新闻万花筒：VOA视角之欧洲央行公布欧版量化宽松(QE)计划

Spiiker新闻万花筒，VOA新闻，带您看世界，听世界，

感受世界的点点滴滴。

练听力，提能力，小编与您共努力！

US, Japan Offer Lessons as Eurozone Launches Huge Stimulus

LONDON— The Euro currency has fallen sharply after the European Central Bank announced a bigger-than-expected $67 billion-a-month quantitative easing program Thursday — commonly seen as a form of printing new money.

The European Central Bank’s bold move was prompted by alarming figures showing 0.2 percent deflation in the Eurozone last quarter — raising the prospect that people would stop spending in the expectation that prices would fall.

So will quantitative easing, or QE, rescue Europe’s economy? Unlikely, says Christian Odendahl, chief economist at the Center for European Reform in London.

“The problem is that the ECB has waited relatively long before it’s considering this relatively bold step. And part of QE is changing people’s expectation for the better. And expectations in the eurozone have deteriorated quite a bit," said Odendahl.

Even the $1.3 trillion QE program might not be enough to change that, says Kathleen Brooks of foreign exchange bank Forex.com.

“One thing we have seen, certainly in the U.S.'s example, but also in Japan's example, is that it takes a hell of a lot of money to make QE have an economic impact," said Brooks.

The United States’ QE program offers other lessons, said Odendahl.

“One is it works best if you are bold right from the start. That is the kind of announcement effect, the shock-and-awe effect, that markets truly believe that now a change is coming," he said.

There are added political risks to quantitative easing in the eurozone, said Brooks.

“If your central bank is buying up the assets of various member states, then all of a sudden Germany, in particular — they've got the biggest economy in the eurozone — could be liable if those states don't pay back the central bank," he said.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel gave a lukewarm reception to the ECB’s program at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday.

"It is now time to cleanse and consolidate the finances, now that the interest rates are low," said Merkel.

Japan suffered a "lost decade" of low inflation and low growth — from which it’s only recently showed signs of emerging. William Saito, senior adviser to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, said the comparison has limits.

“In the case of ECB and Europe, you have a good case of Japan to learn from. From Europe, which I think is fundamentally different from Japan, is that for many, many different countries put together with different ways of thinking," said Saito.

Those differences could be underlined Sunday in the epicenter of the European financial crisis: Greece. The far left Syriza party has brought thousands of supporters onto the streets during the election campaign, on a platform of opposition to German-led austerity.

 

词汇解析

reaction

难度：3星常用词汇，属常用6000词

英汉解释

n.反应；生理反应；反应能力；复旧；反动；化学反应

参考例句

用作名词 (n.)

Her arrest produced an immediate reaction from the press.

她被捕的事立刻在新闻界引起反应。

After all the excitement there was an inevitable reaction.

热闹一番过后,生活沉闷如故。

************************

journalist

难度：1星畅通词汇，属常用20000词

英汉解释

n.记者；新闻工作者

参考例句

用作名词 (n.)

This journalist's works are popular among young people.

这位新闻记者的著作很受年轻人的欢迎。

His passport says he is a journalist.

他的护照说他是一个新闻工作者。

************************

stock

难度：5星基本词汇，属常用1000词

英汉解释

n.存货；储备；树干；股票；股份；家畜；血统；汤汁；声望

v.采购；储存；供给；发新芽

adj.惯用的；存货的

参考例句

用作名词 (n.)

We have a large stock of tinned fruit.

我们有大批水果罐头的存货。

用作动词 (v.)

We must stock up with food for the holiday.

我们必须采购一些食品以备假期之需。

用作形容词 (adj.)

She's tired of her husband's stock jokes.

她已听厌了丈夫那老一套的俏皮话。

************************

observer

难度：2星扩展词汇，属常用10000词

英汉解释

n.观察者

参考例句

用作名词 (n.)

Each observer's prediction has been borne out.

每个观察者的预料已被证实了。

************************

funeral

难度：3星常用词汇，属常用6000词

英汉解释

adj.葬礼(的)

n.葬礼

参考例句

用作形容词 (adj.)

Their cars headed the funeral procession.

他们的车队在葬礼队伍的最前面。

用作名词 (n.)

They held a state funeral in honour of the statesman.

他们为这位政治家举行了国葬。

************************

community

难度：4星核心词汇，属常用3000词

英汉解释

n.社区；社会；公众；共同体；团体；共享；共有；[生]群落

参考例句

用作名词 (n.)

Community colleges have become popular and their enrollments have increased rapidly.

社区大学日渐增多，报名人数迅速增长。

The political community is composed of a number of diverse economic and functional groups.

政治共同体由一系列在经济上和功能上不同的团体组成。

************************

demand

难度：4星核心词汇，属常用3000词

英汉解释

n.要求；需求

v.要求；查问；需要

参考例句

用作名词 (n.)

The demand for coal begins to slacken off in the spring.

煤的需求在春天开始减少。

用作动词 (v.)

All these questions demand careful and detailed study.

这些都需要认真具体的研究。

See more information, you can visit us

英语口语测试  http://www.spiiker.com/daily/

在线学英语口语 http://www.spiiker.com/english-plaza.jsp