Southeast Asian business and government leaders have urged faster regional economic integration to cushion the impact of the global economic downturn. The call comes as leaders of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations gather in Thailand for their annual summit.
东南亚的商界和政府领导人敦促加快地区经济整合，以缓冲全球经济下行带来的冲击。他们是在东盟10国领导人在泰国召开年度高峰会议之际发出以上呼吁的。
With exports from Southeast Asia plummeting, the region's business and government leaders are seeking to bolster trade within Asia to compensate for falling demand in the West.
由于东南亚出口急剧下跌，该地区工商界和政府领导人寻求推动亚洲内部贸易，以弥补西方需求的下降。
Trade among the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has been expanding, but the leaders say there is still room for further growth. It accounts for only a quarter of ASEAN's total trade. ASEAN officials say this trade should increase by 35 to 40 percent in the next six years.
东盟10个成员国之间的贸易正在扩张，不过领导人说，还有进一步增长的余地，因为成员国之间的贸易仅仅占东盟总贸易额的四分之一，东盟官员说， 在未来6年里应该增长35%到40%。
At an ASEAN business and investment meeting in Bangkok Friday, Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said this week's Leaders Summit would push harder for the realization of a common market by 2015.
泰国总理阿披实星期五在曼谷召开的一个商业与投资会议上说，本周的东盟峰会将为2015年建立共同市场做出更大努力。
"Already we have seen tremendous growth in intra-ASEAN trade and investment," Mr. Abhisit said. "But the fact of the matter is, we have not done enough and we have to do much, much more."
阿披实总理说，“我们已经看到东盟内部贸易与投资的巨幅增长。但是事实是，我们做得还不够，我们必须做更多的事情。”
ASEAN has a combined market of more than 500 million people. In recent years, ASEAN has pushed to expand access for its products within Asia by signing free trade agreements with Japan, China and South Korea - a combined market of about two billion people.
东盟国家总计有5亿多人口。近年来，东盟跟日本、中国和韩国签署了自由贸易协议，努力为其产品开拓一个有着20亿人口的市场。
That trading area will further widen to include Australia and New Zealand, which will sign free trade agreements with ASEAN Friday. India is expected to do the same in April.
东盟星期五跟澳大利亚和新西兰签署自由贸易协定，从而进一步扩大东盟的贸易领域。预计，跟印度的自由贸易协定将在4月份签署。
Narongchai Akrasanee, chairman of the Export-Import Bank of Thailand and the country's former commerce minister, said the global economic crisis would accelerate Asian economic integration as neighbors turn to each other for investment and trade.
泰国进出口银行行长、前商务部长纳隆猜说，全球经济危机将加速亚洲的经济整合，因为邻国之间相互求助进行投资与贸易。
"We have so much [foreign currency] reserves in our countries, about $4 trillion, and we talk about using these reserves for our investments, to support our projects, in our land," said Narongchai. "Now circumstances would force us to make use of this."
纳隆猜说，“我们各国有巨额外汇储备，大约有4万亿美元，我们讨论如何使用这些储备来进行投资，来支持我们的项目，而现在的境况迫使我们使用这些储备。”
Earlier this week, ASEAN, China, Japan and South Korea agreed to expand a regional fund aimed at helping Asian governments facing liquidity problems.
本周早些时候，东盟、中国、日本、和韩国同意扩大一项地区基金，以帮助亚洲国家政府解决资金流动问题。
Arin Jira, the chairman of the ASEAN Business Advisory Council, says although times are difficult, some of the region's top businesses see the current crisis as a chance for the region to lead the global recovery.
东盟工商咨询委员会主席阿兰·伊拉说，虽然处境艰难，但是该地区的一些领导人把目前的危机看成是带领全球走出衰退的一个机会。
"We shall no longer be running around following the other advanced economies," said Arin. "We will lead the world out of this crisis and I think we can do it because we are better cushioned than before."
他说，“我们不必再跟在其他发达经济体的后面瞎跑。我们将引导世界走出危机。我认为我们做得到，因为比起以往，我们有了更大的承受能力。”
ASEAN was formed in 1967 to promote political and economic cooperation. Its annual summit opens Saturday in the Thai resort town of Cha-am, 200 kilometers south of the capital.
东盟成立于1967年，旨在促进政治与经济合作。一年一度的峰会星期六在泰国首都以南2百公里的度假胜地华欣镇举行。 |