EZCNN 易英网

The Great Depression: Economic Ground Zero 经济大萧条今昔谈

课文朗读

课文讲解

課文.pdf        繁體中文譯本

The stock market has slumped. Banks are going out of business. Everyone’s worried about losing their job. Scenes like these can be seen in the financial tsunami today. However, these were also the ___1___ of the Great Depression, a giant economic crisis that started in the United States in 1929 and spread throughout the world. ___2___ it happened almost 80 years ago, it is still mentioned at the first hint of a decline in the markets.

股市跌跌不休、银行倒闭、每个人都担心会丢饭碗。诸如此类的场景全都出现在今日的金融海啸里。但是，这些同时也是大萧条的现象。大萧条是一次巨大的金融危机，发生于1929年的美国，进而扩散到全世界。尽管大萧条已经是80年前的事了，但是每当市场出现一丝衰退迹象的时候，人们还是会提到大萧条。

While today’s economic turmoil is quite serious, the Great Depression was much more ___3___. From 1929 to 1933, stock prices declined by 90%, causing huge losses throughout the business world. Unemployment rose dramatically to the point ___4___ about 25% of all workers were without jobs. And by March 1933, over 5,000 banks had failed, wiping out the savings of millions of Americans.

尽管今日的金融灾害已相当严重，但是大萧条更具破坏效果。从1929年到1933年，股价下跌百分之90，导致业界蒙受巨大损失。失业率陡升，百分之25的人都没有工作。到了1933年三月，超过五千家银行倒闭，使得数百万美国人民的存款一夕成空。

The U.S. government ___5___ drastic action by enacting the New Deal, a huge package of relief programs. These included programs to reduce unemployment, regulate banks and the stock market more ___6___, and provide financial support for the neediest people.

美国政府采取大规模紧急应变措施，推行「新政」──一项大型的疏困专案。项目包括减少失业率，更有效地管理银行以及股票市场，并且提供金融援助给最需要的人。

Although the Great Depression caused great hardship, people learned many important lessons, such as the need to save money, borrow ___7___, and plan for the future. In today’s harsh economic times, we certainly can’t afford to forget such lessons.

大萧条使人们面临许多困难，但是人们也从中学到重要的教训，例如多存钱，少借钱，以及规划未来。在今日严峻的金融情势下，我们当然不能忘记大萧条带给我们的教训。

−by Marcus Lindy Sortijas

Vocabulary

单词发音

depression [dɪˋprɛʃən] n. 不景气，萧条（期）

economic [͵ikəˋnɑmɪk] adj. 经济上的

turmoil [ˋtɝmɔɪl] n. 混乱; 骚乱

unemployment [͵ʌnɪmˋplɔɪmənt] n. 失业；失业状态

regulate [ˋrɛgjə͵let] v. 管理；控制

More Information

单词发音

ground zero 开始； 起点； 爆心投影点

slump [slʌmp] v.（突然或沉重地）倒下，陷落

go out of business 破产; 倒闭 to stop doing commerce or business

tsunami [tsuˋnɑmi] n.（源自日语）海啸

hint [hɪnt] n. 线索，迹象 a slight indication of the existence, approach, or nature of something

stock [stɑk] n.（公司的）股票

wipe out 彻底消灭或摧毁某事物 to destroy or be destroyed completely

drastic [ˋdræstɪk] adj. 激烈的; 严厉的

enact [ɪnˋækt] v. 制定（法律）；颁布（法案）

hardship [ˋhɑrdʃɪp] n. 艰难，困苦

harsh [hɑrʃ] adj. 恶劣的

can’t afford to  不能冒...之险

devastating [ˋdɛvəs͵tetɪŋ] adj. 破坏性极大的，毁灭性的

Great Depression Documentary

Stories from the Great Depression

Answer