VOA标准英语2009-Russia Seeks New Global Economic Structures

President Dmitri Medvedev is again proposing major international economic reforms even as he acknowledges that over-reliance on extractive industries, corruption¹, and inflation are hampering² modernization³ of the Russian economy.
　
Russian President Dmitri Medvedev speaks at investment forum⁴ in St. Petersburg, Russia, 05 Jun 2009

In his keynote address to the annual Saint Petersburg Economic Forum, President Medvedev called for new standards to regulate international financial markets, new rules of energy cooperation, new reserve currencies, including the Russian ruble, and new financial institutions

Mr. Medvedev says these should, in the final analysis, be fundamentally new institutions, that will not be dominated by individual political plots, motives⁵, governments or countries.

Russian leaders have been pushing the idea of replacing existing international financial institutions and reserve currencies over the past year. Economic expert Yevgeny Volk, director of the Heritage Foundation in Moscow, told VOA the Kremlin proposals are motivated in part by a desire to reduce U.S. global economic influence. He notes, however, that the Russian economy is only one-fifth the size of America's.

Today's Kremlin rulers, says Volk, want to reinforce their superpower ambitions in the political arena⁶, and the economic aspect involves showing that the ruble is capable of an international role, which would simultaneously⁷ demonstrate that Russia is a great nation.

President Medvedev told the Forum that Russia is in a relatively⁸ early stage of economic development, relies too heavily on extractive industries, and is mired⁹ in centuries of corruption. He said his country has a critical need to develop an intellectual or knowledge-based economy. This, he notes, would require dominance of the middle class, ability to react to a rapidly changing world, active entrepreneurs, and a mobile society.

The Russian leader says every person must understand a rather simple thing: it is necessary to become more mobile, sometimes changing jobs and even location to ensure the comfort of families and the education of children.

But Yevgeny Volk says Kremlin talk of diversification¹⁰ and mobility¹¹ amounts to sloganeering. He says ordinary Russians are reluctant to move, and notes their government has not taken concrete steps that would encourage them to do so.

Volk says the Russian housing market is at a beginning stage, and living conditions differ sharply in various regions of the country. The European part of Russia, he says, is more developed, but the infrastructure¹² needed for civilized¹³ work is virtually non-existent in those areas most in need of labor¹⁴ - Siberia, the Far East and in sparsely¹⁵ populated areas.

For the foreseeable future, the Russian economy is likely to rely on energy exports and the global price of oil. Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin told the Saint Petersburg Forum that $75 per barrel is a fair price, but warned it could hit $150 dollars within three years if investments are not made to increase production.

1 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

2 hampering   

妨碍，束缚，限制( hamper的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• So fraud on cows and development aid is seriously hampering growth. 因此在牛问题上和发展补助上的诈骗严重阻碍了发展。
• Short-termism, carbon-trading, disputing the science-are hampering the implementation of direct economically-led objectives. 短效主义，出售二氧化碳，进行科学辩论，这些都不利于实现以经济为主导的直接目标。

3 modernization   

n.现代化，现代化的事物

参考例句：

• This will help us achieve modernization.这有助于我们实现现代化。
• The Chinese people are sure to realize the modernization of their country.中国人民必将实现国家现代化。

4 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

5 motives   

n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• to impeach sb's motives 怀疑某人的动机
• His motives are unclear. 他的用意不明。

6 arena   

n.竞技场，运动场所；竞争场所，舞台

参考例句：

• She entered the political arena at the age of 25. 她25岁进入政界。
• He had not an adequate arena for the exercise of his talents.他没有充分发挥其才能的场所。

7 simultaneously   

adv.同时发生地，同时进行地

参考例句：

• The radar beam can track a number of targets almost simultaneously.雷达波几乎可以同时追着多个目标。
• The Windows allow a computer user to execute multiple programs simultaneously.Windows允许计算机用户同时运行多个程序。

8 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

9 mired   

abbr.microreciprocal degree 迈尔德（色温单位）v.深陷( mire的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The country was mired in recession. 这个国家陷入了经济衰退的困境。
• The most brilliant leadership can be mired in detail. 最有才干的领导也会陷于拘泥琐事的困境中。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

10 diversification   

n.变化，多样化；多种经营

参考例句：

• The seminar was to discuss diversification of agriculture. 该研讨会讨论的是农业多种经营。 来自辞典例句
• Firm diversification is increasingly achieved by the means of takeover and merger. 通过接管和兼并，厂商经营范围日益多样化。 来自辞典例句

11 mobility   

n.可动性，变动性，情感不定

参考例句：

• The difference in regional house prices acts as an obstacle to mobility of labour.不同地区房价的差异阻碍了劳动力的流动。
• Mobility is very important in guerrilla warfare.机动性在游击战中至关重要。

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 civilized   

a.有教养的，文雅的

参考例句：

• Racism is abhorrent to a civilized society. 文明社会憎恶种族主义。
• rising crime in our so-called civilized societies 在我们所谓文明社会中日益增多的犯罪行为

14 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。

15 sparsely   

adv.稀疏地；稀少地；不足地；贫乏地

参考例句：

• Relative to the size, the city is sparsely populated. 与其面积相比，这个城市的人口是稀少的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The ground was sparsely covered with grass. 地面上稀疏地覆盖草丛。 来自《简明英汉词典》