VOA常速英语2008年-Company Executives Unite to Fight Piracy

By Barbara Schoetzau
New York
04 March 2008

Top corporate¹ leaders from around the world gathered in New York Monday to unveil new strategies to fight worldwide piracy² and counterfeiting⁴. From VOA's New York Bureau, correspondent Barbara Schoetzau reports the business leaders say an epidemic⁵ of intellectual property theft undermines creativity, jeopardizes⁶ investments and creates consumer health risks.

In 2004, the International Chamber⁷ of Commerce launched BASCAP, Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy, to stem the surge in intellectual property theft. BASCAP's leadership group of top corporate executives issued a set of recommendations for a global anti-counterfeiting treaty being negotiated by major trading nations. They also called on the G-8 industrialized nations to lead the way in enforcing laws already on the books.

The corporate executives announced plans for an international campaign to educate consumers to the high cost of piracy. Guy Sebban, the head of the International Chamber of Commerce, says the education campaign represents an evolution in the group's thinking.

"We have recognized that we cannot limit our actions only on the supply side," said Guy Sebban. "We have to take into account also the demand side. We are launching different actions to convince the consumers of the importance of this problem, especially at the forefront the question linked with health and safety."

The group says health and safety issues are an important part of the anti-counterfeiting message. In northern Africa, for example, the executives say 90 percent of spare parts for automobiles⁸ are fake, leading to a large number of car accidents.

Alan Drewsen, head of the International Trademark⁹ Association, says counterfeit³ drugs often send their own message.

"When you are dealing¹⁰ with people who are buying counterfeit baby food and counterfeit food products and counterfeit drugs, I am not expert on who to get the message out, but I can tell you that that message is fairly persuasive," said Alan Drewsen. "The statistics on the number of people in Africa who are dying from counterfeit anti-malarial drugs is very, very shocking. So I think that is the message that has to be gotten across."

BASCAP says public awareness¹¹ campaigns to call attention to the risks of piracy must be created on a country-by-country basis taking into account cultural differences. One of the best ways to get the message across, according to the group, is to work with creative people in local communities who are victims of piracy themselves.

1 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

2 piracy   

n.海盗行为，剽窃，著作权侵害

参考例句：

• The government has already adopted effective measures against piracy.政府已采取有效措施惩治盗版行为。
• They made the place a notorious centre of piracy.他们把这地方变成了臭名昭著的海盗中心。

3 counterfeit   

vt.伪造，仿造；adj.伪造的，假冒的

参考例句：

• It is a crime to counterfeit money.伪造货币是犯罪行为。
• The painting looked old but was a recent counterfeit.这幅画看上去年代久远，实际是最近的一幅赝品。

4 counterfeiting   

n.伪造v.仿制，造假( counterfeit的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He was sent to prison for counterfeiting five-dollar bills. 他因伪造5美元的钞票被捕入狱。 来自辞典例句
• National bureau released securities, certificates with security anti-counterfeiting paper technical standards. 国家质量技术监督局发布了证券、证件用安全性防伪纸张技术标准。 来自互联网

5 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。

6 jeopardizes   

危及，损害( jeopardize的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• If your reckless behavior jeopardizes this mission, you're out! 如果你不注意你的言行，会危及到这次任务你也会被开除！
• Factionalism now seriously jeopardizes our overall interest. 现在闹派性已经严重地妨害我们的大局。

7 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。

8 automobiles   

n.汽车( automobile的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• When automobiles become popular,the use of the horse and buggy passed away. 汽车普及后，就不再使用马和马车了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Automobiles speed in an endless stream along the boulevard. 宽阔的林荫道上，汽车川流不息。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

9 trademark   

n.商标；特征；vt.注册的…商标

参考例句：

• The trademark is registered on the book of the Patent Office.该商标已在专利局登记注册。
• The trademark of the pen was changed.这钢笔的商标改了。

10 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

11 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。