VOA慢速英语2016--消灭贫困项目进展缓慢

AS IT IS 2016-05-30 Lack of Progress in Reducing Poverty 消灭贫困项目进展缓慢

A new report says years of progress made in reducing poverty worldwide are under attack.

The International Labor¹ Organization says the progress is being threatened by weakening economic conditions and a lack of quality jobs.

The ILO recently released the report. It is called “World Employment and Social Outlook 2016 -- Transforming Jobs to End Poverty.”

The ILO says great progress in reducing poverty has been made over the past 20 years. The report explores the issue of extreme poverty in 107 emerging and developing countries.

Extreme poverty was defined as earning less than $2 a day.

The report found that in those countries, the number of people with such an income fell by almost half since 1990 to about 15 percent in 2012.

But not every country has experienced falling rates of poverty.

Guy Ryder is the ILO’s Director-General. He says there have been great improvements in China and in Latin American countries. But poverty remains² high in Africa and parts of Asia.

“For example, more than 40 percent of the African population continues to live in extreme poverty and some 64 percent in extreme or moderate poverty. Another element -- which I think we have to pay attention to -- is the fact that in the developed world, there has been an increase, an absolute increase in poverty, notably³ in this continent of Europe.”

Ryder says the recent worsening of economic conditions in Asia and Latin America suggests a cloudy future for poverty reduction efforts there. He noted⁴ that economic growth does not mean a reduction in poverty.

He says income inequality is beginning to increase after dropping for many years. He says that hurts the ability of people to get out of poverty.

“In addition, the ability of growth to reduce poverty is compromised by the inequitable income distribution, showing that the rich are taking a disproportionately high share of the benefits of growth and, in a way, could be considered partly responsible for this perpetuation⁵ of poverty.”

The ILO says United Nations’ efforts to end poverty everywhere are at risk of failing.

Words in This Story

emerge – v. to become known or regarded as something

element – n. a particular part of something (such as a situation or activity)

absolute – v. not depending on or compared with anything else

inequitable – adj. not fair or equal

distribution – n. the way that something is divided or spread out

disproportionate – adj. having or showing a difference that is not fair, reasonable or expected; too large or too small in relation to something

benefit – n. a good or helpful result or effect

perpetuate⁶ – v. to cause (something that should be stopped, such as a mistaken idea or a bad situation) to continue

1 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

2 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

3 notably   

adv.值得注意地，显著地，尤其地，特别地

参考例句：

• Many students were absent,notably the monitor.许多学生缺席，特别是连班长也没来。
• A notably short,silver-haired man,he plays basketball with his staff several times a week.他个子明显较为矮小，一头银发，每周都会和他的员工一起打几次篮球。

4 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

5 perpetuation   

n.永存，不朽

参考例句：

• Are there some on going policies that encourage its perpetuation? 现在是否有一些持续的政策令这会根深蒂固？ 来自互联网
• Does the mental perpetuation exist? 存在心理的永恒吗？ 来自互联网

6 perpetuate   

v.使永存，使永记不忘

参考例句：

• This monument was built to perpetuate the memory of the national hero.这个纪念碑建造的意义在于纪念民族英雄永垂不朽。
• We must perpetuate the system.我们必须将此制度永久保持。