(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
From VOA Learning English, this is the Economics Report.
2014 was a year of several economic surprises. On today's program, we look back at some of them. First on our list, is the unexpected drop in the price of oil that began in June.
Oil Prices Decrease
Often, low oil prices fuel growth, but this year the price drop has helped some countries while hurting others. Increased American oil production is one reason for the drop in oil prices.
Experts say slowing economies in China and Europe have reduced demand for oil. Japan's economy also slowed and then went into recession. Increasing supply and decreasing demand usually result in falling prices.
In the past, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC, has reacted to price drops by decreasing production. But this year that did not happen. At OPEC's meeting in November, members chose to leave production levels unchanged.
Russian Economy Slows from Oil Prices, Sanctions
The huge drop in the price of oil this year helped create another major story: Russia's slowing economy.
Russian officials said they expect the country's economy to shrink in 2015, or go into recession. Two reasons for this are reduced income from oil sales and the effects of restrictions placed on Russia because of its actions in Ukraine.
The exchange rate for Russia's currency, the ruble, has dropped sharply against the dollar. In mid-December, the European Union agreed to increase sanctions against Russia. They include restrictions on finance and tourism in Crimea.
US Economy Shows Signs of Improvement
The U.S. economy showed signs of strengthening this year. The Department of Commerce says the U.S. economy grew at a rate of 5 percent from July to September.
Also, 2014 saw the Dow Jones Industrial Index -- a widely reported stock market measure -- extended above 18,000 for the first time.
And the human face of America's central bank changed in 2014. The U.S. Senate confirmed Janet Yellen to lead the Board of Governors of the U.S. Federal Reserve System in January. She is the first woman to lead the nation's central bank in its 100-year history.
Other Economic Events...
And in a major surprise, President Barack Obama announced an end to sanctions against Cuba. The change in policy will permit increase trade in financial dealings between the two countries. The United States cut diplomatic relations with Cuba in 1961.
And that is the Economics Report from VOA Learning English. You can find more reports at learningenglish.voanews.com. I'm Mario Ritter.
词汇解释
1.shrink n. n.收缩；畏缩；<俚>精神病学家 vt. 使缩小，使收缩 vi. .收缩；畏缩
The vast forests of West Africa have shrunk.
西非那片广袤的森林已经缩小了。
2.sanction n. 制裁，处罚；认可；支持 vt. 制裁，处罚；批准；鼓励
He may now be ready to sanction the use of force.
他或许现在正准备批准使用武力。
内容解析
1.Two reasons for this are reduced income from oil sales and the effects of restrictions placed on Russia because of its actions in Ukraine.
place on 强加于
Prisoners have been placed on lockdown to prevent further violence at the jail.
已对囚犯实行活动限制，以免狱中再出现暴力行为。
Emphasis was placed on the school as a transmitter of moral values.
人们强调学校为道德价值观的传输者。
参考译文
这里是美国之音慢速英语经济报道。
2014年经济领域出现了几件意外事件，在今天的节目中，我们将回顾这些意外事件。首先，我们来看下去年6月份开始的油价令人意想不到的下跌。
通常低油价会促进发展，但是今年的下跌在帮助一些国家的同时也损害了其他国家。美国石油产量的提高是油价下跌的一个原因。
专家说中国和欧洲经济的放缓也减少了对石油的需求，日本经济也在放缓并陷入衰退。供给增加和需求减少通常会导致价格下跌。
在过去，石油输出国组织(OPEC)会在油价下跌时减少产出，但今年没有这样做，在去年11月举行的OPEC会议上，成员国决定产量保持不变。
今年的油价骤跌也导致了另一个重大影响：俄罗斯经济放缓。
俄方官员称他们预测该国经济在2015年会萎缩，也就是陷入衰退。这里有两个原因，一是石油收入的减少，一是因为俄罗斯在乌克兰的行动招致的限制措施。
俄罗斯卢布对美元汇率急剧下跌，在去年12月中旬，欧盟决定加强对俄罗斯的制裁，包括对克里米亚地区金融和旅游业的限制。
美国经济今年表现出强劲迹象，商务部称美国经济在7月份到9月份的增长率为5%。
同时，2014年道琼斯工业指数也首次攀升到18000点。
美国央行在2014年也变脸了，1月份，美国参议院批准由珍妮特·耶伦来担任美联储委员会主席，她是该国100年以来首位领导央行的女性。
另一重大事件是，巴拉克·奥巴马总统宣布结束对古巴制裁，这一政策改变将使得两国之间的金融交易增加，美国在1961年切断与古巴的外交关系。
这就是美国之音慢速英语经济报道，登陆learningenglish.voanews.com获得更多报道，我是马里奥·利特。
