VOA慢速英语 2007 1221a

This is the VOA Special English Economics Report.

Abe Mirza is an American, fifty-nine years old and retired¹. He was trained as an accountant. In fact, he has three degrees in financial record keeping. And he has over twenty years of experience as a business executive.

After four years of retirement², he decided³ that it was time to give something back.

 
 
On the Internet, he found an economic development organization, the International Executive Service Corps⁴. This private, nonprofit group links volunteer experts and paid consultants⁵ with local business people in developing countries. It was established in the United States in nineteen sixty-four as a Peace Corps for businesspeople.

In September, the International Executive Service Corps paid for Abe Mirza to travel to West Africa. He spent more than two months preparing for an intensive, two-week experience as a volunteer in Ghana. He went to Accra, the capital, to meet with bankers and businesspeople.

From his early meetings he learned that the bankers wanted the businesspeople to keep better financial records. So he taught major accounting⁶ methods to eighty businesspeople.

These were leaders of medium-sized businesses, like Home Food Processing and Cannery, a seller of palm oil and spices. Another example was All Pure Nature, a maker⁷ of shea butter for skin care and other products.

The businesses were large enough to be ready to export their goods. But they had not reached the level of record keeping that would permit them to develop a lending relationship with banks.

The owners all had the same need to understand international accounting rules. Accountants in Ghana and other countries are adopting a new system of financial reporting.

Abe Mirza had to provide a lot of information. He says it was like learning everything for a four-year college degree in one week. He not only showed the businesspeople how to present financial statements. He also showed them how, and why, banks look at the information.

Abe Mirza says he did a lot in his years as a businessman, but nothing compares to the feeling of satisfaction he got from his short time in Ghana.

And that's the VOA Special English Economics Report, written by Mario Ritter. For a link to the International Executive Service Corps, go to voaspecialenglish.com. You can also find transcripts⁸ and MP3 files of our reports. I'm Bob Doughty⁹.

 

1 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

2 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

3 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

4 corps   

n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组

参考例句：

• The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

5 consultants   

顾问( consultant的名词复数 )； 高级顾问医生，会诊医生

参考例句：

• a firm of management consultants 管理咨询公司
• There're many consultants in hospital. 医院里有很多会诊医生。

6 accounting   

n.会计，会计学，借贷对照表

参考例句：

• A job fell vacant in the accounting department.财会部出现了一个空缺。
• There's an accounting error in this entry.这笔账目里有差错。

7 maker   

n.制造者，制造商

参考例句：

• He is a trouble maker，You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼，你不要跟他在一起。
• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。

8 transcripts   

n.抄本（ transcript的名词复数 ）；转写本；文字本；副本

参考例句：

• Like mRNA, both tRNA and rRNA are transcripts of chromosomal DNA. tRNA及rRNA同mRNA一样，都是染色体DNA的转录产物。 来自辞典例句
• You can't take the transfer students'exam without your transcripts. 没有成绩证明书，你就不能参加转学考试。 来自辞典例句

9 doughty   

adj.勇猛的，坚强的

参考例句：

• Most of successful men have the characteristics of contumacy and doughty.绝大多数成功人士都有共同的特质：脾气倔强，性格刚强。
• The doughty old man battled his illness with fierce determination.坚强的老人用巨大毅力与疾病作斗争。