Japan to Spend More Than $99 Billion in New Stimulus Updated: April 6, 2009 Source: 6/business/AP-AS-Japan- Stimulus.html?ref=business 6/business/AP-AS-Japan- Stimulus.html?ref=business 6/business/AP-AS-Japan- Stimulus.html?ref=business 06 英 2(D) 林丽青

TOKYO (AP) -- Japan plans to spend more than 10 trillion yen ($99.3 billion) in new stimulus measures to rescue the world's second-biggest economy from its deepest recession since World War II. 日本作为世界第二大经济体计划通过一项总额 逾 10 万亿日元的经济刺激计划，以应对该国面 临的自二战以来最严重的经济衰退 。 The figure amounts to more than 2 percent of Japan's gross domestic product, Finance Minister Kaoru Yosano told reporters after meeting with Prime Minister Taro Aso.

The new spending comes on top of 12 trillion yen in fiscal steps previously approved by lawmakers. The latest package will include measures to help contract workers and small businesses, programs to boost regional economies and support for elderly care, said Yasunaga Matsuki, a spokesman at the Ministry of Finance. 据日本财务省一名发言人表示，这项刺激方案 将包括对合同工人及小企业的扶助措施、振兴 地区经济的项目及为老年人提供保障的计划。

Officials aim to finalize details of the latest package by Friday and then submit the extra budget to parliament soon after, Matsuki said. Japan has been hit particularly hard by the global slowdown, which has sapped foreign sales of its cars and gadgets. Exporters including Toyota Motor Corp. and Sony Corp. have slashed production and jobs in response.

Words and Expressions Gadget ： A small specialized mechanical or electronic device; a contrivance 小配件：有专 门用途的小的机械装置或电动装置；机械装置 Slash ： cut or reduce (sth) drastically 大幅 度裁减或削减 a government promise to slash taxes 政府大幅 度减税的承诺. Axe: greatly reduce (costs, services, etc) Sap ： Gradually weaken 逐渐削弱 Lack of planning is sapping the company's efficiency. 公司缺乏计划性已逐渐降低了工作 效率.

gross domestic product ： The total market value of all the goods and services produced within the borders of a nation during a specified period. 国内生产毛额：在某一段特定其间内在 某一国境内所生产的所有商品及服务的 总市场价值 economy ： The system or range of economic activity in a country, region, or community 经济体 stimulus measures: 经济刺激计划

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