VOA标准英语2012--Ningxia, China Muslims Hope Islamic Ties Profitable

 

Ningxia, China Muslims Hope Islamic Ties Profitable

Ningxia is a small region with big ambitions. A swath of land outside the capital Yinchuan is being cleared for a new central business district, which locals say is aimed at attracting thousands of Arab Muslims to live and work.

The China State Construction Engineering Corporation is erecting¹ one of the district's centerpieces - the China-Arab Economic Forum² meeting hall. The same company recently won the contract to build what will be one of the largest mosques³ in the world, in Algeria.

"I think the influence will be positive. There are always cultural differences, but it will be a big help to our lives, our food and our development," said one Yinchuan resident who hasn't met many Arabs, but he welcomes them.

The recently-built China-Muslim International Trade Mall will host its third annual China-Arab country trade fair, later this year.

Ningxia Academy of Social Sciences scholar Ma Ping says the region's capital, Yinchuan, would like to become China's center of trade for Islamic products and halal food.

"Some of the products might be produced elsewhere, but then the trade is done here, which means that Arab merchants do not need to go to Beijing, Shanghai or Guangzhou to buy all that need, all that Muslim people eat drink and wear. They just come here," said Ma.

When there is no conference, Liu - who sells local foodstuffs⁴ and has been there for only four months - says business can be a little slow. "It's getting better, especially compared to the beginning," he said. "At first, no one knew much about this place and tourists didn't know to come here.

China's Hui Muslims are descended⁵ from Arab and Persian traders who came along the Silk Road, stayed and inter-married. Ningxia is China's only provincial-level Hui autonomous⁶ region and local authorities hope to take advantage of their Islamic roots to reach out to other world Muslims.

Qatar University international affairs professor Jackie Armijo says she has met many Huis in China who are pursuing commercial activities.

"Many of these graduates of these Islamic colleges, which of course include very intensive training in Arabic, are not becoming imams, but going off and getting jobs, basically for different businesses that Middle Easterners have started," Armijo noted⁷.

In addition to the central business district, there are other major new projects to showcase the region's Islamic culture - including the China Hui Nationality Culture Garden and the World Muslim City, a stalled multi-billion dollar project that was to include investment from other Muslim countries. 

1 erecting   

v.使直立，竖起( erect的现在分词 )；建立

参考例句：

• Nations can restrict their foreign trade by erecting barriers to exports as well as imports. 象设置进口壁垒那样，各国可以通过设置出口壁垒来限制对外贸易。 来自辞典例句
• Could you tell me the specific lift-slab procedure for erecting buildings? 能否告之用升板法安装楼房的具体程序？ 来自互联网

2 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。

3 mosques   

清真寺； 伊斯兰教寺院，清真寺； 清真寺，伊斯兰教寺院( mosque的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Why make us believe that this tunnel runs underneath the mosques? 为什么要让我们相信这条隧洞是在清真寺下？
• The city's three biggest mosques, long fallen into disrepair, have been renovated. 城里最大的三座清真寺，过去年久失修，现在已经修复。

4 foodstuffs   

食物，食品( foodstuff的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Imports of foodstuffs accounted for a small proportion of total imports. 食物进口仅占总进口额的一小部份。
• Many basic foodstuffs, such as bread and milk, are tax-free. 许多基本食物如牛奶和面包是免税的。

5 descended   

a.为...后裔的，出身于...的

参考例句：

• A mood of melancholy descended on us. 一种悲伤的情绪袭上我们的心头。
• The path descended the hill in a series of zigzags. 小路呈连续的之字形顺着山坡蜿蜒而下。

6 autonomous   

adj.自治的；独立的

参考例句：

• They proudly declared themselves part of a new autonomous province.他们自豪地宣布成为新自治省的一部分。
• This is a matter that comes within the jurisdiction of the autonomous region.这件事是属于自治区权限以内的事务。

7 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。