(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
From VOA Learning English, this is the Economics Report.
The value of Russia's money recently dropped by 20 percent in one day. The ruble soon regains some of its value compared to the dollar. However, the decreasing value of Russia's money has raised fears in Moscow of rising prices.
Russia's Central Bank has increased interest rates to 17 percent in an effort to support the value of the currency. Russian officials are seeking help from some of the countries' biggest companies.
In December, Russian Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev met with the heads of export businesses, including the energy companies Rosneft and Gazprom.
He urged exporters to sell their foreign currency earnings, rather than save them, in an effort to support Russia's currency.
But not everyone is hurt by the ruble's decrease. Andrei Braginsky is a director of communications for Moscow Exchange. He says not all companies are suffering because of the falling value of the ruble.
"I think it really depends on company by company. Those exporters that have revenue in foreign currency and, of course, in rubles, they are not actually suffering that significantly," Braginsky said.
Russian exporters are paid in foreign currency, and can make gains when the ruble's value is low. Importers, however, suffer the most when their currency decreases in value, because foreign goods cost them more.
The U.S. computer company Apple halted online sales of its product in Russia to prevent losses from the exchange rate between the dollar and the ruble.
Russians looking for goods at stores in Moscow are buying them up because they are expecting price increases.
"Now, consumers are buying hectically. Because Russia largely [relies] on imported goods. There are a lot of stocks which were brought into the country at different currency levels. So, people are buying iPhones, they're buying imported cars, and the clothes, and everything they could buy still at old prices. So, it's a -- short-term at least, it's a consumer boom," Braginsky said.
Financial experts say the ruble's drop in value is not only affect the price buyers pay for goods. It also makes it more difficult for Russian companies to pay foreign debts. This has caused concern that some Russian companies may default or be unable to make their debt payments.
Falling oil prices and Western restrictions over Russia's actions in Ukraine are some of the reasons that the ruble's value has dropped.
In mid-December, the European Union agreed to increase sanctions against Russia. They include restrictions on finance and tourism in Crimea.
But economists say Russia faces a more basic problem -- its inability to use oil money to widen its economic activities and gain foreign investment.
And that is the Economics Report from VOA Learning English. I'm Mario Ritter.
词汇解释
1.regain vt. 恢复；重新获得；收回 vi. 上涨 n. 收复；取回
Troops have regained control of the city.
军队已重新获得对那座城市的控制。
2.default vi. 拖欠；不履行；不到场 n. 违约；缺席；缺乏；系统默认值 vt. 不履行；不参加（比赛等）；对…处以缺席裁判
The credit card business is down, and more borrowers are defaulting on loans.
信用卡生意正在走下坡路，更多的借贷人不履行还贷责任。
3.sanction n. 制裁，处罚；认可；支持 vt. 制裁，处罚；批准；鼓励
The continued abuse of human rights has now led the United States to impose sanctions against the regime.
对人权的不断践踏现已导致美国对该政权实施国际制裁。
内容解析
1.Russian exporters are paid in foreign currency, and can make gains when the ruble's value is low.
make gains 获得利润、营利；
Polls show Republicans likely to take control of the House of Representatives and make gains in the Senate.
民意调查显示，共和党可能赢得众议院的控制权，并在参议院获得一些席位。
One group may indeed make gains - while the rest of us take the losses.
某个群体确实可以从中获益，而其他所有的人则蒙受了损失。
参考译文
这里是美国之音慢速英语经济报道。
俄罗斯货币价值一天内下跌了20%，卢布兑美元的汇率很快有了回升，但俄罗斯货币不断贬值令人开始担心莫斯科物价不断上涨。
俄罗斯央行最近将汇率提高17%，希望能维护卢布的价值。俄罗斯官员正寻求从该国大公司的支持。
11月，俄罗斯总理梅德韦杰夫与出口企业负责人会面，包括能源公司俄罗斯石油公司和俄罗斯天然气工业股份公司。
他敦促出口商售出其外汇，而不是存下来，希望以此维护俄罗斯的货币。
但并非人人都因卢布贬值而受损，安德烈·布拉金斯基是莫斯科证券交易市场的传播总监，他说并非每个公司都因为卢布不断贬值而受损。
“我认为这取决于各公司，那些拥有外汇收入的出口商事实上没有受到多大损失。”
俄罗斯出口商收到的是外汇，当卢布贬值时能从中获利。然而当卢布贬值时，进口商受损最大，因为购买外国货物需要花更多钱。
美国电脑公司苹果暂停在俄罗斯的网上产品销售，以防止美元和卢布之间汇率的损失。
俄罗斯买完了莫斯科商店的商品，因为他们认为价格会上涨。
“消费者在疯狂购物，因为俄罗斯在很大程度上依赖于进口产品。有很多存货是以不同价格购买到该国的，所以人们在购买iPhone、进口汽车、衣服，以及所有能以以前的价格购买的商品。所以至少短期内会存在消费热潮。”
金融专家称卢布贬值不仅影响消费者购买商品的价格，还使得俄罗斯公司更难支付外债。这就让人担忧一些俄罗斯公司可能会债务违约。
油价下跌和西方因俄罗斯在乌克兰行动而进行的限制是卢布贬值的部分原因。
12月中旬，欧盟决定加强对俄罗斯的制裁，包括对克里米亚金融和旅游的限制。
但经济学家称俄罗斯面临更基本的问题，即无法使用石油收入来扩大经济活动并获得外国投资。
这就是美国之音慢速英语经济报道，我是马里奥·利特。
