VOA常速英语2008年-Economic Policy Makers See Food Crisis as Major

By Barry Wood
Washington
13 April 2008

Economic policy makers¹ from all corners of the word ended their meeting in in Washington with a call for assistance to countries most affected² by a recent sharp rise in food prices. VOA's Barry Wood reports.

World Bank President Robert Zoellick said help is needed for countries in which sharply higher food prices are causing hunger. Many grain prices have nearly doubled in the past year and the impact is particularly severe in impoverished³ countries like Haiti and Bangladesh. Zoellick said a 500 million dollar emergency feeding program will be set up.

"We have to put our money where our mouth is," said Robert Zoellick. "Now. So that we can put food into hungry mouths. It's as stark⁴ as that."

International Monetary⁵ Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who participated in the Sunday meeting of the World Bank's Development Committee, warned that the inflationary effect of higher food prices could push millions back into poverty.

"All that has been done [achieved over the past decade] can be undone⁶ very rapidly by the crisis coming from the increase in food prices," said Dominique Strauss-Kahn.

In Asia rice prices have risen by more than 75 percent in less than three months and some rice exporting countries have placed restrictions⁷ on foreign sales.

Policymakers who came to Washington for this previously⁸ scheduled meeting of the IMF and World Bank governing body were sobered by the sudden deterioration⁹ in the world economic outlook. Growth has slowed to its slowest pace in five years while food and energy prices continued to rise. Lenders are less willing to take risks in the aftermath of the mortgage loan problem that surfaced in the United States eight months ago.

While some developing countries are cutting back, oil exporting nations are reaping windfall profits from the quadrupling of oil prices in the past five years. World Bank president Zoellick wants some of that oil wealth to be invested in Africa.

"The allocation of even one percent of the assets of sovereign wealth funds [investment funds, many of which are based in the Middle East] to equity¹⁰ investments in Africa could draw $30 billion to African development, growth and opportunity," he said.

The IMF and World Bank also called for more supervision¹¹ of financial markets and a successful conclusion of the latest round of global talks aimed at removing barriers to trade.

1 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

3 impoverished   

adj.穷困的，无力的，用尽了的v.使（某人）贫穷( impoverish的过去式和过去分词 )；使（某物）贫瘠或恶化

参考例句：

• the impoverished areas of the city 这个城市的贫民区
• They were impoverished by a prolonged spell of unemployment. 他们因长期失业而一贫如洗。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 stark   

adj.荒凉的；严酷的；完全的；adv.完全地

参考例句：

• The young man is faced with a stark choice.这位年轻人面临严峻的抉择。
• He gave a stark denial to the rumor.他对谣言加以完全的否认。

5 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。

6 undone   

a.未做完的，未完成的

参考例句：

• He left nothing undone that needed attention.所有需要注意的事他都注意到了。

7 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

8 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

9 deterioration   

n.退化；恶化；变坏

参考例句：

• Mental and physical deterioration both occur naturally with age. 随着年龄的增长，心智和体力自然衰退。
• The car's bodywork was already showing signs of deterioration. 这辆车的车身已经显示出了劣化迹象。

10 equity   

n.公正，公平，（无固定利息的）股票

参考例句：

• They shared the work of the house with equity.他们公平地分担家务。
• To capture his equity,Murphy must either sell or refinance.要获得资产净值，墨菲必须出售或者重新融资。

11 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。