2007年VOA标准英语-World Bank in Turmoil Following Ouster of Leade

By Barry Wood
Washington
10 July 2007
 

The Washington-based World Bank, the planet's biggest anti-poverty agency, has been in turmoil--its president forced out amid a staff revolt. VOA's economics correspondent Barry Wood reports that the bank--owned by its 180 member countries--is under pressure from all sides.

It has long been a target of anti-globalization protesters who accuse the bank of being an agent of capitalism--a tool of big corporations.

Founded at the end of the Second World War, the World Bank typically provides up to $20 billion a year to developing countries.  It is, by far, the biggest donor¹ to Africa.  But it has grown into a huge institution with 10,000 employees.

And critics say the bank has lost its focus--is too big and tries to do too much.

Before retiring, Dennis de Tray headed World Bank operations in Central Asia. "There is nothing wrong with the Bank that a 40 percent cut in staff would not fix," he said recently. "It is just too big. And, you know, as long as it is big they will find ways to employ those people."

There are complaints that the bank is still lax in fighting corruption³ and props⁴ up unsavory dictators--despite the past’s bank president's focus on the problem. 

William Easterly

William Easterly is a former bank employee turned fierce critic. "The share of aid [from the bank] going to corrupt² countries has actually gone up during the period in which we have had a lot of rhetoric⁵ about fighting corruption. So the World Bank is actually getting worse about fighting corruption despite all the rhetoric to the contrary."

Independent analysts⁶ say 44 countries that borrow from the bank are highly corrupt.

Adam Lerrick of Washington's conservative American Enterprise Institute says the bank should not be lending to successful middle-income countries like China. The private sector⁷, he argues, does far more to pull people out of poverty than the World Bank.

"In the last 30 years, the world has changed dramatically. But the World Bank has refused to change with it. At this stage the World Bank is totally marginalized in the world economy."

Eugene Rotberg

That kind of talk is infuriating, says Eugene Rotberg, a staunch defender⁸ of the bank he served for a dozen years as vice-president and treasurer⁹.

"Because it is simply not true. There is still hunger, there is still malnutrition¹⁰, there is still hard-core poverty, there is still lack of jobs, there is still massive unemployment, there is still a low level of education, and women are not moving up as fast they could in many parts of the world."

Robert Zoellick, a respected former U.S. government official, is just beginning his five-year term as president. He replaces the divisive Paul Wolfowitz, who was forced out. Zoellick faces the formidable task of refocusing the bank's mission while simultaneously¹¹ reassuring¹² clients and staff and coaxing¹³ new contributions out of rich country members.

1 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。

2 corrupt   

v.贿赂，收买；adj.腐败的，贪污的

参考例句：

• The newspaper alleged the mayor's corrupt practices.那家报纸断言市长有舞弊行为。
• This judge is corrupt.这个法官贪污。

3 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。

4 props   

小道具； 支柱( prop的名词复数 )； 支持者； 道具； （橄榄球中的）支柱前锋

参考例句：

• Rescuers used props to stop the roof of the tunnel collapsing. 救援人员用支柱防止隧道顶塌陷。
• The government props up the prices of farm products to support farmers' incomes. 政府保持农产品价格不变以保障农民们的收入。

5 rhetoric   

n.修辞学，浮夸之言语

参考例句：

• Do you know something about rhetoric?你懂点修辞学吗？
• Behind all the rhetoric,his relations with the army are dangerously poised.在冠冕堂皇的言辞背后，他和军队的关系岌岌可危。

6 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。

7 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。

8 defender   

n.保卫者，拥护者，辩护人

参考例句：

• He shouldered off a defender and shot at goal.他用肩膀挡开防守队员，然后射门。
• The defender argued down the prosecutor at the court.辩护人在法庭上驳倒了起诉人。

9 treasurer   

n.司库，财务主管

参考例句：

• Mr. Smith was succeeded by Mrs.Jones as treasurer.琼斯夫人继史密斯先生任会计。
• The treasurer was arrested for trying to manipulate the company's financial records.财务主管由于试图窜改公司财政帐目而被拘留。

10 malnutrition   

n.营养不良

参考例句：

• In Africa, there are a lot of children suffering from severe malnutrition.在非洲有大批严重营养不良的孩子。
• It is a classic case of malnutrition. 这是营养不良的典型病例。

11 simultaneously   

adv.同时发生地，同时进行地

参考例句：

• The radar beam can track a number of targets almost simultaneously.雷达波几乎可以同时追着多个目标。
• The Windows allow a computer user to execute multiple programs simultaneously.Windows允许计算机用户同时运行多个程序。

12 reassuring   

a.使人消除恐惧和疑虑的，使人放心的

参考例句：

• He gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. 他轻拍了一下她的肩膀让她放心。
• With a reassuring pat on her arm, he left. 他鼓励地拍了拍她的手臂就离开了。

13 coaxing   

v.哄，用好话劝说( coax的现在分词 )；巧言骗取；哄劝，劝诱；“锻炼”效应

参考例句：

• No amount of coaxing will make me change my mind. 任你费尽口舌也不会说服我改变主意。
• It took a lot of coaxing before he agreed. 劝说了很久他才同意。 来自辞典例句

14 override   

vt.不顾，不理睬，否决；压倒，优先于

参考例句：

• The welfare of a child should always override the wishes of its parents.孩子的幸福安康应该永远比父母的愿望来得更重要。
• I'm applying in advance for the authority to override him.我提前申请当局对他进行否决。

15 administrator   

n.经营管理者，行政官员

参考例句：

• The role of administrator absorbed much of Ben's energy.行政职务耗掉本很多精力。
• He has proved himself capable as administrator.他表现出管理才能。