古巴看到2013年经济改革的初步结果

 　　古巴看到2013年经济改革的初步结果

　　HAVANA, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- Cuba has seen initial results of economic reforms in 2013 under the leadership of President Raul Castro.

　　"We are beginning to see the first encouraging results," Castro said in a parliamentary session on the effects of his economic reforms. "However, it is also true that there is a long and complex road ahead in modernizing¹ our economic and social model."

　　The biggest news of the year came in October, when the government announced it would gradually phase out the country's unique dual²-currency system.

　　"I think it will be a step forward, and an immediate³ boost to all the necessary changes that are being implemented," Omar Everleny Perez, a researcher at Havana's Center for Cuban Economic Studies, told Xinhua.

　　At present, most Cubans are paid in the Cuban peso (CUP), but most goods in the country are sold with the hard currency convertible⁴ peso (CUC). The convertible peso is pegged⁵ to the U.S. dollar and worth about 4 U.S. cents or 25 CUPs.

　　Jose Luis Rodriguez, the former economy minister, believes it will take at least three years to unify⁶ the currency, a process that could unleash⁷ inflation if not well managed.

　　The dual system was first introduced during Cuba's economic crisis in the 1990s to help revive the economy, but eventually it led to distortions in business and even in the lives of ordinary citizens.

　　Cuba's biggest development project so far, the Mariel Port Special Development Zone (SDZ), was set up to boost economic growth.

　　Castro hopes the deep-water port will drive development by generating investment, exports, jobs and technology transfers, as well as attracting foreign companies and creating new Cuban enterprises.

　　Several nonagricultural cooperatives have been established and extended to include some 200 different economic activities.

　　These cooperatives, allowed to sell any additional goods or services after having supplied the government, are now operating in the fields of transportation, construction and the recycling, processing and selling of raw materials.

　　A new migration⁸ law was approved in January, which scrapped⁹ two onerous¹⁰ travel requirements: the exit permit and letter of invitation that had to be presented at Cuba's consulates¹¹ abroad.

　　It frees the government from hours of bureaucratic¹² work, and allows it to cut down the number of public-sector¹³ employees.

　　Today, Cubans only need a valid¹⁴ passport and a visa from their destination country to travel abroad.

　　A new Labor¹⁵ Code, which regulates wages and pensions in the private sector, is to be approved by the National Assembly (the unicameral Congress in Cuba), as more Cubans start their won private enterprises.

　　Some 3.5 million government and non-governement workers participated in public debates on the new law, which will replace the one dating back to1984.

　　New rules, approved by the ministries¹⁶ of Agriculture, Tourism, Finance and Prices, came into force in October, allowing small agricultural producers to sell their products directly to tourism businesses, instead of being brokered¹⁷ by cooperatives as before.

1 modernizing   

使现代化，使适应现代需要( modernize的现在分词 )； 现代化，使用现代方法

参考例句：

• Modernizing a business to increase its profitability and competitiveness is a complicated affair. 使企业现代化，从而达到增加利润，增强竞争力的目的，是一件复杂的事情。
• The young engineer had a large share in modernizing the factory. 这位年轻工程师在工厂现代化的过程中尽了很大的“力”。

2 dual   

adj.双的；二重的，二元的

参考例句：

• The people's Republic of China does not recognize dual nationality for any Chinese national.中华人民共和国不承认中国公民具有双重国籍。
• He has dual role as composer and conductor.他兼作曲家及指挥的双重身分。

3 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

4 convertible   

adj.可改变的，可交换，同意义的；n.有活动摺篷的汽车

参考例句：

• The convertible sofa means that the apartment can sleep four.有了这张折叠沙发，公寓里可以睡下4个人。
• That new white convertible is totally awesome.那辆新的白色折篷汽车简直棒极了。

5 pegged   

v.用夹子或钉子固定( peg的过去式和过去分词 )；使固定在某水平

参考例句：

• They pegged their tent down. 他们钉好了账篷。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She pegged down the stairs. 她急忙下楼。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

6 unify   

vt.使联合，统一；使相同，使一致

参考例句：

• How can we unify such scattered islands into a nation?我们怎么才能把如此分散的岛屿统一成一个国家呢？
• It is difficult to imagine how the North and South could ever agree on a formula to unify the divided peninsula.很难想象南北双方在统一半岛的方案上究竟怎样才能达成一致。

7 unleash   

vt.发泄，发出；解带子放开

参考例句：

• They hope to create allies to unleash against diseases,pests,and invasive species.他们希望创造出一些新群体来对付疾病、害虫和一些有侵害性的物种。
• Changing water levels now at times unleash a miasma of disease from exposed sewage.如今，大坝不时地改变水位，从暴露的污水释放出了疾病瘴气。

8 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。

9 scrapped   

废弃(scrap的过去式与过去分词)； 打架

参考例句：

• This machine is so old that it will soon have to be scrapped. 这架机器太旧，快报废了。
• It had been thought that passport controls would be scrapped. 人们曾认为会放开护照管制。

10 onerous   

adj.繁重的

参考例句：

• My household duties were not particularly onerous.我的家务活并不繁重。
• This obligation sometimes proves onerous.这一义务有时被证明是艰巨的。

11 consulates   

n.领事馆( consulate的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Consulates General of The People's Republic at Los Angeles. 中华人民共和国驻洛杉矶总领事馆。 来自互联网
• The country's embassies, consulates and other diplomatic missions stationed in other countries. （七）家驻外使馆、馆和其他外交代表机构。 来自互联网

12 bureaucratic   

adj.官僚的，繁文缛节的

参考例句：

• The sweat of labour washed away his bureaucratic airs.劳动的汗水冲掉了他身上的官气。
• In this company you have to go through complex bureaucratic procedures just to get a new pencil.在这个公司里即使是领一支新铅笔，也必须通过繁琐的手续。

13 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。

14 valid   

adj.有确实根据的；有效的；正当的，合法的

参考例句：

• His claim to own the house is valid.他主张对此屋的所有权有效。
• Do you have valid reasons for your absence?你的缺席有正当理由吗？

15 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

16 ministries   

（政府的）部( ministry的名词复数 )； 神职； 牧师职位； 神职任期

参考例句：

• Local authorities must refer everything to the central ministries. 地方管理机构应请示中央主管部门。
• The number of Ministries has been pared down by a third. 部委的数量已经减少了1/3。

17 brokered   

adj.由权力经纪人安排（或控制）的v.做掮客（或中人等）( broker的过去式和过去分词 )；作为权力经纪人进行谈判；以中间人等身份安排…

参考例句：

• a peace plan brokered by the UN 由联合国出面协商的和平计划
• Your husband brokered the deal to go in, transfrer the assets and get our man out. 你丈夫后来插了一脚，把生意都抢了过去，我们的人也被挤了出来。 来自电影对白