【新闻精讲】

Finance and Economics
The Big Mac Index: The All Meaty Dollar
Burgernomics gets to grips with a strong greenback.
IT is perhaps not surprising that the worst-performing major currency in the world this year is the Turkish lira.Many emerging-market currencies have taken a battering since the election in November of Donald Trump raised expectations of faster monetary tightening in America and sent the dollar soaring.
But the lira has many other troubles to contend with, too: terrorist bombings, an economic slowdown, alarm over plans by the president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to strengthen his powers, and a central bank reluctant to raise interest rates to defend the currency.
It has plunged to record lows.
According to the Big Mac index, our patty-powered currency guide, it is now undervalued by 45.7% against the dollar.
The Big Mac index is built on the idea of purchasing-power parity, the theory that in the long run currencies will converge until the same amount of money buys the same amount of goods and services in every country.
A Big Mac currently costs $5.06 in America but just 10.75 lira ($2.75) in Turkey, implying that the lira is undervalued.However, other currencies are even cheaper.
In Big Mac terms, the Mexican peso is undervalued by a whacking 55.9% against the greenback.This week it also plumbed a record low as Mr. Trump reiterated some of his campaign threats against Mexico.The peso has lost a tenth of its value against the dollar since November.
Of big countries, only Russia offers a cheaper Big Mac, in dollar terms, even though the rouble has strengthened over the past year.The euro zone is also prey to political uncertainty. Elections are scheduled this year in the Netherlands, France and Germany, and possible in Italy.

【精讲文本】
Burgernomics gets to grips with a strong greenback.
汉堡经济学发现美元走强。
IT is perhaps not surprising that the worst-performing major currency in the world this year is the Turkish lira.
或许毫无意外，今年全世界表现最差的货币就是土耳其里拉。
Burgernomics = Burger+nomics 汉堡经济学；
Abenomics = Abe + nomics 安倍经济学
get to grips with 认真处理
Google is also trying to get to grips with areas of weakness, such as social networking.
Grip 吸引
例：The nation is gripped by the dramatic story.
整个国家都被这个戏剧性的故事所吸引
Greenback 绿钞

Many emerging-market currencies have taken a battering since the election in November of Donald Trump raised expectations of faster monetary tightening in America and sent the dollar soaring.
由于特朗普去年11月份当选美国总统提振了收紧美国货币政策和美元走强的预期，许多新兴市场的货币遭受重创。
Batter
连续猛击 (某人)
例：The passengers were battered by flying luggage and cargo as the cabin lost pressure.
当机舱失去压力时，乘客们受到飞落的行李和货物连续猛击。
Soaring 急剧增加
例：Insurance claims are expected to soar.
预计保险索赔会急剧增加。

But the lira has many other troubles to contend with, too: terrorist bombings, an economic slowdown, alarm over plans by the president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to strengthen his powers, and a central bank reluctant to raise interest rates to defend the currency.
但是里拉也有许多其他的问题要应对：轰炸恐怖势力，经济衰退，对总统雷杰普•塔伊普•埃尔多安为了巩固政权提出的计划造成的恐慌，同时中央银行不愿意提高利率而保护币值
contend with 与...作斗争
例句:We have had to contend with the disinterest of much of the medical profession about this topic. 我们必须全力对付很多医疗界人士对这一话题的冷漠。
Defend
1. 保护
2. 辩护
例：...a lawyer who defended political prisoners during the military regime.
…一位在军权时期为政治犯进行辩护的律师。

It has plunged to record lows.
里拉已经降至历史低点。
According to the Big Mac index, our patty-powered currency guide, it is now undervalued by 45.7% against the dollar.
巨无霸汉堡指数是我们基于馅饼的货币指导，根据这项指数，里拉如今兑美元的价值被低估45.7%。
Plunge
1. 纵身跳向; 猛冲向
例：At least 50 people died when a bus plunged into a river.
一辆公共汽车冲进了河里，至少有50人死亡。
2. 暴跌
The Peso plunged to a new low on the foreign exchange markets yesterday.
昨天，比索在外汇市场上暴跌到了历史新低。
Patty 小肉饼

The Big Mac index is built on the idea of purchasing-power parity, the theory that in the long run currencies will converge until the same amount of money buys the same amount of goods and services in every country.
巨无霸汉堡指数的建立基于购买力平价的思想，该理论认为在长期中，各种货币价值会回归到同等购买力，直到相同数量的货币能在每个国家购买相同数量的商品和服务。
purchasing-power parity 购买力
Converge 聚集
例：Hundreds of tractors will converge on the capital.
成百上千的拖拉机将向首都聚集。
Diverge 有分歧
例：The view of the Estonian government does not diverge that far from Lipmaa's thinking.
爱沙尼亚政府的观点和李普马的想法并无太大分歧。

A Big Mac currently costs $5.06 in America but just 10.75 lira ($2.75) in Turkey, implying that the lira is undervalued.
要制作一个巨无霸汉堡，在美国花费5.06美元，而在土耳其花费10.75里拉（2.75美元），这表明里拉价值被低估。
However, other currencies are even cheaper.
然而，其他货币的价值更为低廉。

In Big Mac terms, the Mexican peso is undervalued by a whacking 55.9% against the greenback.
根据巨无霸汉堡的角度看，墨西哥比索兑美元比率竟被低估55.9%之巨。
Whacking
巨大
Fortunately, concepts like extreme programming and agile development have made it possible to get a lot of these same benefits without an entire team of people whacking on your code.
所幸的是，由于极限编程和敏捷开发这些概念的出现，即使没有整个团队的人来锤炼代码，在很大程度上，您也能获得同样的收益。

This week it also plumbed a record low as Mr Trump reiterated some of his campaign threats against Mexico.
本周，随着特朗普重申他竞选过程中对墨西哥的一些威胁言论，比索下降至历史低点。
Plumb
1. 糟糕到新低点; 降至最低点
例：Relations between the two countries have plumbed new depths.
这两国关系已降至最低点。
2. 探出究竟
例：She never abandoned her attempts to plumb my innermost emotions.
她从未放弃过洞悉我内心深处情感的努力。
Reiterate
重申
例：He reiterated his opposition to the creation of a central bank.
他重申了他对创办中央银行的反对。

The peso has lost a tenth of its value against the dollar since November.
自11月以来，墨西哥比索兑美元汇价损失了十分之一。
Of big countries, only Russia offers a cheaper Big Mac, in dollar terms, even though the rouble has strengthened over the past year.
以美元来看，在各大国中，唯独俄罗斯的巨无霸汉堡便宜的多，即便俄罗斯货币卢布在过去这一年中一直在增值。
Strengthen
1. 加强
例：Giving the president the authority to go to war would strengthen his hand for peace.
给予总统发动战争的权利会加强他对于和平的掌控权。
2. 支持
例：He does not seem to be familiar with research which might have strengthened his own arguments.
他对本来可使他的论证更有说服力的研究似乎不太熟悉。

The euro zone is also prey to political uncertainty.
欧元区也饱受政局风波之苦。
Elections are scheduled this year in the Netherlands, France and Germany, and possible in Italy.
今年，荷兰、法国、德国甚至可能连意大利的大选都被提上议程。
Prey 困扰
例：It was a misunderstanding and it preyed on his conscience.
这是个误会，让他的良心很不安。
Schedule 计划; 安排
例：The space shuttle had been scheduled to blast off at 04:00.
这架航天飞机计划于04:00发射升空。