VOA标准英语2009年-Honduran Businesses Suffer as Political Cr

By Brian Wagner
Miami
16 October 2009
More than three months into a political crisis in Honduras, business leaders are starting to feel the pain. Owners say the dispute between ousted¹ President Manuel Zelaya and the interim² government is scaring off new investment and creating other problems.

 
Chris Haughey owns a factory in Tegucigalpa, Honduras
"This is the Tegu Honduras factory," explains U.S. entrepreneur Chris Haughey. He has high hopes for his fledgling toy manufacturing company in Tegucigalpa.

"We have our woodworking machinery³ here. We are making wooden toys," Haughey says.

After doing social work with street children in Honduras, Haughey chose to locate his new business in the country. That was before President Manuel Zelaya was removed from power in June.

Since then, protests in support of the ousted president and against him have shut down the capital several times. Mr. Zelaya, who has sought refuge in the Brazilian embassy, is demanding to be returned to office. In an effort to curb⁴ violence, the interim government has imposed curfews and other restrictions⁵.

Many Hondurans have tried to return to their normal routines. Haughey says he has seen nothing so far to deter⁶ his toy manufacturing. But recent curfews have created some problems.

 
Chris Haughey talks to one of his employees inside his Tegucigalpa factory
"When you have a curfew that extends into the work day or even into the evening, say five or six o'clock, it affects businesses because they have to shut down and send the workers home," he notes.

Under intense pressure, the interim government has backed away from the curfew. Haughey says many businesses view the interim government as more friendly than Zelaya's administration.

"It is hard to know whether or not what is going on right now has delayed things [business] or sped them up," Haughey says. "There were massive bureaucratic⁷ and administrative⁸ delays under the Zelaya administration."

Mr. Zelaya's critics accuse him of eroding⁹ protections to business and pushing the country toward socialism. His supporters blame the interim government for launching a coup¹⁰ that is scaring away foreign investment.

 
Eduardo Gamarra says there's no doubt the economy is suffering
Economists¹¹ say it is too early to estimate losses. Political scientist Eduardo Gamarra of Florida International University says there is no doubt the economy is suffering.

"In countries like Honduras, those kind of hits are very difficult to make up," Gamarra says.

In Miami, Honduran businessman Gerardo Padilla puts his losses at nearly a half million dollars in canceled contracts so far.

 
Gerardo Padilla puts his losses at nearly half a million dollars
"Micheletti, he is not going to pay me. Mr. Zelaya is not going to give me my money back. What do I need to do to keep my business stable in coming months?" asks Padilla.

Padilla blames both sides for the crisis affecting his company which makes and exports garbage trucks to Honduras. He says buyers are canceling purchases and other investments because of the uncertainty¹².

"If I were in their position, I would make the same decisions they are making," Padilla says. "I would cancel deals to avoid investing in a country that offers me no security at all."

Padilla says it may take months to rebuild trust in the Honduran economy. In the meantime, many business leaders are likely to delay new investments until the crisis passes. Real estate developer Karen Bush hopes new elections scheduled for November will repair foreign confidence.

 
Karen Bush hopes November elections will repair foreign confidence
"We want to convince the international community to just accept our elections and allow us to continue and move to the next page," says Bush.

That may be a difficult task. The United States and other nations have warned they will not recognize the vote unless the political crisis is resolved. Diplomats¹³ in Tegucigalpa aim to reach a deal between the interim government and the ousted leader as soon as possible.

1 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。

2 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

3 machinery   

n.(总称)机械，机器；机构

参考例句：

• Has the machinery been put up ready for the broadcast?广播器材安装完毕了吗？
• Machinery ought to be well maintained all the time.机器应该随时注意维护。

4 curb   

n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制

参考例句：

• I could not curb my anger.我按捺不住我的愤怒。
• You must curb your daughter when you are in church.你在教堂时必须管住你的女儿。

5 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

6 deter   

vt.阻止，使不敢，吓住

参考例句：

• Failure did not deter us from trying it again.失败并没有能阻挡我们再次进行试验。
• Dogs can deter unwelcome intruders.狗能够阻拦不受欢迎的闯入者。

7 bureaucratic   

adj.官僚的，繁文缛节的

参考例句：

• The sweat of labour washed away his bureaucratic airs.劳动的汗水冲掉了他身上的官气。
• In this company you have to go through complex bureaucratic procedures just to get a new pencil.在这个公司里即使是领一支新铅笔，也必须通过繁琐的手续。

8 administrative   

adj.行政的，管理的

参考例句：

• The administrative burden must be lifted from local government.必须解除地方政府的行政负担。
• He regarded all these administrative details as beneath his notice.他认为行政管理上的这些琐事都不值一顾。

9 eroding   

侵蚀，腐蚀( erode的现在分词 )； 逐渐毁坏，削弱，损害

参考例句：

• The coast is slowly eroding. 海岸正慢慢地被侵蚀。
• Another new development is eroding the age-old stereotype of the male warrior. 另一个新现象是，久已形成的男人皆武士的形象正逐渐消失。

10 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。

11 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》

12 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

13 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》