VOA标准英语2012--Global Financial Leaders Ponder Jobs, Growth and Politics
时间：2019-01-14 作者：英语课 分类：VOA标准英语2012年(十月)
Global Financial Leaders Ponder Jobs, Growth and Politics
Many Europeans have been angered by government efforts to slash 1 pensions and salaries, while raising taxes in an effort to balance battered 2 budgets.
Public anger is one of many things limiting what leaders can do to solve economic problems in Europe and elsewhere.
As leaders head for the International Monetary 3 Fund and World Bank meetings, many economists 4 say Europe’s problems are the biggest threat to the global economy.
Making cuts while spurring growth
IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde said the budget cuts must be made gradually and need to be balanced with spending that's designed to boost growth and jobs.
"There should be clearly a focus on austerity, but also on growth as we believe that the two are not mutually exclusive,” said Lagarde.
A World Bank study says 600 million new jobs are needed by 2020 to accommodate new entrants to the workforce 5. The study says private enterprise creates most new jobs, but World Bank President Jim Yong Kim said government can help by providing good infrastructure 6 and smart regulation.
“There is a lot that governments can do to create an environment where especially small and medium enterprises can create the kind of good jobs that people need and people want," he said.
Battling complex issues
Top financial officials from around the world have met frequently over the past few years to deal with difficult issues. Some economists blame blunders by financial companies for sparking the economic crisis that threw millions of people out of work.
Many experts say regulation has improved, by for example, requiring banks to keep larger cash reserves.
Daniel Hanson of the American Enterprise Institute in Washington said, however, that Europe’s debt woes 7 slow the process.
“Europe is making a lot of progress in safeguarding their system, but they are doing so in the midst of their largest credit crunch 8 on record,” said Hanson.
One expert said that easing Europe’s troubles will be challenging new territory for the IMF, which has experience helping 9 poor nations.
Tufts University Professor Bhaksar Chakravorti expects only modest progress from the IMF and World Bank gatherings 10 in Tokyo. He spoke 11 on Skype.
"I think it moves the ball along a few tiny inches [centimeters] on a field that is probably several miles [kilometers] long," said Chakravorti.
At a time when the globe faces slowing growth, debt problems in Europe, political stalemates in the United States, and other problems, modest progress may be the best that can be achieved.
- The shop plans to slash fur prices after Spring Festival.该店计划在春节之后把皮货降价。
- Don't slash your horse in that cruel way.不要那样残忍地鞭打你的马。
- He drove up in a battered old car.他开着一辆又老又破的旧车。
- The world was brutally battered but it survived.这个世界遭受了惨重的创伤,但它还是生存下来了。
- 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。
- 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》
- A large part of the workforce is employed in agriculture.劳动人口中一大部分受雇于农业。
- A quarter of the local workforce is unemployed.本地劳动力中有四分之一失业。
- We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
- We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。
- Thanks for listening to my woes. 谢谢您听我诉说不幸的遭遇。
- She has cried the blues about its financial woes. 对于经济的困难她叫苦不迭。
- If it comes to the crunch they'll support us.关键时刻他们是会支持我们的。
- People who crunch nuts at the movies can be very annoying.看电影时嘎吱作声地嚼干果的人会使人十分讨厌。
- The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
- By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。
- His conduct at social gatherings created a lot of comment. 他在社交聚会上的表现引起许多闲话。
- During one of these gatherings a pupil caught stealing. 有一次，其中一名弟子偷窃被抓住。