VOA标准英语2009-Major Agricultural Countries Agree to Restar

Major agriculture exporting nations have agreed to revive negotiations¹ for the Doha Development Round at a meeting in Indonesia. The commitment to finalize² a framework for the eventual³ elimination⁴ of export subsidies⁵ and import tariffs⁶ has been praised as a breakthrough by member countries.

For several years World Trade Organization members states have struggled to overcome their differences during negotiations for the Doha Development Round, a pact⁷ that would see rich nations sacrifice their agricultural subsidies and import tariffs in exchange for more access to markets in developing nations.

Negotiations on the agreement collapsed⁸ in July last year after India and the United States clashed over the capacity of poor nations to raise tariffs and protect vulnerable industries when agricultural imports surged.

The 19-member Cairns Group, which accounts for 25 percent of the world's agricultural trade, met Tuesday on the Indonesian island of Bali. Representatives from India, the United States and other WTO states reunited; committing to return, once again, to the negotiating table.

Speaking at the conclusion of the Bali meeting, WTO Director General Pascal Lamy said India and the United States "gave a clear signal that they want to get things up." Lamy said he is hopeful the round could be concluded some time in 2010.

But just how the differences between developed and developing nations will be overcome was not on the agenda. Indonesian Director General of International Trade Gusmardi Bustami says that will be for later meetings in Geneva.

"In Bali we are all showing flexibility⁹ and we should focus on discussion in Geneva. We are not going into detail there, but we are just discussing where we are now and what we are going to do next and so on and so on. So we are not discussing issue by issue," he said.

Some member states expressed concern at the recent EU and U.S. decision to reintroduce dairy export subsidies. They warned that countries should do their utmost to avoid protectionist policies in response to the global financial crisis.

The Doha Development Round began in Qatar in 2001 with the goal of scrapping¹⁰ trade barriers and subsidies, particularly in agriculture, by 2013. Talks will resume when WTO members meet in Geneva later this year.

1 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

2 finalize   

v.落实，定下来

参考例句：

• Let us finalize tonight.让我们今天晚上干完
• 。At the same time,industrial designers work with engineers to finalize components and assembly.同时，工业设计师和工程师一道来完成部件和组装部分的工作。

3 eventual   

adj.最后的，结局的，最终的

参考例句：

• Several schools face eventual closure.几所学校面临最终关闭。
• Both parties expressed optimism about an eventual solution.双方对问题的最终解决都表示乐观。

4 elimination   

n.排除，消除，消灭

参考例句：

• Their elimination from the competition was a great surprise.他们在比赛中遭到淘汰是个很大的意外。
• I was eliminated from the 400 metres in the semi-finals.我在400米半决赛中被淘汰。

5 subsidies   

n.补贴，津贴，补助金( subsidy的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• European agriculture ministers failed to break the deadlock over farm subsidies. 欧洲各国农业部长在农业补贴问题上未能打破僵局。
• Agricultural subsidies absorb about half the EU's income. 农业补贴占去了欧盟收入的大约一半。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 tariffs   

关税制度； 关税( tariff的名词复数 )； 关税表； （旅馆或饭店等的）收费表； 量刑标准

参考例句：

• British industry was sheltered from foreign competition by protective tariffs. 保护性关税使英国工业免受国际竞争影响。
• The new tariffs have put a stranglehold on trade. 新的关税制对开展贸易极为不利。

7 pact   

n.合同，条约，公约，协定

参考例句：

• The two opposition parties made an electoral pact.那两个反对党订了一个有关选举的协定。
• The trade pact between those two countries came to an end.那两国的通商协定宣告结束。

8 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。

9 flexibility   

n.柔韧性，弹性，（光的）折射性，灵活性

参考例句：

• Her great strength lies in her flexibility.她的优势在于她灵活变通。
• The flexibility of a man's muscles will lessen as he becomes old.人老了肌肉的柔韧性将降低。

10 scrapping   

刮，切除坯体余泥

参考例句：

• He was always scrapping at school. 他在学校总打架。
• These two dogs are always scrapping. 这两条狗总是打架。