VOA慢速英语 2007 0629a

This is the VOA Special English Economics¹ Report.  
United States Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns at World Trade Organization headquarters² in Geneva, Switzerland, Friday, June 22, 2007.

Talks meant to end disagreement over international trade failed to produce results in Potsdam, Germany last week.  The European Union and the United States sought to find common ground with Brazil and India on several trade issues.  The group has become known as the G-Four in World Trade Organization negotiations³.  But neither side could agree and talks ended last Friday, two days earlier than expected.

Brazil and India have been seeking big cuts in aid provided⁴ to farmers in industrial countries.  The two nations have played the part of spokesmen⁵ for many of the least developed nations in the one- hundred-fifty-member W.T.O.  

During the talks, the United States offered to limit farm aid, or subsidies⁶, to seventeen billion dollars a year.  That is down from twenty-two billion dollars offered in October of two thousand five.  But Brazil wants the United States to promise a bigger reduction⁷ in farm aid to below fifteen billion dollars.  Currently⁸, American farmers receive a total of about eleven billion dollars a year in subsidies.

Indian Trade Minister Kamal Nath blamed the United States' position on farm aid for the failure of the talks.  But India wants to protect twenty percent of its farm product import taxes from all or most cuts.  United States Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns said that would leave almost all of India's import taxes in place.

An official at the talks said the EU offered to cut import taxes on its most protected farm products by seventy percent.  That is ten percentage points higher than its proposal⁹ from October, two thousand five.  Products considered especially important would only receive subsidy¹⁰ cuts of twenty-three percent. 

The Doha round of W.T.O. negotiations started in November of two thousand one.  A main goal was for rich countries to reduce their farm subsidies on important crops like cotton, sugar and corn.  In return, developing countries would reduce or end barriers to trade in goods and services from industrial countries. 

Now, negotiations of the Doha Round will have to continue in Geneva, Switzerland.  United States Trade Representative Susan Schwab said nations want to reach agreement on the Doha development plan.  But she admitted that negotiations only among the G-Four nations may not be enough.

And that's the VOA Special English Economics Report.  I'm Mario Ritter.

1 economics   

n.经济学，经济情况

参考例句：

• He is studying economics,which subject is very important.他正在学习经济学，该学科是很重要的。
• One can't separate politics from economics.不能把政治与经济割裂开来。

2 headquarters   

n.司令部，指挥部；总部，总店

参考例句：

• Several great guns from the headquarters are coming to see us today.总部的几个大人物今天要来看我们。
• The bank has its headquarters in Pairs.这家银行的总行在巴黎。

3 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

4 provided   

conj.假如，若是；adj.预备好的，由...供给的

参考例句：

• Provided it's fine we will have a pleasant holiday.如果天气良好，我们的假日将过得非常愉快。
• I will come provided that it's not raining tomorrow.如果明天不下雨，我就来。

5 spokesmen   

发言人，代言人( spokesman的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The White House spokesmen are in for a rough time. 白宫发言人现已深陷困境。
• The reporters fired away at the spokesmen. 记者们向发言人连续不断地发问。

6 subsidies   

n.补贴，津贴，补助金( subsidy的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• European agriculture ministers failed to break the deadlock over farm subsidies. 欧洲各国农业部长在农业补贴问题上未能打破僵局。
• Agricultural subsidies absorb about half the EU's income. 农业补贴占去了欧盟收入的大约一半。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 reduction   

n.减少，减低，减缩；减少，减低

参考例句：

• Reduction in income tax will be welcomed with open arms.减少所得税将受到热烈欢迎。
• You will have a reduction for cash.付现金可以打折扣。

8 currently   

adv.通常地，普遍地，当前

参考例句：

• Currently it is not possible to reconcile this conflicting evidence.当前还未有可能去解释这一矛盾的例证。
• Our contracts are currently under review.我们的合同正在复查。

9 proposal   

n.提议，建议；求婚

参考例句：

• I feel that we ought to accept his proposal.我觉得我们应该接受他的建议。
• They could not gain over anyone to support their proposal.他们无法争取到支持他们建议的人。

10 subsidy   

n.补助金，津贴

参考例句：

• The university will receive a subsidy for research in artificial intelligence.那个大学将得到一笔人工智能研究的补助费。
• The living subsidy for senior expert's family is included in the remuneration.报酬已包含高级专家家人的生活补贴。