VOA标准英语2010年-Economy, Haiti to Take Center Stage at

More than 2,500 business, government and civil society leaders from more than 90 countries are expected to attend this year's World Economic Forum¹ in the small Swiss alpine² resort of Davos.  Organizers of the meeting, which opens January 27, say the global economic crisis and the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti will top the agenda. 

The usual glamour³ and glitter that traditionally has been part of the annual World Economic Forum will be missing this year.  Celebrities⁴ such as Angelina Jolie and Bono will not be coming to Davos.  Although the director of the blockbuster movie Avatar, James Cameron, will put in an appearance.

These are sober times.  The world is preoccupied⁵ by the economic crisis, by issues such as terrorism, climate change and natural disasters.  These concerns are reflected by the guest list of prominent business, government and civic⁶ leaders and in its weighty agenda.

Founder⁷ and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum, Klaus Schwab, says the world has fundamentally changed.  He says there is a real danger of the world moving from the financial and economic crises of the past two years into a social crisis in 2010.

"As a consequence of the debt situation of governments, of the fiscal⁸ situation of governments, we will have certainly squeezed public and private households and we will have increased unemployment figures," he said.  "So, Davos will be the place to take really stock of where we stand in the aftermath of the crisis and to make sure that we continue to undertake the necessary reforms." 

Top U.S. economic advisers⁹ and members of the U.S. Congress will be among those actively¹⁰ participating in these discussions.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy, will deliver the opening address.  He will be one of more than 30 heads of state or government who will attend the meeting.  Others include the Presidents of Tanzania, South Africa, Mexico, Canada, and South Korea.

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton, who is the special United Nations representative for Haiti will, together with the Forum, launch a major initiative to engage business in the reconstruction¹¹ of Haiti.

The Forum's managing director and chief business officer, Robert Greenhill, says the Forum wants the business community to make a sustained, long-term commitment to help Haiti by providing investment and other development schemes so Haiti can grow and move out of poverty.

"That is not a short-term element," he noted¹².  "We do not expect to have a flash appeal with short-term responses.  That will be the relief program, which is important.  This is a sustained engagement, which the Forum will be doing with the Clinton Global Initiative and the United Nations to actually engage the business community, well after the television cameras have gone.  And, in fact, what we want to do is to build on the stability and the base, to build on the opportunities that were in Haiti before the earthquake and remain there afterwards." 

The Davos Forum also plans to deal with the aftermath of the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. 

The chair of next year's UN climate change conference, Mexican President, Felipe Calderon, will participate in key strategy discussions aimed at formulating¹³ new ideas to move the issue of climate change forward.

 

1 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。

2 alpine   

adj.高山的；n.高山植物

参考例句：

• Alpine flowers are abundant there.那里有很多高山地带的花。
• Its main attractions are alpine lakes and waterfalls .它以高山湖泊和瀑布群为主要特色。

3 glamour   

n.魔力，魅力；vt.迷住

参考例句：

• Foreign travel has lost its glamour for her.到国外旅行对她已失去吸引力了。
• The moonlight cast a glamour over the scene.月光给景色增添了魅力。

4 celebrities   

n.（尤指娱乐界的）名人( celebrity的名词复数 )；名流；名声；名誉

参考例句：

• He only invited A-list celebrities to his parties. 他只邀请头等名流参加他的聚会。
• a TV chat show full of B-list celebrities 由众多二流人物参加的电视访谈节目

5 preoccupied   

adj.全神贯注的，入神的；被抢先占有的；心事重重的v.占据（某人）思想，使对…全神贯注，使专心于( preoccupy的过去式)

参考例句：

• He was too preoccupied with his own thoughts to notice anything wrong. 他只顾想着心事，没注意到有什么不对。
• The question of going to the Mount Tai preoccupied his mind. 去游泰山的问题盘踞在他心头。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 civic   

adj.城市的，都市的，市民的，公民的

参考例句：

• I feel it is my civic duty to vote.我认为投票选举是我作为公民的义务。
• The civic leaders helped to forward the project.市政府领导者协助促进工程的进展。

7 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

8 fiscal   

adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的

参考例句：

• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
• The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。

9 advisers   

顾问，劝告者( adviser的名词复数 )； （指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授

参考例句：

• a member of the President's favoured circle of advisers 总统宠爱的顾问班子中的一员
• She withdrew to confer with her advisers before announcing a decision. 她先去请教顾问然后再宣布决定。

10 actively   

adv.积极地，勤奋地

参考例句：

• During this period all the students were actively participating.在这节课中所有的学生都积极参加。
• We are actively intervening to settle a quarrel.我们正在积极调解争执。

11 reconstruction   

n.重建，再现，复原

参考例句：

• The country faces a huge task of national reconstruction following the war.战后，该国面临着重建家园的艰巨任务。
• In the period of reconstruction,technique decides everything.在重建时期，技术决定一切。

12 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

13 formulating   

v.构想出( formulate的现在分词 )；规划；确切地阐述；用公式表示

参考例句：

• At present, the Chinese government is formulating nationwide regulations on the control of such chemicals. 目前，中国政府正在制定全国性的易制毒化学品管理条例。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• Because of this, the U.S. has taken further steps in formulating the \"Magellan\" programme. 为此，美国又进一步制定了“麦哲伦”计划。 来自百科语句