VOA标准英语2011--While Burma’s Chinese Businesses Thrive, Competition Worries Locals

While Burma’s Chinese Businesses Thrive, Competition Worries Locals

 

Burma’s political reforms have dominated headlines in the past year, but there is also high anticipation¹ about a series of economic reforms.

The measures could mean more opportunities for locals businesses and foreign ones, particularly Burma’s longtime trading partner, China. The Chinese competition worries some businessmen in Burma.

A man pounds a gold-trimmed ceremonial drum in a red wood frame at Rangoon’s Chinese-built Qing Fu Gong Temple. This year, the Buddhist² temple marks its 150th anniversary and is by no means short of worshippers.

A steady stream of ethnic³ Chinese enter the temple, light incense⁴ and pray for good health and success.

A woman shakes a cylinder⁵ of Chinese fortune sticks in front of a red and gold altar.

The temple has long been a symbolic⁶ anchor of Rangoon’s Chinese community, which has engaged in centuries of commerce between the two nations.

Boy sells fruit on sidewalk in Rangoon, Burma, December 5, 2011

The temple provides Mandarin⁷ lessons, a free clinic and a pension for some community members, like U Htay Myint, 80. Wearing large round glasses and a baseball cap, he says there are Chinese associations in cities and towns across Burma. He says there are many Chinese businessmen in Rangoon who are running companies and factories.

Customers crowd a long glass display counter at the Golden Palace jewelry⁸ store. Rangoon’s Chinatown is in the heart of the city where Chinese traders have long-dominated the gold industry. And like many places around the world, Chinese-made electronics, housewares, clothes and toys fill local shops.

Burma’s government is beginning to reform its poorly managed economy by slowly reducing regulations and inefficient⁹ monopolies, expanding business opportunities. This month, Rangoon hosted a China Guangdong Commodities Fair with products ranging from solar panels to inflatable dolls.

Yu Fang¹⁰ Fang, sales supervisor¹¹ for Longtron Electronics based in Guangzhou in southern China, says her company, which sells mobile phones and computers, is eager to reach Burma’s 60 million consumers. She says Burma has big potential and, although their products are sold in Africa, Europe, and South America, in Southeast Asia there are relatively¹² few. She says they want to take this opportunity to get to know the market and then enter into it.

Myat Kyaw Kyaw is one of Burma’s middlemen, using his connections to help importers and exporters navigate¹³ bureaucracy and get licenses¹⁴. For him, the increased interest from foreign businesses can mean more opportunities. But there is still a worry that locals will not be able to compete with the new arrivals.

He says when there is an open economy inside Burma they will need a policy from the government to support local businessmen. They are weak in business experience and in competing with foreign investors¹⁵, he adds. Although he works as a broker¹⁶ Myat Kyaw Kyaw says what he really wants is to one day have a company of his own.

1 anticipation   

n.预期，预料，期望

参考例句：

• We waited at the station in anticipation of her arrival.我们在车站等着，期待她的到来。
• The animals grew restless as if in anticipation of an earthquake.各种动物都变得焦躁不安，像是感到了地震即将发生。

2 Buddhist   

adj./n.佛教的，佛教徒

参考例句：

• The old lady fell down in adoration before Buddhist images.那老太太在佛像面前顶礼膜拜。
• In the eye of the Buddhist,every worldly affair is vain.在佛教徒的眼里，人世上一切事情都是空的。

3 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

4 incense   

v.激怒；n.香，焚香时的烟，香气

参考例句：

• This proposal will incense conservation campaigners.这项提议会激怒环保人士。
• In summer,they usually burn some coil incense to keep away the mosquitoes.夏天他们通常点香驱蚊。

5 cylinder   

n.圆筒，柱(面)，汽缸

参考例句：

• What's the volume of this cylinder?这个圆筒的体积有多少？
• The cylinder is getting too much gas and not enough air.汽缸里汽油太多而空气不足。

6 symbolic   

adj.象征性的，符号的，象征主义的

参考例句：

• It is symbolic of the fighting spirit of modern womanhood.它象征着现代妇女的战斗精神。
• The Christian ceremony of baptism is a symbolic act.基督教的洗礼仪式是一种象征性的做法。

7 Mandarin   

n.中国官话，国语，满清官吏；adj.华丽辞藻的

参考例句：

• Just over one billion people speak Mandarin as their native tongue.大约有十亿以上的人口以华语为母语。
• Mandarin will be the new official language of the European Union.普通话会变成欧盟新的官方语言。

8 jewelry   

n.（jewllery）（总称）珠宝

参考例句：

• The burglars walked off with all my jewelry.夜盗偷走了我的全部珠宝。
• Jewelry and lace are mostly feminine belongings.珠宝和花边多数是女性用品。

9 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。

10 fang   

n.尖牙，犬牙

参考例句：

• Look how the bone sticks out of the flesh like a dog's fang.瞧瞧,这根骨头从肉里露出来，象一只犬牙似的。
• The green fairy's fang thrusting between his lips.绿妖精的尖牙从他的嘴唇里龇出来。

11 supervisor   

n.监督人，管理人，检查员，督学，主管，导师

参考例句：

• Between you and me I think that new supervisor is a twit.我们私下说，我认为新来的主管人是一个傻瓜。
• He said I was too flighty to be a good supervisor.他说我太轻浮不能成为一名好的管理员。

12 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。

13 navigate   

v.航行，飞行；导航，领航

参考例句：

• He was the first man to navigate the Atlantic by air.他是第一个飞越大西洋的人。
• Such boats can navigate on the Nile.这种船可以在尼罗河上航行。

14 licenses   

n.执照( license的名词复数 )v.批准，许可，颁发执照( license的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Drivers have ten days' grace to renew their licenses. 驾驶员更换执照有10天的宽限期。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Jewish firms couldn't get import or export licenses or raw materials. 犹太人的企业得不到进出口许可证或原料。 来自辞典例句

15 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

16 broker   

n.中间人，经纪人；v.作为中间人来安排

参考例句：

• He baited the broker by promises of higher commissions.他答应给更高的佣金来引诱那位经纪人。
• I'm a real estate broker.我是不动产经纪人。