VOA标准英语2012--Will Next World Bank President Be An American?

Will Next World Bank President Be An American?

Wagers¹ for World Bank president
This online betting web site in Ireland, called “Paddy Power” is taking wagers and setting odds² on who will become World Bank president.
Early in the process, the betting favors Harvard economist³ and former presidential adviser⁴ Larry Summers. Here, he defends the Obama's administration's policies toward big banks. “You have to think about the consequences of breaking contracts for the overall system of law,” he said.
U.S. officials say they will put forward “a strong candidate.”
Of other possibilities, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has indicated she does not want the job.
Lower odds are on Kemal Dervis, a former Turkish finance minister who also headed development efforts at the United Nations and was a key World Bank official involved in the developing world. “I am very optimistic about Africa’s future," he stated. "Every year I am more optimistic.”
Another veteran of the World Bank is Nigeria Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, her nation’s former foreign minister. “If we do not act, more than 100-million people will be thrown back into poverty,” he said.
Successful prediction
Odds makers⁵ at the “Paddy Power” betting web site correctly predicted Christine Lagarde of France would be named to head the International Monetary⁶ Fund and continue a decades-long habit of placing a European at the top of the IMF.
Former World Bank official Uri Dadush is an economist at the Carnegie Endowment and says fast-growing developing nations should have more of a voice. “It is time that the president of the World Bank be selected solely⁷ on the basis of their ability to do this very important job,” he stated.
Bank of Mexico Governor Agustin Carstens had campaigned hard, but lost in the race for IMF chief.
International trade and economics expert Claude Barfield of the American Enterprise Institute says that is because developing nations failed to unite behind one candidate. “There was divided opinion among developing countries ... for whatever reason, the Chinese really did not get behind him," he noted⁸. "It is hard to know if they would do that today or not.”
Nominations⁹ open until mid-March
In the campaign to replace World Bank President Robert Zoellick, of the United States.... bank officials are taking nominations until March 23. The job description calls for a person with leadership and diplomatic skills, experience managing a large organization and an appreciation¹⁰ for multilateral cooperation.

1 wagers   

n.赌注，用钱打赌( wager的名词复数 )v.在（某物）上赌钱，打赌( wager的第三人称单数 )；保证，担保

参考例句：

• He wagers $100 on the result of the election. 他用100美元来对选举结果打赌。 来自互联网
• He often wagers money on horses. 他时常在马身上赌钱。 来自互联网

2 odds   

n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别

参考例句：

• The odds are 5 to 1 that she will win.她获胜的机会是五比一。
• Do you know the odds of winning the lottery once?你知道赢得一次彩票的几率多大吗？

3 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。

4 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

5 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 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。

7 solely   

adv.仅仅，唯一地

参考例句：

• Success should not be measured solely by educational achievement.成功与否不应只用学业成绩来衡量。
• The town depends almost solely on the tourist trade.这座城市几乎完全靠旅游业维持。

8 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

9 nominations   

n.提名，任命( nomination的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Nominations are invited for the post of party chairman. 为党主席职位征集候选人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Much coverage surrounded his abortive bids for the 1960,1964, and 1968 Republican Presidential nominations. 许多消息报道都围绕着1960年、1964年和1968年他为争取提名为共和党总统候选人所做努力的失败。 来自辞典例句

10 appreciation   

n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨

参考例句：

• I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to you all.我想对你们所有人表达我的感激和谢意。
• I'll be sending them a donation in appreciation of their help.我将送给他们一笔捐款以感谢他们的帮助。