VOA标准英语2009-Ethiopia's Meles says US at Fault for Africa

By Peter Heinlein
Addis Ababa
13 November 2009
 
Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi (file photo)
Ethiopia Prime Minister Meles Zenawi says failures in the U.S. financial system are largely to blame for Africa's economic crisis, and pointed¹ to China as a possible key to recovery.  Our correspondent in Addis Ababa has details of the Ethiopian leader's keynote address to the annual African Economic Conference.

Speaking to an audience of academics and policymakers, Ethiopia Prime Minister Meles Zenawi painted a gloomy picture of Africa's economic outlook.  He said the theme of the conference, fostering development in the current economic climate, may be impossible.

"The first question that comes to my mind is: Is it possible to foster development when we have a whole era of economic crisis ahead of us?  I am going to suggest today that while it is probable that Africa will not be able to foster development in the current era, it is nevertheless possible to do so," said Meles Zenawi.

Mr. Meles, a former Marxist rebel leader, launched a blistering² attack on what he called "discredited³ neo-liberal economic policies" imposed on Africa from outside.  He said unsustainable consumption by the United States when times were good had condemned⁴ Africa to a protracted⁵ period of low growth ahead.

"The United States has hitherto served as the consumer of last resort and helped to maintain the unsustainable division of labor⁶ and division of production and consumption," he said. "It is no longer able to do it, and this is the main cause of the current crisis."

Mr. Meles suggested Africa's best hope might be a massive infusion⁷ of cash from China and other countries that have amassed⁸ surplus savings⁹ by producing goods for the consumers.

"It is possible to imagine that the Chinese will decided¹⁰ to redirect some of their surplus savings to infrastructural¹¹ development in Africa," said Meles Zenawi. "It is possible to do so because to some extent it is already happening.  Such a shift would mean tens of billions of dollars per annum invested in African infrastructure¹², again opening the opportunity for the transformation¹³ of the overall economy.  Indeed, it is not only possible but highly probable that the Chinese will take steps that would widen the window of opportunity for Africa."

The Ethiopian prime minister, who will lead the African delegation¹⁴ to next month's Copenhagen climate summit, expressed doubt the world is serious about tackling global warming.  But he said a climate deal could be a boon¹⁵ to Africa, with its sources of renewable energy.

Some experts say Africa stands to receive as much as $100 billion a year from rich countries to offset¹⁶ the effects of climate change.

The three-day African Economic Conference is being held against a backdrop of low-growth forecasts for the near future.  The 2009 growth estimate for sub-Saharan Africa is just 1.3 percent, with a prediction of an increase to four or five percent next year.

African Development Bank chief Donald Kaberuka, said prospects¹⁷ for recovery remain fragile.  He said a full recovery would not occur until the continent returns to seven-percent growth, possibly within a few years. 

1 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

2 blistering   

adj.酷热的；猛烈的；使起疱的；可恶的v.起水疱；起气泡；使受暴晒n.[涂料] 起泡

参考例句：

• The runners set off at a blistering pace. 赛跑运动员如脱缰野马般起跑了。
• This failure is known as preferential wetting and is responsible for blistering. 这种故障称为优先吸湿，是产生气泡的原因。 来自辞典例句

3 discredited   

不足信的，不名誉的

参考例句：

• The reactionary authorities are between two fires and have been discredited. 反动当局弄得进退维谷，不得人心。
• Her honour was discredited in the newspapers. 她的名声被报纸败坏了。

4 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

5 protracted   

adj.拖延的；延长的v.拖延“protract”的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The war was protracted for four years. 战争拖延了四年。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We won victory through protracted struggle. 经过长期的斗争，我们取得了胜利。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

7 infusion   

n.灌输

参考例句：

• Old families need an infusion of new blood from time to time.古老的家族需要不时地注入新鲜血液。
• Careful observation of the infusion site is necessary.必须仔细观察输液部位。

8 amassed   

v.积累，积聚( amass的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He amassed a fortune from silver mining. 他靠开采银矿积累了一笔财富。
• They have amassed a fortune in just a few years. 他们在几年的时间里就聚集了一笔财富。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

10 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

11 infrastructural   

adj.基础结构的基础设施的

参考例句：

• Must increase the investment dynamics unceasingly, strengthens the countryside infrastructural facilities. 要不断加大投入力度，加强农村基础设施建设。 来自互联网
• In the 1980s, India started with some infrastructural advantages over China. 1980年代，印度在某些基础设施方面优于中国。 来自互联网

12 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。

13 transformation   

n.变化；改造；转变

参考例句：

• Going to college brought about a dramatic transformation in her outlook.上大学使她的观念发生了巨大的变化。
• He was struggling to make the transformation from single man to responsible husband.他正在努力使自己由单身汉变为可靠的丈夫。

14 delegation   

n.代表团；派遣

参考例句：

• The statement of our delegation was singularly appropriate to the occasion.我们代表团的声明非常适合时宜。
• We shall inform you of the date of the delegation's arrival.我们将把代表团到达的日期通知你。

15 boon   

n.恩赐，恩物，恩惠

参考例句：

• A car is a real boon when you live in the country.在郊外居住，有辆汽车确实极为方便。
• These machines have proved a real boon to disabled people.事实证明这些机器让残疾人受益匪浅。

16 offset   

n.分支，补偿；v.抵消，补偿

参考例句：

• Their wage increases would be offset by higher prices.他们增加的工资会被物价上涨所抵消。
• He put up his prices to offset the increased cost of materials.他提高了售价以补偿材料成本的增加。

17 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。