Business Channel 2007-03-29&31-英语课

时间：2019-01-26 作者：英语课 分类：商业报道2007年

英语课

The United States has sustained 31 consecutive 1 years of trade deficits 3. Those deficits have reached successively higher records in each of the past five years. The US trade deficit 2 has in fact more than doubled since President George W. Bush took office. The U.S. trade deficit has been a drag on our economic growth in 18 of the 24 quarters of George W. Bush's presidency 4.

Free trade has been the most expensive trade policy this nation has ever pursued. There is absolutely nothing free about ever-larger trade deficits, mounting trade debts and the loss of millions of good-paying American jobs.

Since the beginning of this new century, the United States has lost more than three million manufacturing jobs. Three million more jobs have been lost to cheap overseas labor 5 markets in the name of outsourcing, as corporate 6 America campaigns relentlessly 7 for what it calls "higher productivity", "efficiency," and "competitiveness," all three words have been revealed to mean nothing more than, they are code words, code words for the cheapest possible labor in the world.

I've been called a "table-thumping 8 protectionist," and the Bush administration has hurled 9 at me its favorite public epithet 10, at least in terms of economic policy, calling me an "economic isolationist." Nothing could be farther from the truth. I believe, as I hope you and the majority of all members of this Congress believe, irrespective of your political party, in the importance of an international system of trade and finance that is orderly, predictive, well-regulated, mutual 11 and fair.

Reciprocity does not in any way connote protectionism. Neutrality does not in any way connote economic isolationism. But both terms when applied 12 to our trade policy require a pragmatism and a commitment to the domestic and national interests of this country in all international agreements. And I believe, as I hope you do, that no international agreement of any kind should ever again be signed by this government without clear, honest understanding of the potentially awesome 13 impact that such agreements have on the lives of our working men and women, our environment, and the quality of life.

Notes:

1. free trade

Policy in which a government does not discriminate 14 against imports or interfere 15 with exports. A free-trade policy does not necessarily imply that the government abandons all control and taxation 16 of imports and exports, but rather that it refrains from actions specifically designed to hinder international trade, such as tariff 17 barriers, currency restrictions 18, and import quotas 19. The theoretical case for free trade is based on Adam Smith's argument that the division of labour among countries leads to specialization, greater efficiency, and higher aggregate 20 production. The way to foster such a division of labour, Smith believed, is to allow nations to make and sell whatever products can compete successfully in an international market.

2. table thumping

Ppl should be very mad when he thumps 21 the table.

1 consecutive

adj.连续的，联贯的，始终一贯的

It has rained for four consecutive days.已连续下了四天雨。
The policy of our Party is consecutive.我党的政策始终如一。

2 deficit

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

3 deficits

n.不足额( deficit的名词复数 )；赤字；亏空；亏损

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

4 presidency

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

5 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

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。

6 corporate

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

7 relentlessly

adv.不屈不挠地；残酷地；不间断

The African sun beat relentlessly down on his aching head. 非洲的太阳无情地照射在他那发痛的头上。
He pursued her relentlessly, refusing to take 'no' for an answer. 他锲而不舍地追求她，拒不接受“不”的回答。

8 thumping

adj.重大的，巨大的；重击的；尺码大的；极好的adv.极端地；非常地v.重击(thump的现在分词)；狠打；怦怦地跳；全力支持