VOA标准英语2011-Global Risks Report 2011: Global Governan

The global financial crisis has "drained the world's capacity" to deal with further shocks, according to the World Economic Forum¹'s new Global Risks Report. The Forum says 20th century systems are failing to manage 21st century risks.

In this year's Global Risks Report, the World Economic Forum says two broad issues are aggravating² risks all over the world.

Zurich Financial Services Group Chief Economist³ Daniel Hoffman said one of those issues is economic disparity. "Particularly within countries, economic growth has created many, many losers and fewer and fewer winners."

He said the sharp divide between rich and poor may lead to social upheaval⁴. The report warns of resurgent nationalism, populism and social fragmentation.

The second broad issue, Hoffman said, is that global governance is failing. He said, for example, at the start of the financial crisis countries started working together to solve the problems, but that resolve appears to have faded.

"Now two years later we see that this energy has sort of fizzled and petered out," Hoffman said. "And there does not seem to be a globally coordinated⁵ will anymore to address the causes of the financial crisis that impacted us so strongly two years ago."

The report focuses on a few clusters of risks: macroeconomics imbalances, including sovereign debt and currency instability; the illegal economy, organized crime, corruption⁶, and illegal trade; and pressure on resources, especially water, food, and energy.

The consulting firm Oliver Wyman Group contributed to the report. Its president, John Drzik, says climate change is creating major volatility⁷ and the world has to work together to overcome its effects. He gave an example.
"Last summer when Russia put an export ban on wheat in order to protect its own food supply, that type of action replicated⁸ on a global scale across many countries, and could lead to instability and more geo-political tensions," said Drzik.

Drzik said there is a way forward, but global coordination⁹ will be key. "I think you can definitely read into the report that there are a series of things that are unfolding and that these risks could escalate¹⁰ if left unaddressed."

The 50-page analysis of global dangers is published by the World Economic Forum, an independent international organization based in Geneva. The report was released two weeks before its annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland.

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 aggravating   

adj.恼人的，讨厌的

参考例句：

• How aggravating to be interrupted! 被打扰，多令人生气呀！
• Diesel exhaust is particularly aggravating to many susceptible individuals. 许多体质敏感的人尤其反感柴油废气。

3 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

4 upheaval   

n.胀起，(地壳)的隆起；剧变，动乱

参考例句：

• It was faced with the greatest social upheaval since World War Ⅱ.它面临第二次世界大战以来最大的社会动乱。
• The country has been thrown into an upheaval.这个国家已经陷入动乱之中。

5 coordinated   

adj.协调的

参考例句：

• The sound has to be coordinated with the picture. 声音必须和画面协调一致。
• The numerous existing statutes are complicated and poorly coordinated. 目前繁多的法令既十分复杂又缺乏快调。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

6 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。

7 volatility   

n.挥发性，挥发度，轻快，（性格）反复无常

参考例句：

• That was one reason why volatility was so low last year.这也是去年波动性如此低的原因之一。
• Yet because volatility remained low for so long,disaster myopia prevailed.然而，由于相当长的时间里波动性小，灾难短视就获胜了。

8 replicated   

复制( replicate的过去式和过去分词 )； 重复； 再造； 再生

参考例句：

• Later outplant the seedlings in a replicated permanent test plantation. 以后苗木出圃栽植成重复的永久性试验林。
• The phage has replicated and the donor cells have lysed. 噬菌体已复制和给体细胞已发生裂解。

9 coordination   

n.协调，协作

参考例句：

• Gymnastics is a sport that requires a considerable level of coordination.体操是一项需要高协调性的运动。
• The perfect coordination of the dancers and singers added a rhythmic charm to the performance.舞蹈演员和歌手们配合得很好，使演出更具魅力。

10 escalate   

v.(使)逐步增长(或发展)，(使)逐步升级

参考例句：

• It would tempt Israel's neighbors to escalate their demands.它将诱使以色列的邻国不断把他们的要求升级。
• Defeat could cause one side or other to escalate the conflict.失败可能会导致其中一方将冲突升级。