VOA慢速英语2013 经济报道 - 亚洲腐败问题拖累经济增长

 

Economics Report - Corruption¹ in Asia Slows Economic Growth

 经济报道 - 亚洲腐败问题拖累经济增长

From VOA Learning English, this is the Economics Report in Special English. Many Thais joined protests in Bangkok last year. They urged Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to deal with growing corruption in Thailand. A 79-year old businessman noted² the rising cost of doing business, including giving bribes³ to Thai officials.

这里是美国之音慢速英语经济报道。

How much economic activity is lost to corruption can be difficult to estimate. The University of the Thai Chamber⁴ of Commerce studied the issue. The university found that over two percent of national production, or about 11 billion dollars, will likely be lost to corruption this year. It found that many business people who were questioned said they are paying more to Thai officials and politicians to win government contracts. Political economist⁵ Pasuk Pongpaichit says there is evidence officials are making progress in controlling lower level corruption. But, she says, the slowing world economy means growing competition for profitable deals with the government.

许多泰国人参加了去年在曼谷的抗议活动。他们督促总理英拉·西那瓦（Yingluck Shinawatra）解决泰国日益严重的腐败问题。一位79岁的商人指出，经营成本的上升包括对泰国官员行贿。有多少经济活动流失到腐败中难以估量。泰国商会大学对这个问题进行了研究。该大学发现，今年国内生产总值的2%，相当于大约110亿美元可能会流失到腐败中。许多接受调查的商人表示，他们付给官员和政治家更多好处以赢得政府合同。政治经济学家帕苏克·蓬沛齐特（Pasuk Pongpaichit）表示，有证据表明，有关方面在控制下层官员腐败上取得了进展。但她表示，全球经济放缓意味着对政府盈利丰厚的交易的竞争会更加激烈。

“The globalization, [the] international pressure for Thailand to become more transparent⁶, is being felt and various government departments are responding to it. It doesn’t mean that things are going to happen very quickly.”

她说，“我们已经感受到了要求泰国变得更加透明的国际压力，政府各部门正在极力应对。但这并不意味着事情会很快好转。”

Bandid Nijathaworn is a former central bank official and president of the Thai Institute of Directors. He says corruption in Thailand appears to be more of a problem now than 10 years ago.

班迪德·尼加萨温(Bandid Nijathaworn)是前泰国央行官员，也是泰国企业董事联合会的会长。他表示，泰国现在的腐败似乎比十年前更为严重。

“Corruption is a global problem. You know, you see corruption appearing as headlines in many, many countries. So it has become a global issue both in national organization and individual country’s governments trying to tackle it.”

他说，“腐败是一个全球性的问题。许多国家的头条新闻就是腐败。它已经成为全国性组织和个别国家政府都试图解决的一个全球性问题。”

This money is a decoration. But business people in Thailand say they must pay bribes to do business. 

The American-based Center for International Policy says more than 2.7 trillion dollars in illegal funds left China between 2001 and 2010. The money escaped as a result of criminal financial deals, corruption, tax evasion⁷ or other illegal activities. For Thailand, the amount was 64 billion dollars over the same period.

Shervin Majlessi is with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. He says given Asia’s growing influence in the world economy there is a need for more supervision⁸.

Shervin Majlessi就职于联合国毒品和犯罪问题办公室。他表示，由于亚洲在世界经济中的影响力越来越大，也就需要有更多的监督。

In 2003, the United Nations passed a Convention against Corruption. In South East Asia, Burma approved the agreement last December – the last to do so of the 10 member Association of South East Asian Nations. Observers say the fight against corruption needs to go beyond law enforcement, and include non-government and private industry groups.

2003年，联合国通过了一项反腐败公约。在东南亚，缅甸于去年12月批准了这一协定，也是东南亚联盟十个成员国中最后一个批准该协定的国家。观察人士表示，反腐败斗争需要的不仅仅是执法，还要将非政府组织和私营产业集团纳入进来。

1 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

2 noted   

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。

3 bribes   

n.贿赂( bribe的名词复数 )；向（某人）行贿，贿赂v.贿赂( bribe的第三人称单数 )；向（某人）行贿，贿赂

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• corrupt officials accepting bribes 接受贿赂的贪官污吏

4 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

5 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

6 transparent   

adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的

参考例句：

• The water is so transparent that we can see the fishes swimming.水清澈透明，可以看到鱼儿游来游去。
• The window glass is transparent.窗玻璃是透明的。

7 evasion   

n.逃避，偷漏(税)

参考例句：

• The movie star is in prison for tax evasion.那位影星因为逃税而坐牢。
• The act was passed as a safeguard against tax evasion.这项法案旨在防止逃税行为。

8 supervision   

n.监督，管理

参考例句：

• The work was done under my supervision.这项工作是在我的监督之下完成的。
• The old man's will was executed under the personal supervision of the lawyer.老人的遗嘱是在律师的亲自监督下执行的。