南亚峰会经济挑战成为重要议题

Economic Challenges High on Agenda for

South Asian Summit

南亚峰会经济挑战成为重要议题

 

Natural disasters have set the pattern for the past year for the majority of the people of South Asia. First there was the catastrophic tsunami¹ that swept across coastal² areas of the Indian Ocean basin. Since last month, Pakistan and India have been struggling to cope with an extremely powerful and deadly earthquake in Kashmir.

 

Despite those calamities³, economic analysts⁴ say leaders of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, or SAARC, still have some good news to share at their summit in Bangladesh.

 

Frank Harrigan, assistant chief economist⁵ at the Asian Development Bank in Manila, says even the humanitarian⁶ tragedies of the tsunami and earthquake have not dented⁸ South Asia's economies.

 

Frank Harrigan: Compared to overall world growth, South Asia is one of the fastest-growing regions in the world. Six-and-a-half to seven percent is a very respectable growth rate, and it looks as if overall growth in South Asia has been trending up.

 

India's high-growth path has been spurred by rising investment and stepped-up consumption by its booming middle class, 300 million strong.

 

India gets attention due to the size of its economy, but other South Asian countries also have fared well. India's neighbor and rival, Pakistan, posted its fastest growth in more than two decades in the past financial year, and in Bangladesh, robust⁹ industrial growth and strong exports kept the economy healthy.

 

Fears that the tsunami would severely¹⁰ damage the economies of Sri Lanka and the Maldives did not materialize. The head of the Sri Lanka office of the credit rating agency Fitch Ratings, Alastair Corera, says the country's economy recovered quickly a few months after the high water receded¹¹.

 

Alastair Corera: General expectations are they would end the year not too badly off, with tourism bouncing back reasonably well. Fisheries is still out, but other components¹² of the economy such as agriculture and exports have done reasonably well.

 

Battered¹³ hotels have been rebuilt in the Maldives, and visitors have returned in droves to the idyllic¹⁴ Indian Ocean islands, putting the country back on a high-growth path.

 

Despite the good economic news, there are challenges facing the South Asian leaders at the summit in Dhaka, especially widespread poverty. Nearly one-third of this region's billion-and-a-half people eke¹⁵ out a living on less than $1 a day. Cities have grown richer and villages poorer, and the gap between economic classes has widened in all of SAARC's seven countries: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Nepal and Bhutan.

 

The Asian Development Bank's Mr. Harrigan says poverty is just one of the major hurdles¹⁶ confronting South Asia.

 

Frank Harrigan: Some of the common problems we are seeing across countries include growing income inequality and growth which in some places is largely jobless. There are fiscal¹⁷ vulnerabilities in many of the countries. Naturally, there are infrastructure¹⁸ shortfalls, particularly in rural areas.

 

Strategies to combat poverty will be debated at the Dhaka summit. Host Bangladesh is expected to propose that SAARC dedicate its third decade to poverty alleviation¹⁹. The grouping began in 1985 to forge economic solidarity²⁰ and boost living standards in the region.

 

South Asia is far from achieving its goal of economic integration²¹, however. The region has lagged behind the rest of the world in boosting regional trade, although it took a step forward by deciding last year to begin putting a free trade agreement in place in 2006.

 

But implementing²² a trade pact²³ could be difficult. Most countries are wary²⁴ of a regional free-trade deal because they export the same type of goods, especially textiles. D.H. Panandikar of New Delhi's economic research institution RPG says smaller countries are concerned that India's giant economy might overwhelm their markets.

 

Panandikar: Other SAARC partners may feel that India is taking away the trade from them. But the fact is, if they do not import from India, they will have to import from somewhere else, for which they will have to pay a higher price.

 

Economists²⁵ say regional trade is unlikely to take off substantially unless communication links in the region improve. They also are looking for a further reduction in political suspicion between India and Pakistan, the two biggest countries in the region.

 

Still, analysts hope the summit will deepen an understanding across the region that its main business should be business

 

Anjana Pasricha for VOA news, New Delhi.

 

注释：

catastrophic [7kAtE5strCfik] adj. 悲惨的，灾难的

coastal [5kEustl] adj. 海岸的，沿海的

basin [5beis(E)n] n. 内湾

calamity²⁶ [kE5lAmiti] n. 灾难，不幸事件

Bangladesh [bAN^lE5deF] n. 孟加拉国

Manila [mE5nilE] n. 马尼拉（菲律宾首都）

dent⁷ [dent] v. 削弱

respectable [ri5spektEb(E)l] adj. 相当大的；可观的

fare well 顺利，成功

Maldives [5mAldaivz] n. 马尔代夫（群岛）

badly off 穷的，缺少的

bounce back [俗] 恢复过来

idyllic [i5dilik] adj. 质朴宜人的

eke out v. 竭力维持

Bhutan [bu:5tB:n] n. 不丹（印度东北一国家）

fiscal [5fiskEl] adj. 财政的，国库的

vulnerability [7vQlnErE5bilEti] n. 弱点

alleviation [Eli:vi5eiFEn] n. 缓和

be wary of 提防

1 tsunami   

n.海啸

参考例句：

• Powerful quake sparks tsunami warning in Japan.大地震触发了日本的海啸预警。
• Coastlines all around the Indian Ocean inundated by a huge tsunami.大海啸把印度洋沿岸地区都淹没了。

