VOA标准英语2010-Nobel Laureate Urges Financial Services f

Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and founder¹ of Bangladesh's Grameen Bank Muhammad Yunus gestures as he speaks to media representatives before the opening of Africa-Middle East Microcredit Summit in Nairobi, 6 Apr 2010

Nobel Laureate Muhammed Yunus is calling on business, philanthropic and political leaders gathered in Nairobi to help eradicate² poverty by providing the world's poor with access to financial services.

Speaking to more than 1,500 delegates from 75 countries at the 14th annual Africa-Middle East Microcredit Summit in Nairobi, Nobel Laureate Muhammed Yunus called it a "landmark³ summit".  He said it highlights the microfinance industry's success in the face of the global financial crisis.

Yunus said microfinance continues to flourish, providing opportunities for people in the developing world to lift themselves from poverty.

 

"In this crisis, microcredit was not the one which was closing down the shops," Yunus said. "It was the big banks which were closing down their shops.  So one of the lessons of these dark days: we need to reinvent banking⁴.  And microcredit provides the direction in which we have to go."

Microfinance is a movement within international development to provide financial services to the poor.  Organizations typically provide small loans, called microcredit, for individuals to start business in their communities.  The practice is seen by many as a means of empowerment for people who have traditionally been denied access to credit and banking institutions.

Called "the Banker to the Poor," Yunus is seen as one of the pioneers of microcredit and the microfinance industry.  He is the founder of the Bangladesh-based Grameen Bank, an organization which has been providing microcredit since the 1970's.  In 2006, Yunus was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

According to Yunus, microcredit provides a sustainable business model to solve the world's problems.

"That is what microcredit is all about: business to change the world.  Not making money.  We can change the world by making businesses for healthcare, for environment, for housing, for drinking water, whatever problem we have," Yunus adds.

But Yunus told the delegates many African countries lack the laws necessary for microfinance institutions to operate.  In these countries, donor-funded, humanitarian⁵ organizations often provide microcredit, which Yunus sees as inefficient⁶.  He called for African states to establish the legal structure necessary to fully⁷ realize the potential of microfinance.

The four-day summit will explore new ideas in poverty eradication⁸.  Discussions throughout the conference will focus on the applications of microfinance in core development fields such as the environment, agriculture and health.

The Africa-Middle East Microcredit Summit is the latest in a series of regional summits held by the Microcredit Summit Campaign.  The organization seeks to ensure credit for more than 175-million families worldwide by 2015.  The next summit will be hosted by Spain in 2011.
 

1 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。

2 eradicate   

v.根除，消灭，杜绝

参考例句：

• These insects are very difficult to eradicate.这些昆虫很难根除。
• They are already battling to eradicate illnesses such as malaria and tetanus.他们已经在努力消灭疟疾、破伤风等疾病。

3 landmark   

n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标

参考例句：

• The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history.俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。
• The tower was once a landmark for ships.这座塔曾是船只的陆标。

4 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。

5 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

6 inefficient   

adj.效率低的，无效的

参考例句：

• The inefficient operation cost the firm a lot of money.低效率的运作使该公司损失了许多钱。
• Their communication systems are inefficient in the extreme.他们的通讯系统效率非常差。

7 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

8 eradication   

n.根除

参考例句：

• The eradication of an established infestation is not easy. 根除昆虫蔓延是不容易的。
• This is often required for intelligent control and eradication. 这经常需要灵巧的控制与消除。