VOA常速英语2015--世界银行行长表示消除极端贫穷指日可待

 

World Bank President Says Ending Extreme Poverty Within Reach 世界银行行长表示消除极端贫穷指日可待

The head of the World Bank says slowing economic growth around the world is hurting the institution’s goal of ending extreme poverty by the year 2030. While the challenges may be great, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim said the goal remains¹ within reach - but only if world leaders and emerging financial and development institutions do their part.  

What is extreme poverty? According to the United Nations it’s a condition characterized by a lack of basic human needs, like clean drinking water, food, sanitation² and education.

什么是极端贫困?依照联合国的观点，它是缺乏最为基本的人类需要,比如洁净的饮用水、食品、卫生和教育等。

The good news, says World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, is that the world has made some progress.

而世界银行行长金墉表示好消息是世界已经取得了一些进展。

“Over 25 years, we’ve gone from nearly two billion people living in extreme poverty to fewer than one billion," said Kim.

“25年来,我们已经将在极度贫困下生活的近20亿人缩减至不到10亿人。”

Despite inroads, nearly a billion people still live on less than a $1.25 per day.

尽管已经取得进展,近10亿人每天的生活费用仍不到1.25美元。

Further complicating³ the goal of eradicating⁴ poverty is the economic slowdown in developed and emerging economies.

而对于消除贫困目标更难的难题是发达国家和新兴经济体的经济增长缓慢。

One solution is to partner with new financial institutions such as the Asian Infrastructure⁵ and Investment Bank - led by China - and the New Development Bank founded by the so-called BRICS countries: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

一种解决方案是与新型金融机构合作，像是中国牵头的亚洲基础设施及投资集团，还有由金砖国家:巴西、俄罗斯、印度、中国和南非资助的新型发展银行。

“We at the World Bank Group see these development banks as potentially very strong allies in tackling the enormous challenge of bringing much needed infrastructure to the developing world," said Kim.

“我们世界银行集团将这些发展银行视为潜在的强大盟友，因为它们能够解决向发展中国家提供急需基础设施这样巨大的难题。”

Such banking⁶ coalitions⁷ could help address the infrastructure spending gap that the World Bank alone can't fill.  Amy Studdart is deputy director in Political Economy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

这样的银行联盟能够帮助解决单靠世界银行不能填补的基础设施支出差距。华盛顿战略与国际研究中心政经副主任艾米·斯图达尔特说道。

“There’s a huge infrastructure gap in Asia.  The World Bank itself estimates that it was $2.5 trillion worth of investment that needs to happen in South Asia and South East Asia alone," said Studdart.

“亚洲有个巨大的基础设施缺口。世界银行估计在南亚和东南亚需要有2.5万亿的投资。”

Despite the perceived need for such lending groups, some - including the United States - fear such institutions could further diminish Western influence in Asia.

尽管已经意识到需要此类的贷款集团,但包括美国在内的国家担心这样的机构可能会进一步削弱西方在亚洲的影响力。

But Jim Yong Kim says influence is not the issue.

但金墉表示影响力不是问题。

“The fundamental issue for us is, your enemy cannot be other institutions.  Your enemy has to be poverty," he said.

“对我们来说最根本的问题是你的敌人不是其他机构。你的敌人是贫困。”

The World Bank is expected to address those issues when world leaders come together at the United Nations later this year to establish global priorities.  Among them - ending poverty.

今年晚些时候世界各国领导人一起在联合国讨论全球热点问题时世界银行预计会着手解决。其中一项就是消除贫困。

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 sanitation   

n.公共卫生，环境卫生，卫生设备

参考例句：

• The location is exceptionally poor,viewed from the sanitation point.从卫生角度来看，这个地段非常糟糕。
• Many illnesses are the result,f inadequate sanitation.许多疾病都来源于不健全的卫生设施。

3 complicating   

使复杂化( complicate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• High spiking fever with chills is suggestive of a complicating pylephlebitis. 伴有寒战的高热，暗示合并门静脉炎。
• In America these actions become executive puberty rites, complicating relationships that are already complicated enough. 在美国，这些行动成了行政青春期的惯例，使本来已经够复杂的关系变得更复杂了。

4 eradicating   

摧毁，完全根除( eradicate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Objective: To study the acute and chronic toxicity of Ten-flavor-acne eradicating-capsule. 目的：探讨复方中药合剂十味平痤胶囊的急性及慢性毒性。
• We are on the verge of eradicating polio in the world. 我们已在世界消除小儿？痹症的边缘了。

5 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

6 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。

7 coalitions   

结合体，同盟( coalition的名词复数 )； （两党或多党）联合政府

参考例句：

• History testifies to the ineptitude of coalitions in waging war. 历史昭示我们，多数国家联合作战，其进行甚为困难。
• All the coalitions in history have disintegrated sooner or later. 历史上任何联盟迟早都垮台了。