VOA标准英语2008年-India's Economic Boom Likely to Continue in 200

By Anjana Pasricha
New Delhi
01 January 2008

India witnessed impressive economic growth for the fifth straight year in 2007. As Anjana Pasricha reports from VOA's New Delhi bureau, the surging South Asian economy is attracting the attention of foreign and domestic investors¹.

Signs of growing prosperity in urban India were easy to find as the New Year began - shoppers crowded up-market malls, and new highways were being constructed at a frantic² pace to accommodate the cars being snapped up by the middle class.

Analysts³ say economic growth in 2007 might be slightly slower than the previous year, but it will still be among the fastest in the world at around eight percent.

D.H. Pai Panindiker, who heads an independent research group, the RPG Goenka Foundation, says the economy flourished, despite earlier fears that it was overheating.

"I think, there is considerable optimism, particularly among the business community, that the economy is on sound footing, that consumer demand is expanding. 2008 should be a fairly good year," Pai Panindiker.

In the first half of 2007, the central bank raised interest rates on concerns that a credit boom was fueling inflation. However, by year-end inflation had cooled, and a slowdown did not come to pass.

Foreign businesses and investors swarmed⁴ to cities such as Mumbai and Bangalore. Foreign investment last year is expected to total $30 billion.

Stock markets reflected the faith in the future of the economy. Share prices gained more than 40 percent in 2007. Mumbai's Sensex index closed the year at over 20,000 points.

The services and manufacturing sector⁵ led the growth. Confident Indian companies also began to move beyond the domestic market.

T.K. Bhaumik, an economist⁶ at India's biggest conglomerate⁷, Reliance Industries, says Indian companies invested nearly $50 billion in acquiring companies overseas.

"All the big corporates are trying to expand their global operations, be a global player…. They think they are competent enough to operate globally. There is a lot of confidence," said Bhaumik.

But the optimism is tinged⁸ with caution. There are fears that the rupee's 15 percent appreciation⁹ against the dollar in 2007 could hurt the information technology sector and reduce exports.

And there is little sign the economic boom is trickling¹⁰ down to impoverished¹¹ villages in many parts of the country. It is estimated that more than one-third of the country's one billion people still live on less than $2 a day. There are concerns that the rising disparity between booming cities and villages could trigger social discontent.

1 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

2 frantic   

adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的

参考例句：

• I've had a frantic rush to get my work done.我急急忙忙地赶完工作。
• He made frantic dash for the departing train.他发疯似地冲向正开出的火车。

3 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

4 swarmed   

密集( swarm的过去式和过去分词 )； 云集； 成群地移动； 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去

参考例句：

• When the bell rang, the children swarmed out of the school. 铃声一响，孩子们蜂拥而出离开了学校。
• When the rain started the crowd swarmed back into the hotel. 雨一开始下，人群就蜂拥回了旅社。

5 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

6 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。

7 conglomerate   

n.综合商社，多元化集团公司

参考例句：

• The firm has been taken over by an American conglomerate.该公司已被美国一企业集团接管。
• An American conglomerate holds a major share in the company.一家美国的大联合企业持有该公司的大部分股份。

8 tinged   

v.（使）发丁丁声( ting的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• memories tinged with sadness 略带悲伤的往事
• white petals tinged with blue 略带蓝色的白花瓣

9 appreciation   

n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨

参考例句：

• I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to you all.我想对你们所有人表达我的感激和谢意。
• I'll be sending them a donation in appreciation of their help.我将送给他们一笔捐款以感谢他们的帮助。

10 trickling   

n.油画底色含油太多而成泡沫状突起v.滴( trickle的现在分词 )；淌；使)慢慢走；缓慢移动

参考例句：

• Tears were trickling down her cheeks. 眼泪顺着她的面颊流了下来。
• The engine was trickling oil. 发动机在滴油。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 impoverished   

adj.穷困的，无力的，用尽了的v.使（某人）贫穷( impoverish的过去式和过去分词 )；使（某物）贫瘠或恶化

参考例句：

• the impoverished areas of the city 这个城市的贫民区
• They were impoverished by a prolonged spell of unemployment. 他们因长期失业而一贫如洗。 来自《简明英汉词典》