VOA标准英语2011--Madagascar Crisis Sparks Worry, Hope Amo

Madagascar's ousted¹ President Marc Ravalomanana is due to return home Saturday from exile in South Africa despite a warrant for his immediate² arrest. It has been almost two years since a coup³ d'etat and ensuing political standoff sparked an economic crisis in Madagascar characterized by the freezing of most foreign aid and investment. The businessmen in the island nation are uncertain about the country's economy as the crisis prepares to enter its third year.
The President of the American Chamber⁴ of Commerce in Madagascar, Robert Strauss, said that although many companies left the country when the crisis erupted, those focused on long-term investment in the country have started to look for new ways to operate in such a difficult environment.
"At the American Chambers⁵ of Commerce in Madagascar, we've just started a conversation about what the private sector⁶ can do in a situation such as this where the political horizon is not clear, so that we can be more responsible for our own future," Strauss said. "We're looking to Ivory Coast as an example we want to avoid, where people spend 10 years trying to come up with a solution. That is a decade of opportunity lost."
Investment suspended
Much foreign investment, which once accounted for two thirds of the government's spending budget, as well as lucrative⁷ trade and aid benefits from western governments were suspended after the former mayor of Antananarivo, Andry Rajoelina, seized power with some military backing in March 2009.
The African Union and Southern African Development Community refused to recognize the coup and suspended Madagascar's membership.
But recently a SADC mediation⁸ team changed tack⁹ and proposed that Mr. Rajoelina, 36, be recognized to head another interim¹⁰ government until elections can be held later this year.
The proposal bans ousted President Marc Ravalomanana from returning to the country until a governing authority sees fit and he faces arrest and a life prison sentence for murder. But the former president claims the convictions are not recognized internationally and says he will return to participate in talks as Madagascar's democratically elected President.
Political reforms
The President of Madagascar's South African Chamber of Commerce, Ray Ferguson, said that the whole political system needed to be reformed to clear out corruption¹¹, nepotism¹² and abuse of the legal system before any foreign investor¹³ confidence would be restored.
"Blatant¹⁴ corruption, filling their pockets, that is the biggest disaster facing Madagascar," said Ferguson. "Out of control, no checks and balances, the [justice] Tribunal, the courts don't work. Without legal law and order the new politicians will come in and fill their pockets just as in the past have done. There is no future without law."
The Vice¹⁵ President of Madagascar's largest trade group, Noro Andriamamonjiarison, agreed that state intervention¹⁶ was damaging the private sector.
She says she worries about what businesses will do this year, as many have already used cost cutting measures and their own reserves to survive, and there is still no end in sight to the crisis. She says that attracting investors¹⁷ back to Madagascar will be difficult until the government stops changing the rules for doing business.
Exports
Last year, the U.S government suspended Madagascar from the African Growth and Opportunity Act that allowed it to export textiles to the United States duty free. This caused many factories to close and unemployment to rise.
But some businesses have prospered¹⁸.
The head of Madagascar's largest textile company, Cotona's Salim Ismail, said his company, which was 80 per cent reliant on AGOA exports to the U.S, had been able to grow by diversifying¹⁹ to European markets.
He thinks that Madagascar's reputation for quality garments could help the industry to bounce back.
"Look at Bangladesh; overpopulated, limited resources, meteorological cataclysm," Ismail said. "These people have, within 20 years, pulled out of poverty about 3 million people. They have raised their export to $10 billion yearly."
Experts said that most large oil and mining companies were used to dealing²⁰ with instability and would continue to seek out Madagascar's vast natural wealth, but smaller companies would think twice before dealing with an unrecognized government.
The head of the Madagascar's Industry Trade Group, Hery Ranaivosoa, thinks Madagascar's agriculture and manufacturing potential could also make it a major exporter to Europe, China and major regional markets such as South Africa.
He said Madagascar had the same farming capacity as Kenya, and if factories were set up then a ready workforce²¹ could make it a major manufacturer too.
However, Ranaivosoa said that before Madagascar can see any development in the private sector at home or abroad, the government had to lay down proper long-term business practices. With elections in limbo²² until a power-sharing agreement is reached and Mr. Ravalomanana set to return for a possible "democratic revolution", Madagascar's private sector may have to brace²³ itself for more uncertainty²⁴ this coming year.

