2007年VOA标准英语-Russians Selling Off US Currency

By Peter Fedynsky
Moscow
11 July 2007

The Central Bank of Russia says the amount of U.S. dollars held by individual citizens of this country is rapidly declining.  The bank says Russians are also moving increasing sums abroad.  Moscow correspondent Peter Fedynsky follows the money trail and reports that Russians are gaining confidence in their own economy.

New figures released by the Russian Central Bank indicate the amount of U.S. dollars held by private Russian citizens has dropped since 2002 from $35 billion to less than $12 billion as of July 1. 

Denis Rodionov, managing director of the Bright Minds Capital Investment firm in Moscow, says Russians are trading in their dollars for rubles because of uncertainties¹ linked to the American budget deficit² and negative balance of trade.  Rodionov says the ruble is also becoming a more convenient currency.

Rodionov says that, obviously, the process is lengthy³, but the ruble over the past several years has risen against the dollar.  In addition, the ruble now pays higher interest on savings⁴.

Another Russian Central Bank report indicates nearly $19 billion were transferred out of the country last year.  Russian citizens accounted for 54 percent of that amount.  Many of the transfers involve trade, especially with China.  Analysts⁵ say the flow of capital abroad also reflects efforts by Russians to purchase new technology or to reduce risk through international diversification⁶. 

Nonetheless, Anton Struchinevsky, senior economist⁷ with Mosocw's Troika-Dialog investment firm, says more money is flowing into Russia than out.

Struchinevksy says that last year the overall influx⁸ of capital amounted to about $41 billion.  He adds that in the second quarter of this year alone, the influx has exceeded $50 billion.

Foreign migrant workers in Russia constitute another factor in the movement of capital to and from the country. Denis Rodionov says the guest workers from Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and other former Soviet⁹ republics create a win-win situation for all of the nations involved.

Rodionov says the cheap labor¹⁰ is needed, given the country's shortage of workers and declining population.  At the same time, he adds, other countries get money transfers and the possibility to develop their economies.

Many Russians held so-called under-the-mattress dollars following the Soviet collapse¹¹ in 1991 and the country's 1998 financial crisis.  Analysts say some people continue to hold American currency, because it is psychologically difficult to sell $1 for under 26 rubles, its current value, if somebody paid 30 rubles for it in 2003.

1 uncertainties   

无把握( uncertainty的名词复数 )； 不确定； 变化不定； 无把握、不确定的事物

参考例句：

• One of the uncertainties of military duty is that you never know when you might suddenly get posted away. 任军职不稳定的因素之一是你永远不知道什么时候会突然被派往它处。
• Uncertainties affecting peace and development are on the rise. 影响和平与发展的不确定因素在增加。 来自汉英非文学 - 十六大报告

2 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

3 lengthy   

adj.漫长的，冗长的

参考例句：

• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。
• The professor wrote a lengthy book on Napoleon.教授写了一部有关拿破仑的巨著。

4 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。

5 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。

6 diversification   

n.变化，多样化；多种经营

参考例句：

• The seminar was to discuss diversification of agriculture. 该研讨会讨论的是农业多种经营。 来自辞典例句
• Firm diversification is increasingly achieved by the means of takeover and merger. 通过接管和兼并，厂商经营范围日益多样化。 来自辞典例句

7 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

8 influx   

n.流入，注入

参考例句：

• The country simply cannot absorb this influx of refugees.这个国家实在不能接纳这么多涌入的难民。
• Textile workers favoured protection because they feared an influx of cheap cloth.纺织工人拥护贸易保护措施，因为他们担心涌入廉价纺织品。

9 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

10 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。

11 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。