新视野大学英语视听说教程 3 Unit 10-12

（单词翻译）

News Report
Worsening Bank Assets
Many of the traditional quantitative¹ indicators² suggest that bank asset quality is deteriorating³, and that supervisors⁴ therefore need to be more sentitive to problems at individual banks, both currently and in the months ahead.
Some of the credits that were made in earlier periods of optimism—especially syndicated loans—are now under pressure and scrutiny⁵. The softening⁶ economy and all special circumstances have especially affected⁷ borrowers in the retail⁸, manufacturing, health care and telecommunication⁹ industries. California utilities, as you know, have also been under particular pressure. All of these, and no doubt other problem areas that are not now of foreseeable, require that both bank management and supervisors remain particularly alert to development.
We are fortunate enough that our banking¹⁰ system entered this period of weak economic performance in a strong position. After rebuilding capital and liquidity¹¹ in the early 1990s, followed by several years of post-World War II record profits and very strong loan growth, our banks now have prudent¹² capital and reserve positions.
In addition, asset quality was quite good by historical standards before the deterioration¹³ began.
Building on banking practices, we are in the process of improving both lending and supervisory policies that we trust will foster better risk management; but these policies could also reduce the pro-cyclical pattern of easing and tightening¹⁴ of bank lending and accordingly increase bank shareholder¹⁵ values and economic stability. It is an easy road, Mr. Chairman, but it seems that we are well along it.