1 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。

2 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

3 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。

4 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。

5 chambers   

n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅

参考例句：

• The body will be removed into one of the cold storage chambers. 尸体将被移到一个冷冻间里。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Mr Chambers's readable book concentrates on the middle passage: the time Ransome spent in Russia. Chambers先生的这本值得一看的书重点在中间：Ransome在俄国的那几年。 来自互联网

6 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。

7 lucrative   

adj.赚钱的，可获利的

参考例句：

• He decided to turn his hobby into a lucrative sideline.他决定把自己的爱好变成赚钱的副业。
• It was not a lucrative profession.那是一个没有多少油水的职业。

8 mediation   

n.调解

参考例句：

• The dispute was settled by mediation of the third country. 这场争端通过第三国的斡旋而得以解决。
• The dispute was settled by mediation. 经调解使争端得以解决。

9 tack   

n.大头钉；假缝，粗缝

参考例句：

• He is hammering a tack into the wall to hang a picture.他正往墙上钉一枚平头钉用来挂画。
• We are going to tack the map on the wall.我们打算把这张地图钉在墙上。

10 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

11 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。

12 nepotism   

n.任人唯亲；裙带关系

参考例句：

• The congressman lashed the president for his nepotism.国会议员抨击总统搞裙带关系。
• Many will regard his appointment as the kind of nepotism British banking ought to avoid.很多人会把他的任命看作是英国银行业应该避免的一种裙带关系。

13 investor   

n.投资者，投资人

参考例句：

• My nephew is a cautious investor.我侄子是个小心谨慎的投资者。
• The investor believes that his investment will pay off handsomely soon.这个投资者相信他的投资不久会有相当大的收益。

14 blatant   

adj.厚颜无耻的；显眼的；炫耀的

参考例句：

• I cannot believe that so blatant a comedy can hoodwink anybody.我无法相信这么显眼的一出喜剧能够欺骗谁。
• His treatment of his secretary was a blatant example of managerial arrogance.他管理的傲慢作风在他对待秘书的态度上表露无遗。

15 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

16 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。

17 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

18 prospered   

成功，兴旺( prosper的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The organization certainly prospered under his stewardship. 不可否认，这个组织在他的管理下兴旺了起来。
• Mr. Black prospered from his wise investments. 布莱克先生由于巧妙的投资赚了不少钱。

19 diversifying   

v.使多样化，多样化( diversify的现在分词 )；进入新的商业领域

参考例句：

• Some publishers are now diversifying into software. 有些出版社目前正兼营软件。 来自辞典例句
• Silverlit is diversifying into new markets, such as Russia and Eastern Europe. Silverlit正在使他们的市场变得多样化，开发新的市场如俄罗斯和东欧国家。 来自互联网

20 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

21 workforce   

n.劳动大军，劳动力

参考例句：

• A large part of the workforce is employed in agriculture.劳动人口中一大部分受雇于农业。
• A quarter of the local workforce is unemployed.本地劳动力中有四分之一失业。

22 limbo   

n.地狱的边缘；监狱

参考例句：

• His life seemed stuck in limbo and he could not go forward and he could not go back.他的生活好像陷入了不知所措的境地，进退两难。
• I didn't know whether my family was alive or dead.I felt as if I was in limbo.我不知道家人是生是死，感觉自己茫然无措。

23 brace   

n. 支柱,曲柄,大括号; v. 绷紧,顶住,(为困难或坏事)做准备

参考例句：

• My daughter has to wear a brace on her teeth. 我的女儿得戴牙套以矫正牙齿。
• You had better brace yourself for some bad news. 有些坏消息,你最好做好准备。

24 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。