VOA标准英语2008年-British Prime Minister Calls for UN and World B

By Anjana Pasricha
New Delhi
21 January 2008

The British prime minister has wrapped up a two-day visit to India with a call for sweeping¹ reform of international institutions such as the United Nations and World Bank. As Anjana Pasricha reports from New Delhi, the British leader's visit to India is part of efforts to build closer economic and bilateral² ties with India.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown says global bodies established after the World War II should begin to reflect the concerns of a "new global society", and take account of the rise of Asia.

The British leader spoke³ in New Delhi, where he traveled after meeting Chinese leaders last week. In the Indian capital, he outlined what kind of reform he wants for institutions like the United Nations.

"To convert them into real change in the months and years ahead, to create a new International Monetary⁴ Fund for the modern world, to create a new World Bank that can meet the environmental challenges as well as the development challenges, to create a new United Nations that can meet the challenges of rebuilding where there are conflicts and where there are fragile states in need of international assistance and support," said Brown.

The British leader wants the World Bank to create a multi-billion dollar fund to tackle climate change and finance low-carbon investment. He wants the IMF to be at the heart of a global early warning system against financial turbulence⁵. He also wants the creation of a new international reaction force to help rebuild "failed states" that harbor terrorism.

Mr. Brown reiterated⁶ Britain's support for India's bid for a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council. He said it is important to recognize what he called "the biggest shift in the balance of economic power in the world in two centuries" - in other words the rise of Asian economies like India and China.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh echoed Mr. Brown's call for reform of international institutions after talks with his counterpart.

"I think there is today a broad agreement that international institutions, if they have to be credible⁷ in terms of their abilities to grapple with contemporary challenges, they cannot ignore countries like India and China," said Singh.

The British Prime Minister stressed that Britain now shares what he called a "partnership⁸ of equals" with India and referred to their common commitment to values such as democracy, human rights, and free markets.

Mr. Brown's visit also focused on drumming up support for closer economic ties with India whose emerging economy is attracting global attention. He hoped that $20 billion worth of commercial deals being negotiated between the two countries will be signed in the coming months.

1 sweeping   

adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的

参考例句：

• The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
• Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

2 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。

3 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

4 monetary   

adj.货币的，钱的；通货的；金融的；财政的

参考例句：

• The monetary system of some countries used to be based on gold.过去有些国家的货币制度是金本位制的。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。

5 turbulence   

n.喧嚣，狂暴，骚乱，湍流

参考例句：

• The turbulence caused the plane to turn over.空气的激流导致飞机翻转。
• The world advances amidst turbulence.世界在动荡中前进。

6 reiterated   

反复地说，重申( reiterate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• "Well, I want to know about it,'she reiterated. “嗯，我一定要知道你的休假日期，"她重复说。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Some twenty-two years later President Polk reiterated and elaborated upon these principles. 大约二十二年之后，波尔克总统重申这些原则并且刻意阐释一番。

7 credible   

adj.可信任的，可靠的

参考例句：

• The news report is hardly credible.这则新闻报道令人难以置信。
• Is there a credible alternative to the nuclear deterrent?是否有可以取代核威慑力量的可靠办法？

8 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。