VOA慢速英语2015 世界银行行长称将其他开发银行视为盟友

World Bank Head Sees Other Development Banks as Allies 世界银行行长称将其他开发银行视为盟友

Slowing economic growth around the world is endangering the World Bank’s goal of ending extreme poverty by the year 2030. That is what World Bank President Jim Yong Kim said recently. Mr. Kim said the goal remains¹ within reach. But he thinks extreme poverty will disappear only if world leaders and financial and development agencies do their part.

What exactly is extreme poverty? The United Nations says extreme poverty is a condition in which basic human needs are not being satisfied or met. These needs include having clean drinking water, food and an education.

Jim Yong Kim says there is good news. He says the world has made some progress toward reaching the goal.

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

Even with this progress, nearly one billion people continue to live on less than about $1.25 a day. Slowing economic growth in industrial and developing economies is affecting the fight against extreme poverty.

Mr. Kim suggests that one solution is to partner with new financial institutions such as the Asian Infrastructure² Investment Bank and the New Development Bank.

“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.”

Banking³ coalitions⁴ could help identify financing for transportation and other infrastructure needs that the World Bank alone cannot provide. Amy Studdart is with the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C.

“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 along.”

Many people are concerned that new lending agencies will reduce the influence of existing ones like the World Bank. But Mr. Kim says the issue is not influence.

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

The World Bank is expected to consider those issues when world leaders meet at the United Nations later this year.

Words in This Story

potentially – adv. capable of becoming real, a possibility

tackle – v. to deal with a difficult problem; in sports, to bring someone down to the ground

gap – n., the space between two people or things; a space from which something is missing

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 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。

3 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。

4 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。