2 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

3 calamities   

n.灾祸，灾难( calamity的名词复数 )；不幸之事

参考例句：

• They will only triumph by persevering in their struggle against natural calamities. 他们只有坚持与自然灾害搏斗，才能取得胜利。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• One moment's false security can bring a century of calamities. 图一时之苟安，贻百年之大患。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

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 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

7 dent   

n.凹痕，凹坑；初步进展

参考例句：

• I don't know how it came about but I've got a dent in the rear of my car.我不知道是怎么回事，但我的汽车后部有了一个凹痕。
• That dent is not big enough to be worth hammering out.那个凹陷不大，用不着把它锤平。

8 dented   

v.使产生凹痕( dent的过去式和过去分词 )；损害；伤害；挫伤（信心、名誉等）

参考例句：

• The back of the car was badly dented in the collision. 汽车尾部被撞后严重凹陷。
• I'm afraid I've dented the car. 恐怕我把车子撞瘪了一些。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 robust   

adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的

参考例句：

• She is too tall and robust.她个子太高，身体太壮。
• China wants to keep growth robust to reduce poverty and avoid job losses,AP commented.美联社评论道，中国希望保持经济强势增长，以减少贫困和失业状况。

10 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

11 receded   

v.逐渐远离( recede的过去式和过去分词 )；向后倾斜；自原处后退或避开别人的注视；尤指问题

参考例句：

• The floodwaters have now receded. 洪水现已消退。
• The sound of the truck receded into the distance. 卡车的声音渐渐在远处消失了。

12 components   

（机器、设备等的）构成要素，零件，成分； 成分( component的名词复数 )； [物理化学]组分； [数学]分量； （混合物的）组成部分

参考例句：

• the components of a machine 机器部件
• Our chemistry teacher often reduces a compound to its components in lab. 在实验室中化学老师常把化合物分解为各种成分。

13 battered   

adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损

参考例句：

• He drove up in a battered old car.他开着一辆又老又破的旧车。
• The world was brutally battered but it survived.这个世界遭受了惨重的创伤,但它还是生存下来了。

14 idyllic   

adj.质朴宜人的，田园风光的

参考例句：

• These scenes had an idyllic air.这种情景多少有点田园气氛。
• Many people living in big cities yearn for an idyllic country life.现在的很多都市人向往那种田园化的生活。

15 eke   

v.勉强度日，节约使用

参考例句：

• They had to eke out a livinga tiny income.他们不得不靠微薄收入勉强度日。
• We must try to eke out our water supply.我们必须尽量节约用水。

16 hurdles   

n.障碍( hurdle的名词复数 )；跳栏；（供人或马跳跃的）栏架；跨栏赛

参考例句：

• In starting a new company, many hurdles must be crossed. 刚开办一个公司时，必须克服许多障碍。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• There are several hurdles to be got over in this project. 在这项工程中有一些困难要克服。 来自辞典例句

17 fiscal   

adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的

参考例句：

• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
• The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。

18 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

19 alleviation   

n. 减轻，缓和，解痛物

参考例句：

• These were the circumstances and the hopes which gradually brought alleviation to Sir Thomas's pain. 这些情况及其希望逐渐缓解了托马斯爵士的痛苦。
• The cost reduction achieved in this way will benefit patients and the society in burden alleviation. 集中招标采购降低的采购成本要让利于患者，减轻社会负担。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 口语

20 solidarity   

n.团结；休戚相关

参考例句：

• They must preserve their solidarity.他们必须维护他们的团结。
• The solidarity among China's various nationalities is as firm as a rock.中国各族人民之间的团结坚如磐石。

21 integration   

n.一体化，联合，结合

参考例句：

• We are working to bring about closer political integration in the EU.我们正在努力实现欧盟內部更加紧密的政治一体化。
• This was the greatest event in the annals of European integration.这是欧洲统一史上最重大的事件。

22 implementing   

v.实现( implement的现在分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• -- Implementing a comprehensive drug control strategy. ――实行综合治理的禁毒战略。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• He was in no hurry about implementing his unshakable principle. 他并不急于实行他那不可动摇的原则。 来自辞典例句

23 pact   

n.合同，条约，公约，协定

参考例句：

• The two opposition parties made an electoral pact.那两个反对党订了一个有关选举的协定。
• The trade pact between those two countries came to an end.那两国的通商协定宣告结束。

24 wary   

adj.谨慎的，机警的，小心的

参考例句：

• He is wary of telling secrets to others.他谨防向他人泄露秘密。
• Paula frowned,suddenly wary.宝拉皱了皱眉头，突然警惕起来。

25 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

26 calamity   

n.灾害，祸患，不幸事件

参考例句：

• Even a greater natural calamity cannot daunt us. 再大的自然灾害也压不垮我们。
• The attack on Pearl Harbor was a crushing calamity.偷袭珍珠港(对美军来说)是一场毁灭性的灾难。