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2007年VOA标准英语-Iraq's Northern Kurdish Area Offers Business Op

时间:2007-05-31 00:50:01

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(单词翻译)

By Bill Rodgers
Washington
12 April 2007
 
Watch Iraq Prospects1


Few foreign companies, aside from those dealing2 directly with the military, are contemplating3 business in Iraq until the security situation improves.  Yet despite the violence, U.S. officials say opportunities do exist, primarily in the semi-autonomous northern Kurdish region where the economy is expanding rapidly.  As VOA's Bill Rodgers reports, U.S. officials are touting4 the northern Kurdistan area as a gateway5 for eventually doing business in the rest of the country.

 
Construction in Iraq's northern Kurdish region
Construction is one sign of the economic boom in Iraq's northern Kurdish region, where cranes tower over mosques6 in the region's capital city of Irbil.

Construction and other business activities are helping7 the economy there expand by an estimated 10 percent a year, according to Commerce Department Undersecretary Frank Lavin.

At a recent Washington seminar, Lavin urged American companies to consider operating from Iraq's northern Kurdistan area - a strategy he called the Northern Gateway Initiative. 

"If you're a U.S. company and you are thinking about an Iraq strategy," said Lavin, "think about the Kurdistan region as a possible gateway for Iraq, because the security situation is in hand there.  You do have broad latitude8 for business decision-making.  It is easier to expand, build and hire and so forth9, and it can be a reasonable platform for serving the rest of Iraq." 

 
Frank Lavin

While no American manufacturers have established themselves in the Kurdish region, American products are available in markets, trucked in from Turkey.  Lavin believes the region is ripe for foreign investment.

"What they need right away is oil refinery10 and power generation," noted11 Lavin.  "But there's an enormous reconstruction12 and retail13 boom underway.  Almost anything you could sell in Turkey or Kuwait, you could sell in the Kurdistan region."

Iraq's huge petroleum14 reserves accounted for much of the country's nearly $30 billion in export earnings15 last year, and oil will be the main attraction for potential foreign investors16.  The petrochemical sector17 especially offers promising18 business opportunities, but only if the violence that rocks parts of the country comes to an end.

Lavin acknowledges that foreign investment will remain non-existent until Iraqis stop the violence. "I think they've got to come to terms with it.  I think they've got to get their arms around it because businesses will go elsewhere," he said. "Businesses need a secure operating environment, and if they don't have confidence that is the direction Iraq is headed, they're going to put their efforts elsewhere."

In the meantime, Lavin and other U.S. officials are urging the Iraqi government to enact19 an investment law to prepare for the day when American and other foreign companies may want to do business in Iraq.


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1 prospects fkVzpY     
n.希望,前途(恒为复数)
参考例句:
  • There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
  • They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。
2 dealing NvjzWP     
n.经商方法,待人态度
参考例句:
  • This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
  • His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。
3 contemplating bde65bd99b6b8a706c0f139c0720db21     
深思,细想,仔细考虑( contemplate的现在分词 ); 注视,凝视; 考虑接受(发生某事的可能性); 深思熟虑,沉思,苦思冥想
参考例句:
  • You're too young to be contemplating retirement. 你考虑退休还太年轻。
  • She stood contemplating the painting. 她站在那儿凝视那幅图画。
4 touting 4d75f17b3549c92164bbfc96b4ef2275     
v.兜售( tout的现在分词 );招揽;侦查;探听赛马情报
参考例句:
  • He's been touting his novel around publishers for years. 他几年来一直到处找出版商兜售自己的小说。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Technology industry leaders are touting cars as a hot area for growth. 科技产业领袖吹捧为增长热点地区的汽车。 来自互联网
5 gateway GhFxY     
n.大门口,出入口,途径,方法
参考例句:
  • Hard work is the gateway to success.努力工作是通往成功之路。
  • A man collected tolls at the gateway.一个人在大门口收通行费。
6 mosques 5bbcef619041769ff61b4ff91237b6a0     
清真寺; 伊斯兰教寺院,清真寺; 清真寺,伊斯兰教寺院( mosque的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Why make us believe that this tunnel runs underneath the mosques? 为什么要让我们相信这条隧洞是在清真寺下?
  • The city's three biggest mosques, long fallen into disrepair, have been renovated. 城里最大的三座清真寺,过去年久失修,现在已经修复。
7 helping 2rGzDc     
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 latitude i23xV     
n.纬度,行动或言论的自由(范围),(pl.)地区
参考例句:
  • The latitude of the island is 20 degrees south.该岛的纬度是南纬20度。
  • The two cities are at approximately the same latitude.这两个城市差不多位于同一纬度上。
9 forth Hzdz2     
adv.向前;向外,往外
参考例句:
  • The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
  • He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。
10 refinery QiayX     
n.精炼厂,提炼厂
参考例句:
  • They built a sugar refinery.他们建起了一座榨糖厂。
  • The purpose of oil refinery is to refine crude petroleum.炼油厂的主要工作是提炼原油。
11 noted 5n4zXc     
adj.著名的,知名的
参考例句:
  • The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
  • Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。
12 reconstruction 3U6xb     
n.重建,再现,复原
参考例句:
  • The country faces a huge task of national reconstruction following the war.战后,该国面临着重建家园的艰巨任务。
  • In the period of reconstruction,technique decides everything.在重建时期,技术决定一切。
13 retail VWoxC     
v./n.零售;adv.以零售价格
参考例句:
  • In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
  • These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。
14 petroleum WiUyi     
n.原油,石油
参考例句:
  • The Government of Iran advanced the price of petroleum last week.上星期伊朗政府提高了石油价格。
  • The purpose of oil refinery is to refine crude petroleum.炼油厂的主要工作是提炼原油。
15 earnings rrWxJ     
n.工资收人;利润,利益,所得
参考例句:
  • That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
  • Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。
16 investors dffc64354445b947454450e472276b99     
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
17 sector yjczYn     
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。
18 promising BkQzsk     
adj.有希望的,有前途的
参考例句:
  • The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
  • We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。
19 enact tjEz0     
vt.制定(法律);上演,扮演
参考例句:
  • The U.S. Congress has exclusive authority to enact federal legislation.美国国会是唯一有权颁布联邦法律的。
  • For example,a country can enact laws and economic policies to attract foreign investment fairly quickly.例如一个国家可以很快颁布吸引外资的法令和经济政策。

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