VOA标准英语2009年-After Military Win, Sri Lanka to Rescue Ec

Sri Lanka's military victory over a 26-year long insurgency¹ has come at a high cost to the nation's economy. With the war over, many Sri Lankans are now turning their attention to rebuilding the country's battered² economy.
　
Sri Lankan street hawker sells snacks in Colombo, 21 May 2009

A high-end fashion store in the heart of Colombo once thrived on the thousands of foreign tourists who came here every year. Now, the only foreigners browsing³ the clothing racks are usually aid workers, diplomats⁴ or journalists.

The decline in tourism - one of Sri Lanka's biggest sources of foreign revenue - is just one of the financial hardships the country has faced during its long civil war. The Inflation rate is in the double digits⁵. The country is facing budget shortfalls and high trade deficits⁶. Defense⁷ spending is at an all-time high.

Residents confident about future

But, with the war over, many Sri Lankans express confidence that this Indian Ocean island of 21 million people will bounce back as one of South Asia's economic jewels.
　
Sri Lankan Tamil women cycle past a police officer in Batticaloa, 10 Mar⁸ 2008

One of them is Channa Banduthilake, the store's manager.

"The country has been suffering for the past 30 years. Now that is over, I do not think it is correct of any one of us to expect a massive boom in the next two or three days," he said.

He says it will take at least another two or three years for the economy to recover.

But the Sri Lankan stock market had a big boost this week, with stocks climbing more than 23 percent - a gain that many economists⁹ here attribute to post-war euphoria.

Business counting on government help

Still, many business leaders in Sri Lanka are counting on their government to help the economic recovery.

Kishu Gomes is a business leader in Colombo and a former head of the Sri Lanka Chamber¹⁰ of Commerce.

"I believe that government will have to play a key role. Not many business organizations would be willing to make investments to get back in their livelihoods¹¹. I do not think business organizations have the capacity to do that," he said.

Cash reserves low

Part of the reason they do not have that capacity is because the country is in serious financial trouble.

Sri Lanka's foreign cash reserves are low - too low, some economists say.

It owes nearly $1 billion in foreign debt this year, and is having trouble generating revenues. Its biggest exports such as tea, coffee and textiles have been hit by the global economic downturn.

Country seeks IMF bailout
　
Sri Lankan army soldier escorts group of ethnic¹² Tamil civilians¹³ arrived in government-controlled area, photograph provided by Sri Lankan army, 14 May 2009

Sri Lanka is seeking a $1.9 billion bailout by the International Monetary¹⁴ Fund. But the United States and Britain want to tie the funds to Sri Lanka's handling of human rights abuses and its treatment of the nearly 300,000 war-displaced civilians, mostly Tamils, in government-run relief camps in the north.

Sri Lankan human rights minister, Mahinda Samarasinghe, says his government is committed to resettling most of the displaced within the first year. He says the country needs them to help rebuild the north after a quarter-century of war.

"The economic downturns we have had to face as a result of this instability, we have learned a lot of lessons. We are going to work very hard to ensure that the mistakes that were made in the past will not be made again. And the final objective is to unite all our people and give them a better life in the future," he said.

Tamils are important contributers to economy

Among those mistakes, he says, is alienating¹⁵ many in the Tamil community - both here and abroad - who can contribute to the country's economic recovery.

Even with an annual per capita income at $1,400, Sri Lanka is more prosperous than India, its northern neighbor and a rising star in South Asia's economy.

But, the big hope of many in the business community is a revival¹⁶ of tourism and the money that could bring. Business leaders say they are pinning their hopes on a rediscovery of one of Sri Lanka's most famous treasures: its endless sun-drenched, white-sand beaches.

1 insurgency   

n.起义；暴动；叛变

参考例句：

• And as in China, unrest and even insurgency are widespread. 而在中国，动乱甚至暴乱都普遍存在。 来自互联网
• Dr Zyphur is part an insurgency against this idea. 塞弗博士是这一观点逆流的一部分。 来自互联网

2 battered   

adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损

参考例句：

• He drove up in a battered old car.他开着一辆又老又破的旧车。
• The world was brutally battered but it survived.这个世界遭受了惨重的创伤,但它还是生存下来了。

3 browsing   

v.吃草( browse的现在分词 )；随意翻阅；（在商店里）随便看看；（在计算机上）浏览信息

参考例句：

• He sits browsing over[through] a book. 他坐着翻阅书籍。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Cattle is browsing in the field. 牛正在田里吃草。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 digits   

n.数字( digit的名词复数 )；手指，足趾

参考例句：

• The number 1000 contains four digits. 1000是四位数。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The number 410 contains three digits. 数字 410 中包括三个数目字。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

6 deficits   

n.不足额( deficit的名词复数 )；赤字；亏空；亏损

参考例句：

• The Ministry of Finance consistently overestimated its budget deficits. 财政部一贯高估预算赤字。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Many of the world's farmers are also incurring economic deficits. 世界上许多农民还在遭受经济上的亏损。 来自辞典例句

7 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

8 mar   

vt.破坏，毁坏，弄糟

参考例句：

• It was not the custom for elderly people to mar the picnics with their presence.大人们照例不参加这样的野餐以免扫兴。
• Such a marriage might mar your career.这样的婚姻说不定会毁了你的一生。

9 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

11 livelihoods   

生计，谋生之道( livelihood的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• First came the earliest individualistic pioneers who depended on hunting and fishing for their livelihoods. 走在最前面的是早期的个人主义先驱者，他们靠狩猎捕鱼为生。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• With little influence over policies, their traditional livelihoods are threatened. 因为马赛族人对政策的影响力太小，他们的传统生计受到了威胁。

12 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

13 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

14 monetary   

adj.货币的，钱的；通货的；金融的；财政的

参考例句：

• The monetary system of some countries used to be based on gold.过去有些国家的货币制度是金本位制的。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。

15 alienating   

v.使疏远( alienate的现在分词 )；使不友好；转让；让渡（财产等）

参考例句：

• The phenomena of alienation are widespread. Sports are also alienating. 异化现象普遍存在，体育运动也不例外。 来自互联网
• How can you appeal to them without alienating the mainstream crowd? 你是怎么在不疏忽主流玩家的情况下吸引住他们呢？ 来自互联网

16 revival   

n.复兴，复苏，（精力、活力等的）重振

参考例句：

• The period saw a great revival in the wine trade.这一时期葡萄酒业出现了很大的复苏。
• He claimed the housing market was showing signs of a revival.他指出房地产市场正出现复苏的迹象。