VOA标准英语2013--World Economy Remains Fragile

 

World Economy Remains¹ Fragile

The World Bank says four years after the start of the financial crisis, the global economy remains fragile. Growth in high-income countries remains weak. The bank recommends that developing countries not wait for rich nations to rebound², but take their own measures to ensure economic growth.

The latest Global Economic Prospects⁴ report says economic recovery is not just fragile, it’s uncertain. World Bank President Jim Yong Kim says that “clouds the prospect³ for rapid improvement and a return to more robust⁵ economic growth.”

Senior economist⁶ Allen Dennis, who helped write the report, said, “In 2012, growth was still at about 2.3-percent. And that is relatively⁷ subdued⁸ compared to its pre-crisis average.”

The World Bank does not expect a surge in economic growth this year.

“We still have somewhat modest and subdued growth even for 2013 at about 2.4-percent. So, we certainly are in a period of both volatile⁹ and subdued growth. And in part that is because of the economic challenges that several of the high-income countries are facing,” said Dennis.

The economic decisions made in the United States and Europe could easily affect the world recovery. Debates and negotiations¹⁰ continue over debt and spending cuts and whether reductions could cause another recession.

“The greatest drag to the global economy is actually coming from the Euro area and, in part, it’s having to do with necessary and important fiscal¹¹ adjustment issues there,” he said.

But Dennis said that heated debate over whether to raise the U.S. debt ceiling has already affected¹² economic growth in the United States and developing countries. The debt ceiling must be raised for the U.S. government to pay its bills. If it’s not, the U.S. defaults and that can deal a major blow to its financial standing¹³ and credit rating. Nevertheless, it’s a bargaining chip in budget talks.

“Our assumption is that the authorities will come to some settlement of some sort. Within our baseline projections¹⁴ we don’t assume a severe fiscal adjustment or contraction¹⁵ in the United States. So, in other words, we assume that it’s going to be extended over a longer period of time, rather than everything being done within a short period,” he said.

During the last four years, developing countries, especially those in sub-Saharan Africa, have been the economic bright spot. They’ve demonstrated resilience to much of the turmoil¹⁶. The World Bank says it’s because of the fiscal and monetary¹⁷ policies they’ve put in place.

However, those policies are short-term solutions. Dennis said that certain structural¹⁸ policies must be implemented¹⁹ for the long-term. They’re needed, he said, to sustain growth and make developing countries more competitive in a global economy.

“By structural policies I’m referring to investments in education and their citizens – referring to continued opening of trade and investment linkages²⁰ both among themselves – that is, developing countries – but also with the high-income countries,” said Dennis.

While Europe remains Africa’s largest trading partner, African countries have started to expand their reach.

“Ten or fifteen years ago, sub-Saharan Africa was exporting over 40 percent of its goods to Europe. Now it’s probably exporting less than 25-percent. So, that makes it less vulnerable,” he said.

The World Bank expects an overall five-percent economic growth rate in sub-Saharan Africa this year. However, not all countries in the region will see such growth. Those affected by political instability, conflict, labor²¹ disputes or major weather-related problems could see much less.

Also, the World Bank says, “While economic output of developing countries has accelerated,” it is still being “held back by weak investment and industrial activity in advanced economies.”

1 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

2 rebound   

v.弹回；n.弹回，跳回

参考例句：

• The vibrations accompanying the rebound are the earth quake.伴随这种回弹的振动就是地震。
• Our evil example will rebound upon ourselves.我们的坏榜样会回到我们自己头上的。

3 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

4 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

5 robust   

adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的

参考例句：

• She is too tall and robust.她个子太高，身体太壮。
• China wants to keep growth robust to reduce poverty and avoid job losses,AP commented.美联社评论道，中国希望保持经济强势增长，以减少贫困和失业状况。

6 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。

7 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

8 subdued   

adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He seemed a bit subdued to me. 我觉得他当时有点闷闷不乐。
• I felt strangely subdued when it was all over. 一切都结束的时候，我却有一种奇怪的压抑感。

9 volatile   

adj.反复无常的，挥发性的，稍纵即逝的，脾气火爆的；n.挥发性物质

参考例句：

• With the markets being so volatile,investments are at great risk.由于市场那么变化不定，投资冒着很大的风险。
• His character was weak and volatile.他这个人意志薄弱，喜怒无常。

10 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

11 fiscal   

adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的

参考例句：

• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
• The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。

12 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

13 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

14 projections   

预测( projection的名词复数 )； 投影； 投掷； 突起物

参考例句：

• Their sales projections are a total thumbsuck. 他们的销售量预测纯属估计。
• The council has revised its projections of funding requirements upwards. 地方议会调高了对资金需求的预测。

15 contraction   

n.缩略词，缩写式，害病

参考例句：

• The contraction of this muscle raises the lower arm.肌肉的收缩使前臂抬起。
• The forces of expansion are balanced by forces of contraction.扩张力和收缩力相互平衡。

16 turmoil   

n.骚乱，混乱，动乱

参考例句：

• His mind was in such a turmoil that he couldn't get to sleep.内心的纷扰使他无法入睡。
• The robbery put the village in a turmoil.抢劫使全村陷入混乱。

17 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。

18 structural   

adj.构造的，组织的，建筑（用）的

参考例句：

• The storm caused no structural damage.风暴没有造成建筑结构方面的破坏。
• The North American continent is made up of three great structural entities.北美大陆是由三个构造单元组成的。

19 implemented   

v.实现( implement的过去式和过去分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• This agreement, if not implemented, is a mere scrap of paper. 这个协定如不执行只不过是一纸空文。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The economy is in danger of collapse unless far-reaching reforms are implemented. 如果不实施影响深远的改革，经济就面临崩溃的危险。 来自辞典例句

20 linkages   

n.连接( linkage的名词复数 )；结合；联系；联动装置

参考例句：

• Only the thermosetting resins provide a strong cohesive forces; this is due to molecular cross linkages. 只有热固性树脂具有巨大的凝聚力，这是由于分子交错链所造成的。 来自辞典例句
• The linkages between the stable units must be as near as possible of equal stability. 稳定链节之间的键必须有尽可能接近的稳定性。 来自辞典例句

21 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。