World Trade Talks

By Cynthia Kirk

Broadcast: September 20, 2003

This is Steve Ember with the VOA Special English program, In the News.
Countries of 1)the World Trade Organization failed to reach agreement early this week after five days of talks in Cancun, Mexico. Mexican Foreign Secretary Luis Ernesto Derbez halted the talks on Sunday after some delegates¹ walked out. The delegates said wealthy countries did not make enough compromises to help poor nations.
The one-hundred-forty-six members of the World Trade Organization began a new series of talks two years ago in Doha, Qatar. They called for an agreement by two-thousand-five to reduce trade 2)barriers. The goal is to increase development in poorer nations.
The United States and other wealthy nations say free trade has created jobs and wealth around the world. They say fewer trade barriers would increase that success. But developing nations say world trade rules help only major industrial nations and harm others.
The meeting in Cancun included an alliance² of developing countries led by Brazil, China and India. They called themselves the Group of Twenty-two. They came together to demand major compromises.
The talks covered several issues. The biggest dispute is about aid to farmers. The European Union, the United States and others provide about three-thousand-million dollars a year to support farm exports.
Developing nations want deep cuts in this farm aid. They say it forces them to lower their prices. They say the current situation makes it difficult for their farmers to compete in the world economy.
But the W-T-O members could not agree whether to begin new talks on rules for foreign investment and competition. The E-U and Japan wanted to discuss these issues. But several developing countries refused. They said they must deal with these issues themselves, and not as part of the W-T-O negotiations³. The European Union had made these issues a condition for cuts in its farm aid.
American trade officials in Cancun had hoped the Europeans would accept proposals to set a date to end farm aid. The E-U has offered to work to reduce the aid, but not to end it completely.
American Trade Representative Robert Zoellick said the United States was prepared to make deep cuts in its own farm aid. But he said some countries were unwilling⁴ to negotiate⁵ other measures that the United States was seeking. These included cuts in taxes on imports of American goods.
Mister Zoellick said the United States would continue to seek free trade agreements through the W-T-O or with individual nations.
Governments around the world expressed regret that the talks in Cancun failed. But anti-free trade activists⁶ and developing countries celebrated⁷. Trade officials are expected to meet at the World Trade Organization headquarters in Geneva in December to decide how to continue.
In the News, from VOA Special English, was written by Cynthia Kirk. This is Steve Ember.

注释：
1) the World Trade Organization  世界贸易组织
2) barrier[5bAriE] n.障碍

1 delegates   

代表，代表团成员( delegate的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The conference was attended by delegates from 56 countries. 此次会议有来自56个国家的代表出席。
• Delegates expressed strong opposition to the plans. 代表强烈反对这些计划。

2 alliance   

n.同盟，同盟国，结盟，联姻

参考例句：

• China will not enter into alliance with any big power.中国不同任何大国结盟。
• The new alliance was very much in evidence.新的联盟上星期很引人注目。

3 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

4 unwilling   

adj.不情愿的

参考例句：

• The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。
• His tightfisted employer was unwilling to give him a raise.他那吝啬的雇主不肯给他加薪。

5 negotiate   

v.洽谈，协商，谈判，顺利通过，成功越过

参考例句：

• I'll negotiate with their coach on the date of the match.我将与他们的教练磋商比赛的日期问题。
• I managed to negotiate successfully with the authorities.我设法同当局进行了成功的协商。

6 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。