VOA常速英语2020--促进西半球经济发展

Next, an editorial reflecting the views of the United States government. “Promoting economic growth in Latin America is especially important now, as the region continues to combat COVID-19 and look towards a road to recovery,” said U.S.Acting¹ Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs Ambassador Michael Kozak. The United States is the top trading partner for over two-thirds of the Western Hemisphere’s countries. As the region’s economies begin to reopen, the United States is doing its part to spur post-COVID economic growth through its Growth in the Americas or America Crece initiative. Countries of the region face a critical infrastructure² gap, which limits economic growth. America Crece channels the resources and expertise³ of the U.S. government to attract private sector⁴ investment in energy, transportation, and telecommunications infrastructure across the region. To date, the United States has signed America Crece agreements with ten partner countries: Panama, Chile, Jamaica, Argentina, Colombia, and more recently, El Salvador, Ecuador, Brazil, Honduras, and Bolivia. These agreements include commitments by the partner countries to strengthen competitiveness and transparency in line with international best practices.

以下是一篇反映美国政府政策立场的社论。“促进拉美地区经济增长现在尤为重要，在拉美地区继续抗击新冠肺炎疫情并寻求复苏道路之际，”美国国务院负责西半球事物的代理助理国务卿迈克尔·科扎克大使表示。美国是西半球三分之二以上国家的最大贸易伙伴。西半球地区经济体正在重新开放，美国正尽其所能，通过“美洲增长”倡议计划来刺激新冠肺炎疫情后的经济增长。西半球地区各国面临的关键基础设施建设差距限制了经济增长。“美洲增长”倡议计划提供美国政府的资源和专业技能，吸引私营企业对当地的能源、交通和电信基础设施进行投资。迄今为止，美国已与10个伙伴国签署了“美洲增长”倡议合作协议，包括巴拿马、智利、牙买加、阿根廷、哥伦比亚、萨尔瓦多、厄瓜多尔、巴西、洪都拉斯和玻利维亚。协议内容包括伙伴国家承诺按照国际最佳惯例来加强竞争力和透明度。

The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, or DFC, is America’s development bank and a critical tool in driving investment in support of America Crece. The United States expects the DFC to bring about at least $12 billion worth of investment in the region over the next five years. Another important player in revitalizing Western Hemisphere economies are international financial institutions, including the Inter-American Development Bank. Democracy is essential to building reliable infrastructure and a future of economic growth in the Americas. The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the importance of secure supply chains with trusted partners. That’s why “the United States is ramping⁵ up its efforts to strengthen and diversify⁶ U.S. supply chains and to rebuild hemispheric north-south supply chains. The goal is to move both sourcing and manufacturing closer to home.” The United States will continue to be the partner of choice in helping⁷ the Western Hemisphere overcome the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, growth, said Ambassador Kozak, remains⁸ the essential condition for cementing democratic institutions and completing the vision of a hemisphere of freedom. That was an editorial reflecting the views of the United States government.

美国国际开发金融公司(DFC)是美国的开发银行，也是推动投资支持“美洲增长”倡议计划的重要工具。美国预计美国国际开发金融公司在未来五年中给西半球地区带来至少120亿美元的投资。振兴西半球国家经济发展的另一个重要角色是国际金融机构，包括美洲开发银行。对于在美洲地区建立可靠的基础设施并实现经济增长的未来，民主至关重要。新冠肺炎疫情凸显了与可信赖的合作伙伴建立安全供应链的重要性。这也就是为什么“美国正在加大力度强化美国供应链并使之多样化，并在西半球从南到北重建供应链。我们的目标是把采购与制造都转移到距离本土更近的地方。”美国将继续成为西半球国家的首选伙伴，帮助他们克服新冠肺炎疫情的挑战。同时，科扎克大使表示，经济增长依然是西半球巩固民主体制和实现自由愿景的必要条件。这是一篇反映美国政府政策立场的社论。

1 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

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 expertise   

n.专门知识(或技能等)，专长

参考例句：

• We were amazed at his expertise on the ski slopes.他斜坡滑雪的技能使我们赞叹不已。
• You really have the technical expertise in a new breakthrough.让你真正在专业技术上有一个全新的突破。

4 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。

5 ramping   

土堤斜坡( ramp的现在分词 )； 斜道； 斜路； （装车或上下飞机的）活动梯

参考例句：

• The children love ramping about in the garden. 孩子们喜欢在花园里追逐嬉戏，闹着玩。
• Have you ever seen a lion ramping around? 你看到过狮子暴跳吗？

6 diversify   

v.（使）不同，（使）变得多样化

参考例句：

• Our company is trying to diversify.我们公司正力图往多样化方面发展。
• Hills and woods diversify the landscape.山陵和树木点缀景色。

7 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

8 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。