2019年经济学人 非洲新抢夺战(2)

 

Commercial ties are being upended. As recently as 2006 Africa’s three biggest trading partners were America, China and France, in that order. By 2018 it was China first, India second and America third (France was seventh). Over the same period Africa’s trade has more than trebled with Turkey and Indonesia, and more than quadrupled with Russia. Trade with the European Union has grown by a more modest 41%. The biggest sources of foreign direct investment are still firms from America, Britain and France, but Chinese ones, including state-backed outfits², are catching³ up, and investors⁴ from India and Singapore are eager to join the fray⁵. The stereotype⁶ of foreigners in Africa is of neocolonial exploiters, interested only in the continent’s natural resources, not its people, and ready to bribe⁷ local bigwigs in shady deals that do nothing for ordinary Africans.

商业关系正在被颠覆。2006年，非洲最大的三个贸易伙伴依次是美国、中国和法国。到2018年，次序是中国第一，印度第二，美国第三（法国第七）。同期，非洲与土耳其和印度尼西亚的贸易增长了两倍多，与俄罗斯的贸易增长了四倍多。同期，非洲与土耳其和印度尼西亚的贸易增长了两倍多，与俄罗斯的贸易增长了四倍多。与欧盟的贸易仅增长了41%。外国直接投资的最大来源仍然是来自美国、英国和法国的公司，但包括政府支持的机构在内的中国企业正在迎头赶上，印度和新加坡的投资者也急于加入这场争夺。非洲对外国人的刻板印象就是新殖民主义剥削者，只对非洲大陆的自然资源感兴趣，而对非洲人民持漠不关己的态度，并且准备贿赂当地的权贵，进行对普通非洲人毫无益处的不正当交易。

The stereotype is sometimes true. Far too many oil and mineral ventures are dirty. Corrupt⁸ African leaders, of whom there is still an abundance, can always find foreign enablers to launder⁹ the loot. And contracts with firms from countries that care little for transparency, such as Russia, are often murky¹⁰. Three Russian journalists were murdered last year while investigating a Kremlin-linked mercenary outfit¹ that reportedly protects the president of the war-torn Central African Republic and enables diamond-mining there. Understandably, many saw a whiff of old-fashioned imperialism¹¹.

有时情况确如这种刻板印象。太多的石油和矿产企业都见不得光。腐败的非洲领导人（现在仍有很多）总能找到外国的帮凶来洗黑钱。此外，与俄罗斯等不太注重透明度的国家的公司签订的合同往往也不透明。去年，三名俄罗斯记者在调查一个与克里姆林宫有关联的雇佣军组织时被谋杀。据报道，该组织保护饱受战争蹂躏的中非共和国的总统，并在那里开采钻石。不难理解，许多人看到了一丝旧式帝国主义的味道。

However, engagement with the outside world has mostly been positive for Africans. Foreigners build ports, sell insurance and bring mobile-phone technology. Chinese factories hum in Ethiopia and Rwanda. Turkish Airlines flies to more than 50 African cities. Greater openness to trade and investment is one reason why GDP per head south of the Sahara is two-fifths higher than it was in 2000. (Sounder macroeconomic policies and fewer wars also helped.) Africans can benefit when foreigners buy everything from textiles to holidays and digital services.

然而，与外部世界的接触对非洲人而言是积极的。外国人修建港口，出售保险，带来移动电话技术。中国工厂在埃塞俄比亚和卢旺达蓬勃发展。土耳其航空公司飞往非洲50多个城市。对贸易和投资更加开放是撒哈拉以南地区人均GDP比2000年高出五分之二的原因之一。（更健全的宏观经济政策和更少的战争也有帮助。）当外国人购买从纺织品到假期和数字服务等一切商品时，非洲人可以从中受益。

1 outfit   

n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装

参考例句：

• Jenney bought a new outfit for her daughter's wedding.珍妮为参加女儿的婚礼买了一套新装。
• His father bought a ski outfit for him on his birthday.他父亲在他生日那天给他买了一套滑雪用具。

2 outfits   

n.全套装备( outfit的名词复数 )；一套服装；集体；组织v.装备，配置设备，供给服装( outfit的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• He jobbed out the contract to a number of small outfits. 他把承包工程分包给许多小单位。 来自辞典例句
• Some cyclists carry repair outfits because they may have a puncture. 有些骑自行车的人带修理工具，因为他们车胎可能小孔。 来自辞典例句

3 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。

4 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

5 fray   

v.争吵；打斗；磨损，磨破；n.吵架；打斗

参考例句：

• Why should you get involved in their fray?你为什么要介入他们的争吵呢？
• Tempers began to fray in the hot weather.大热天脾气烦燥。

6 stereotype   

n.固定的形象，陈规，老套，旧框框

参考例句：

• He's my stereotype of a schoolteacher.他是我心目中的典型教师。
• There's always been a stereotype about successful businessmen.人们对于成功商人一直都有一种固定印象。

7 bribe   

n.贿赂；v.向…行贿，买通

参考例句：

• He tried to bribe the policeman not to arrest him.他企图贿赂警察不逮捕他。
• He resolutely refused their bribe.他坚决不接受他们的贿赂。

8 corrupt   

v.贿赂，收买；adj.腐败的，贪污的

参考例句：

• The newspaper alleged the mayor's corrupt practices.那家报纸断言市长有舞弊行为。
• This judge is corrupt.这个法官贪污。

9 launder   

v.洗涤；洗黑钱（把来路可疑的钱弄得似乎合法）

参考例句：

• She wore a freshly laundered and starched white shirt.她穿一件刚刚浆洗熨烫过的白色衬衣。
• The gang launders the steal money through their chain of restaurants.这帮匪徒通过他们的连锁饭店洗赃款。

10 murky   

adj.黑暗的，朦胧的；adv.阴暗地，混浊地；n.阴暗；昏暗

参考例句：

• She threw it into the river's murky depths.她把它扔进了混浊的河水深处。
• She had a decidedly murky past.她的历史背景令人捉摸不透。

11 imperialism   

n.帝国主义，帝国主义政策

参考例句：

• They held the imperialism in contempt.他们鄙视帝国主义。
• Imperialism has not been able to subjugate China.帝国主义不能征服中国。