VOA常速英语2019--尼日利亚打击边境走私对贸易和物价造成影响（在线收听）

Like many Nigerian rice dealers, Emeka Ugwuoke imports overland from neighboring Benin, often through informal channels.

与许多尼日利亚大米经销商一样，埃梅卡?乌古奥克通常通过非正规渠道从邻国贝宁通过陆路进口大米。

But since the Nigerian government closed border trade in August to crack down on smuggling, his orders are stuck in Benin and rice prices have shut up.

但自从尼日利亚政府8月份关闭边境贸易以打击走私以来，他的订单就滞留在贝宁，大米价格也上涨。

Since I started this rice business, this year is the worst, because the border closure has affected many of our goods.

自从我开始做大米生意以来，今年是最糟糕的一年，因为边境关闭影响了我们很多的货物。

The price of a bag of rice has increased by almost 70 percent.

一袋大米的价格上涨了近70%。

Trade channels remain open through Nigeria’s water ports,

通过尼日利亚水港的贸易渠道仍然畅通，

but they remain clogs by poor infrastructure, bureaucracy and corruption.

但由于基础设施落后、官僚主义和腐败，这些渠道仍然堵塞。

Nigeria’s labors complained the suspension of border trade goes against the spirit of the African Continental Free Trade Area Deal Abuja signed in July,

尼日利亚劳工抱怨暂停边境贸易违反了阿布贾7月签署的非洲大陆自由贸易区协议的精神，

but Nigerian authorities note that most border trade is illegal and say 8 million dollars’ worth of smuggled goods have been seized so far.

但尼日利亚当局指出，大多数边境贸易都是非法的，目前已查获价值800万美元的走私货物。

It’s yielding so much positive results, in terms of security, situation improvement has been very, very tremendous, positive improvement on the side of security.

它产生了很多积极的成果，在安全方面，形势的改善是非常非常巨大的，安全方面的积极改善。

And then economic activities are being stimulated.

然后刺激经济活动。

Our farmers smiling to the banks, the patronage shifted inward.

我们的农民去银行存钱，资金转向内部。

Rice farmers like Reston Tedheke have indeed benefited from the closed border.

像莱斯顿?泰德海克这样的稻农确实从封闭的边境中受益。

Let’s put it blocked out there.

我们把它画在这里。

The federal government should keep the borders shut.

联邦政府应该关闭边境。

If you know, see borders shut, what I’m gonna do?

你知道，如果关闭边界，我该怎么办?

I’m gonna look within.

我要把目光转向国内。

While Nigerian authorities say the border will remain closed until at least January, economists warn the trade limit should not be permanent.

尽管尼日利亚当局表示，边境至少要关闭到明年1月，但经济学家警告说，贸易限制不应该是永久性的。

And we need to promote trade with the liberalized trade,

我们需要促进自由贸易，

but there has to be done in such a way that they will promote employment, they will prompt incipient growth and inclusive growth in our economies.

但是，必须以这样一种方式来促进就业，促进我们经济的初步增长和包容性增长。

We’re not on the mind and destroy the trading relations.

我们不想破坏贸易关系。

Rice trader Ugwuoke says as long as border trade is banned,

大米贸易商Ugwuoke说，只要禁止边境贸易，

customers are also losing out on quality as standards of cheaper local rice are not as high as imports.

消费者在质量上也有所损失，因为当地较便宜的大米的标准没有进口大米高。

Our customers complain that the local rice contains stones and sand particles and honestly, I have opened some of them and confirmed it.

我们的客户抱怨当地的大米含有石头和沙粒，说实话，我已经打开了一些并确认了。

Although Nigeria plans to reopen its border trade by January, if its neighbors halt the smuggling, some lawmakers are pushing for a two-year extension.

虽然尼日利亚计划在明年1月前重新开放边境贸易，但如果邻国停止走私，一些议员正在争取将边境贸易延长两年。

If that happens, Nigeria will face growing pressure from its neighbors over free trade as well as from Nigeria’s millions of rice consumers.

如果出现这种情况，尼日利亚将面临邻国在自由贸易问题上越来越大的压力，以及来自尼日利亚数百万大米消费者的压力。