美国国家公共电台 NPR--Amid an economic meltdown, Lebanon will hold parliamentary elections

Amid an economic meltdown, Lebanon will hold parliamentary elections

Transcript¹

An unabated economic crisis in Lebanon is crushing the middle class. A look at how people there are coping ahead of Sunday's parliamentary elections.

A MARTINEZ, HOST:

Right now to Lebanon. The country holds a parliamentary election Sunday, but that's hardly the most pressing issue for people there. They're struggling to buy groceries or get money from banks as the country's two-year economic crisis continues. And as NPR's Arezou Rezvani reports, it's shattered the middle class.

(SOUNDBITE OF HORNS HONKING)

AREZOU REZVANI, BYLINE²: In Lebanon these days, it's not unusual for people to wait up to 2 hours to use an ATM. It's in one of those lines where I found Abdul Rabia one recent morning. Seventy-four years old and retired³, he's been having a hard time withdrawing money he spent a lifetime saving.

ABDUL RABIA: (Through interpreter) The money that I got for my retirement⁴ is in the bank. It's my whole life savings⁵. And what am I doing? I'm begging every month for my money.

REZVANI: For a while now, the banks here have limited withdrawals⁶, and it's left people like Rabia extremely frustrated⁷ and resentful.

RABIA: (Through interpreter) You know, they give it to us drop by drop. It's our money. And they've taken it. In fact, they've stolen it.

REZVANI: A little farther down the line, I find Nabila Bashir Baydoun.

NABILA BASHIR BAYDOUN: (Speaking Arabic).

REZVANI: "Life is super expensive - super expensive," she says. For the 70 year old, it's even put her health at risk.

BAYDOUN: (Speaking Arabic).

REZVANI: "I take seven medications, and one now costs six times what it used to be," she says. For the medication she now has trouble finding, her son's friend brings it from Turkey whenever he visits.

Hello.

ELIE: Hello.

REZVANI: Across town, Elie is getting ready to close his pharmacy⁸ for the day. He asks to use only his first name since he's not authorized⁹ to speak by the association of pharmacies¹⁰. He's noticed that a lot of people who've come in lately leave empty-handed.

ELIE: First question - they ask about the price. In many cases, they leave without buying.

REZVANI: He's worked at this pharmacy for 30 years. When I ask him if he's ever seen the economy in such bad shape, maybe during the 15 year civil war, he says...

ELIE: Never. Never, never, never. This last two years, it's another kind of life in everything.

REZVANI: All of this is the result of what analysts¹¹ and even leaders of donor¹³ countries say is mismanagement and corruption¹⁴ in the government that has squandered¹⁵ the country's cash reserves. International lenders have hesitated to bail¹⁶ Lebanon out until it reforms.

Sami Halabi is an economic analyst¹² with Triangle, a consulting group based in Beirut. And he says the economic crisis has been devastating¹⁷ even for the middle class.

SAMI HALABI: People have lost 90% of their savings. And over the past 2 1/2 years, we've seen this increase in the poverty rate from 30% to 80%.

REZVANI: It's amid this economic meltdown that Lebanon will hold parliamentary elections this Sunday. But Halabi is skeptical¹⁸ that a change in leadership will be enough to turn the tide any time soon.

HALABI: The crisis is so much deeper and harder than we ever expected it to be, that there is no election or policy move that will provide us with a quick fix. Confidence in the economy and the banking¹⁹ sector²⁰ has been smashed. And to regain²¹ that is probably a generational project.

(SOUNDBITE OF SEWING MACHINE)

REZVANI: Until then, workers like Claudette Mehanao, a designer and seamstress, will continue sewing late into the night. With her husband sick, she's now the one supporting her family.

CLAUDETTE MEHANAO: (Through interpreter) It's very stressful. I've gone down 20 kilos in weight. In a way, my life's just disappeared in front of me. This is when I should be resting. This is - you know, I was able to make money. I was able to buy a house. And now I have to work.

REZVANI: She has plenty of money in the bank. But like so many others, she can't get it out.

Arezou Rezvani, NPR News, Beirut.

(SOUNDBITE OF TIM SCHAUFERT'S "JOURNEY")

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

3 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

4 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

5 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

6 withdrawals   

n.收回，取回，撤回( withdrawal的名词复数 )；撤退，撤走；收回[取回，撤回，撤退，撤走]的实例；推出（组织），提走（存款），戒除毒瘾，对说过的话收回，孤僻

参考例句：

• He has made several withdrawals from his bank account. 他从银行账户上提了几次款。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• It is not the bank's policy to deduct interest on withdrawals. 提款需扣除利息这并非是本银行的政策。 来自辞典例句

7 frustrated   

adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's very easy to get frustrated in this job. 这个工作很容易令人懊恼。
• The bad weather frustrated all our hopes of going out. 恶劣的天气破坏了我们出行的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 pharmacy   

n.药房，药剂学，制药业，配药业，一批备用药品

参考例句：

• She works at the pharmacy.她在药房工作。
• Modern pharmacy has solved the problem of sleeplessness.现代制药学已经解决了失眠问题。

9 authorized   

a.委任的，许可的

参考例句：

• An administrative order is valid if authorized by a statute.如果一个行政命令得到一个法规的认可那么这个命令就是有效的。

10 pharmacies   

药店

参考例句：

• Still, 32 percent of the pharmacies filled the prescriptions. 但仍然有32%的药剂师配发了这两张药方。 来自互联网
• Chinese herbal pharmacies, and traditional massage therapists in the Vancouver telephone book. 中药店，和传统的按摩师在温哥华的电话簿里。 来自互联网

11 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

12 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

13 donor   

n.捐献者；赠送人；(组织、器官等的)供体

参考例句：

• In these cases,the recipient usually takes care of the donor afterwards.在这类情况下，接受捐献者以后通常会照顾捐赠者。
• The Doctor transplanted the donor's heart to Mike's chest cavity.医生将捐赠者的心脏移植进麦克的胸腔。

14 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

15 squandered   

v.（指钱，财产等）浪费，乱花( squander的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He squandered all his money on gambling. 他把自己所有的钱都糟蹋在赌博上了。
• She felt as indignant as if her own money had been squandered. 她心里十分生气，好像是她自己的钱给浪费掉了似的。 来自飘（部分）

16 bail   

v.舀（水），保释；n.保证金，保释，保释人

参考例句：

• One of the prisoner's friends offered to bail him out.犯人的一个朋友答应保释他出来。
• She has been granted conditional bail.她被准予有条件保释。

17 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

18 skeptical   

adj.怀疑的，多疑的

参考例句：

• Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
• Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。

19 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。

20 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

21 regain   

vt.重新获得，收复，恢复

参考例句：

• He is making a bid to regain his World No.1 ranking.他正为重登世界排名第一位而努力。
• The government is desperate to regain credibility with the public.政府急于重新获取公众的信任。