2006年VOA标准英语-IMF Seeks Reforms, New Powers to Address F

By Barry Newhouse
Washington
23 April 2006

Top officials of the International Monetary¹ Fund say the organization must reform to be able to respond more quickly to crises in the changing global economy. IMF officials concluded two days of meetings in Washington with a statement calling for structural² reforms of the organization.

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Chairman of the International Monetary and Financial Committee and British Chancellor³ of the Exchequer⁴ Gordon Brown, right, with IMF Managing Director Rodrigo de Rato, left, speaks to the media during a press briefing
  

British Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown says the global economy has undergone rapid changes in recent years, and so too, must the 61-year-old IMF. "We resolve to make the IMF more fit for purpose in a global economy and more able to address challenges that are quite different from 1945 when the IMF was created," he said.

In recent years the global economy has posted strong gains, and IMF officials say they expect that growth to continue for at least the next couple of years. But with the growth has come some risks, including massive trade imbalances and high oil prices. Brown, who chair's the IMF's steering⁵ committee, said meeting those new challenges will require the IMF to take a broader approach. "The IMF should monitor in future more deeply - not just country policies but the linkages⁶ and spillover effects of one country's policies on others in the global economy," he said.

The broader approach could include expanding IMF monitoring of countries' economic policies or strengthening oversight⁷ of exchange-rate practices.

Officials say the reforms could be particularly useful in resolving regional trade imbalances.

Other proposed reforms include giving some countries a greater voice in IMF decision making. IMF Chief Rodrigo de Rato says he supports such a change because it could give the Fund more legitimacy⁸. "I have spoken several times about the need for increased voting power for some countries, including a number of emerging market economies to ensure that they have a role in the Fund's decision-making process that accords with their increasing importance in the world economy," he said.

IMF critics have charged that poor countries have been underrepresented on the organization. Others say the Fund has become weak and ineffective as the world's lender of last resort.

Critics will have the opportunity to see whether the recommended reforms go far enough when IMF officials gather at the organization's annual meeting in Singapore in September.

1 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。

2 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。

3 chancellor   

n.(英)大臣；法官；(德、奥)总理；大学校长

参考例句：

• They submitted their reports to the Chancellor yesterday.他们昨天向财政大臣递交了报告。
• He was regarded as the most successful Chancellor of modern times.他被认为是现代最成功的财政大臣。

4 exchequer   

n.财政部；国库

参考例句：

• In Britain the Chancellor of the Exchequer deals with taxes and government spending.英国的财政大臣负责税务和政府的开支。
• This resulted in a considerable loss to the exchequer.这使国库遭受了重大损失。

5 steering   

n.操舵装置

参考例句：

• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration. 他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。
• Steering according to the wind, he also framed his words more amicably. 他真会看风使舵，口吻也马上变得温和了。

6 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

7 oversight   

n.勘漏，失察，疏忽

参考例句：

• I consider this a gross oversight on your part.我把这件事看作是你的一大疏忽。
• Your essay was not marked through an oversight on my part.由于我的疏忽你的文章没有打分。

8 legitimacy   

n.合法，正当

参考例句：

• The newspaper was directly challenging the government's legitimacy.报纸直接质疑政府的合法性。
• Managing from the top down,we operate with full legitimacy.我们进行由上而下的管理有充分的合法性。