VOA常速英语2007年-As Vietnam Gets Richer, Donors Give More Aid

By Matt Steinglass
Hanoi
08 December 2007

International donors² have pledged $4.4 billion in development assistance to Vietnam for 2008, $1 billion more than the country received this year. Vietnam's economy is growing fast, but donors say the money is needed for infrastructure³ improvements and other programs. Matt Steinglass reports from Hanoi.

Vietnam's Minister of Planning and Investment, Vu Hong Phuc, announced the figures here Friday at the annual meeting of aid donors to Vietnam.

Phuc says donors have pledged $5.4 billion for 2008, an increase of nearly 20 percent over 2007. The figure includes $1.35 billion from the Asian Development Bank, and $1.1 billion each from the World Bank and Japan.

Vietnam's economy is growing at more than eight percent a year, but donors say that is partly why it needs the aid. Most of the new assistance consists of loans for infrastructure improvements, the ports and roads needed by Vietnam's export-driven industries.

Ayumi Konishii, Vietnam director of the Asian Development Bank, says private sources cannot supply the needed capital, and official direct assistance is still needed.

"If you really look at how much the private sector⁴ is contributing to the development of infrastructure, it's very limited," said Konishii. "You still have to depend on the government funds and ODA for the infrastructure buildup."

The World Bank's Hanoi representative, Ajay Chhibber, said donor¹ satisfaction at Vietnam's implementation⁵ of aid projects was the highest of any country in the world.

"This is about a 20 percent increase over last year, and really it affirms how strongly the donor community stands behind the plans that the government has [for] taking this country forward," said Chhibber.

European countries pledged some $960 million, and the United States pledged $114 million. But their demands to Vietnam were more stringent⁶ than those of the larger Asian donors.

Both the U.S. and the European Union called on Vietnam to do more to fight corruption⁷, and to allow greater political freedom for its citizens. An EU statement issued at the meeting said "too many Vietnamese citizens are still imprisoned⁸ or detained for the peaceful expression of their personal views."

Planning Minister Phuc did not mention human rights, but he did talk about corruption.

Phuc says corruption is an issue many developing countries face, not just Vietnam. He says Vietnam is determined⁹ to fight it.

Vietnam hopes to prevent a repeat of a scandal earlier this year, in which a Transportation Ministry¹⁰ unit that had worked on World Bank projects was found to be riddled¹¹ with corruption.

1 donor   

n.捐献者；赠送人；(组织、器官等的)供体

参考例句：

• In these cases,the recipient usually takes care of the donor afterwards.在这类情况下，接受捐献者以后通常会照顾捐赠者。
• The Doctor transplanted the donor's heart to Mike's chest cavity.医生将捐赠者的心脏移植进麦克的胸腔。

2 donors   

n.捐赠者( donor的名词复数 )；献血者；捐血者；器官捐献者

参考例句：

• Please email us to be removed from our active list of blood donors. 假如你想把自己的名字从献血联系人名单中删去，请给我们发电子邮件。
• About half this amount comes from individual donors and bequests. 这笔钱大约有一半来自个人捐赠及遗赠。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 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。

4 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

5 implementation   

n.实施，贯彻

参考例句：

• Implementation of the program is now well underway.这一项目的实施现在行情看好。

6 stringent   

adj.严厉的；令人信服的；银根紧的

参考例句：

• Financiers are calling for a relaxation of these stringent measures.金融家呼吁对这些严厉的措施予以放宽。
• Some of the conditions in the contract are too stringent.合同中有几项条件太苛刻。

7 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。

8 imprisoned   

下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was imprisoned for two concurrent terms of 30 months and 18 months. 他被判处30个月和18个月的监禁，合并执行。
• They were imprisoned for possession of drugs. 他们因拥有毒品而被监禁。

9 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

10 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

11 riddled   

adj.布满的；充斥的；泛滥的v.解谜，出谜题(riddle的过去分词形式)

参考例句：

• The beams are riddled with woodworm. 这些木梁被蛀虫蛀得都是洞。
• The bodies of the hostages were found riddled with bullets. 在人质的尸体上发现了很多弹孔。 来自《简明英汉词典》