VOA常速英语2007年-Zimbabwe Introduces New Cash Notes as Inflation

By Peta Thornycroft
20 December 2007

Zimbabwe's central bank has introduced higher denomination¹ currency notes in an effort to deal with a raging inflation rate.  Peta Thornycroft reports for VOA that the central bank recently introduced so many controls over commercial banks that the country's hard-strapped wage earners are unable to withdraw enough cash from their accounts to survive.

On Wednesday, Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor Gideon Gono announced that by year-end the government will withdraw what is the highest currency denomination, the 200,000 Zimbabwe dollar note.

It will be replaced by a 250,000 dollar note, a 500,000 dollar note, and a 750,000 dollar note.

None of those higher value notes are worth $1 U.S., or even a bar of soap, which in the current inflation-wracked economy costs about five million Zimbabwe dollars.

Central Bank Governor Gono said he has decided² not to chop off zeros as he did last year when computer systems crashed because of such an attempt. 

Meanwhile, cash withdrawals³ from banks are limited to a maximum of $33 U.S. a day, which means endless queues with many sleeping outside banks overnight to get enough cash.

Zimbabwe Law Society President Beatrice Mtetwa is one of Zimbabwe's top human rights lawyers.  She says the central bank was using what she described as 'deliberate control over people's lives.'  She said it is not coincidental that this is happening during the annual Christmas and end-of-year holidays.  The effect of the controls, she said, would prevent urban people traveling to their rural homes.

Most opposition⁴ supporters live in urban areas.

She said the limits on cash withdrawals were an assault on property rights and also affected⁵ people's ability to purchase items for sustenance⁶.  She said every aspect of a human being's most basic rights were affected by the central bank's controls.

Harare economist⁷ and former president of the Zimbabwe National Chamber⁸ of Commerce Luxom Zembe said people cannot access their money.  He described the present shortage of cash and the suffering mostly endured by the poor as "pathetic."

Bank Governor Gono said he is trying to curb⁹ the black-market trade in foreign currency.

The usually docile¹⁰ state media, clearly upset at the unprecedented¹¹ shortage of cash, on Wednesday evening accused the central-bank governor of being the largest player on the black market.  He denied this.

Questions sent to the central bank were not answered.

Earlier this year the International monetary¹² fund predicted Zimbabwe inflation would hit 100,000 percent.  The IMF has just left Harare, after gathering¹³ information for its annual consultations¹⁴ due early next year.

1 denomination   

n.命名，取名，(度量衡、货币等的)单位

参考例句：

• The firm is still operating under another denomination.这家公司改用了名称仍在继续营业。
• Litre is a metric denomination.升是公制单位。

2 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

3 withdrawals   

n.收回，取回，撤回( withdrawal的名词复数 )；撤退，撤走；收回[取回，撤回，撤退，撤走]的实例；推出（组织），提走（存款），戒除毒瘾，对说过的话收回，孤僻

参考例句：

• He has made several withdrawals from his bank account. 他从银行账户上提了几次款。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• It is not the bank's policy to deduct interest on withdrawals. 提款需扣除利息这并非是本银行的政策。 来自辞典例句

4 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

5 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。

6 sustenance   

n.食物，粮食；生活资料；生计

参考例句：

• We derive our sustenance from the land.我们从土地获取食物。
• The urban homeless are often in desperate need of sustenance.城市里无家可归的人极其需要食物来维持生命。

7 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。

8 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

9 curb   

n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制

参考例句：

• I could not curb my anger.我按捺不住我的愤怒。
• You must curb your daughter when you are in church.你在教堂时必须管住你的女儿。

10 docile   

adj.驯服的，易控制的，容易教的

参考例句：

• Circus monkeys are trained to be very docile and obedient.马戏团的猴子训练得服服贴贴的。
• He is a docile and well-behaved child.他是个温顺且彬彬有礼的孩子。

11 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

12 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。

13 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

14 consultations   

n.磋商（会议）( consultation的名词复数 )；商讨会；协商会；查找

参考例句：

• Consultations can be arranged at other times by appointment. 磋商可以通过预约安排在其他时间。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Consultations are under way. 正在进行磋商。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》