to contain the financial crisis. The administration wants Congress to approve the rescue legislation before its scheduled adjournment 20 on Friday, but there is no clear indication that that timetable will hold.
- 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。
- She implored him to stay. 她恳求他留下。
- She implored him with tears in her eyes to forgive her. 她含泪哀求他原谅她。
- 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。
- The U.S. Congress has exclusive authority to enact federal legislation.美国国会是唯一有权颁布联邦法律的。
- For example,a country can enact laws and economic policies to attract foreign investment fairly quickly.例如一个国家可以很快颁布吸引外资的法令和经济政策。
- They are eager to stabilize currencies.他们急于稳定货币。
- His blood pressure tended to stabilize.他的血压趋向稳定。
- There were dire warnings about the dangers of watching too much TV.曾经有人就看电视太多的危害性提出严重警告。
- We were indeed in dire straits.But we pulled through.那时我们的困难真是大极了，但是我们渡过了困难。
- A dark shape loomed up ahead of us. 一个黑糊糊的影子隐隐出现在我们的前面。
- The prospect of war loomed large in everyone's mind. 战事将起的庞大阴影占据每个人的心。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- Each scrambled for the football at the football ground. 足球场上你争我夺。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
- He scrambled awkwardly to his feet. 他笨拙地爬起身来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
- Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。
- 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。
- He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
- She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。
- Our newspaper and our printing business form separate corporate entities. 我们的报纸和印刷业形成相对独立的企业实体。
- The North American continent is made up of three great structural entities. 北美大陆是由三个构造单元组成的。
- The account department have prepare a financial statement for the shareholder.财务部为股东准备了一份财务报表。
- A shareholder may transfer his shares in accordance with the law.股东持有的股份可以依法转让。
- The meeting was attended by 90% of shareholders. 90%的股东出席了会议。
- the company's fiduciary duty to its shareholders 公司对股东负有的受托责任
- The fortress is an imposing building.这座城堡是一座宏伟的建筑。
- He has lost his imposing appearance.他已失去堂堂仪表。
- This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
- His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。
- Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
- During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。
- The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。
- His tightfisted employer was unwilling to give him a raise.他那吝啬的雇主不肯给他加薪。
- There was an insistent knock on my door.我听到一阵急促的敲门声。
- He is most insistent on this point.他在这点上很坚持。
- The adjournment of the case lasted for two weeks. 该案休庭期为两周。
- The solicitor moved for an adjournment of the case. 律师请求将这个案件的诉讼延期。