The World Trade Organization says the global economic troubles make it more important than ever to successfully conclude the Doha Development Round of trade negotiations. The WTO says a free-trade agreement is possible by the end of next year.
世界贸易组织表示，全球性经济危机使得成功结束多哈回合贸易谈判尤为重要。世贸组织说，明年年底之前有望签署一个自由贸易协定。
Meetings to revive the failed Doha Round are gathering steam here in Geneva. The World Trade Organization says it has received renewed political commitments from heads of state and trade ministers to conclude an agreement by the end of 2010.
有关重新启动失败的多哈回合谈判的各种会议在日内瓦掀起高潮。世界贸易组织表示，该组织得到各国首脑和贸易部长做出的在2010年年底之前达成协议的政治承诺。
WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy says the months ahead will be a busy period for the organization's 153 member states to press ahead with the Doha negotiations and to move them to a speedy conclusion.
世贸组织总干事帕斯卡尔.拉米说，未来几个月非常忙碌，该组织153个成员国会将推动多哈谈判，使其尽快结束。
"We all know this crisis is unprecedented in its width, in its depth, in its global impact," he said. "We must act collectively to send the right signals and establish an appropriate trading environment for a sustainable recovery for all."
拉米说：“我们都清楚，这次危机无论从广度、深度、还是在全球产生的影响方面都是空前的。我们必须共同行动，发出正确的信号，为我们大家的可持续复苏创造适当的贸易氛围。”
When the Doha Round collapsed three years ago, world trade was buoyant and it appeared as if the good economic times would continue. The story now is very different. WTO economists predict world trade will shrink by 10 percent this year - something which has not happened since World War II.
多哈回合谈判三年前破裂，当时世贸组织非常乐观，好像经济的好时光会继续下去。而实际情况却大相径庭。世贸组织经济学家预测，今年世界贸易额将收缩10%；这是自第二次世界大战以来从没发生过的情况。
WTO spokesman Keith Rockwell tells VOA it is increasingly recognized that trade has been a victim of the economic crisis. He also says trade will be an important tool for lifting the world out of the current situation.
世界贸易组织发言人基思.罗克维尔说，人们越来越认识到，贸易是这场经济危机的受害者。他还说，贸易也是让世界走出目前境况的重要手段。
"Through the market opening that will come through this round, this will be in effect a global tax cut of about $150 billion. These kinds of things can be important stimulus of the economic recovery," he said.
罗克维尔说：“市场开放将贯穿这轮贸易谈判，这实际上等于在全球范围削减大约1500亿美元的税。这类做法可以成为经济复苏的重要刺激手段。”
Rockwell says people, by in large, have resisted taking high intensity protectionist measures, because they are aware that trade is contracting and such measures would hurt the economy and hamper the recovery.
罗克维尔表示，一般而言，人们都抵制采取非常严格的贸易保护措施，因为他们认识到，贸易正在萎缩，贸易保护措施会危害经济，阻碍复苏。
"Despite that, there is a lot of pressure in almost every country - domestic pressure for more protectionism. Now, one way to keep trade open is to keep opening trade and that is what the Doha Round would do. What we need to do now is to translate this very strong show of political support into action at the negotiating table here in Geneva," he said.
罗克维尔说：“尽管如此，几乎每个国家都遇到强大压力，也就是来自国内的保护主义压力。现在，维持贸易开放的一个途经就是坚持放开贸易，这也是多哈回合要做的事情。我们现在需要做的就是，把各国表现出的这种非常坚定的政治支持在日内瓦谈判的时候转变成行动。”
The negotiations will not be easy. The problems that scuttled the last agreement are complex and remain to be resolved. Major disagreements about access to each other's markets continue to divide the rich nations from the poor ones.
多哈回合谈判不会是轻而易举的。让上次磋商受阻的问题非常复杂，仍然有待解决。富裕国家跟贫穷国家之间在相互之间允许市场准入的问题上依然存在严重分歧。 |