VOA标准英语2013--IMF, World Bank to Discuss Poverty, Power, and Growth

 

IMF, World Bank to Discuss Poverty, Power, and Growth

More than one billion people around the world live in extreme poverty, and World Bank President Jim Yong Kim is determined¹ to change that. He is asking the bank’s member nations for more resources to help the poorest people.

Kim says the deepest poverty can be eliminated by 2030.

“Is there anyone who has lived on less than $1.25 a day who would not join me here today in telling you that it is time to end extreme poverty," he asked.

Economists² say global economic growth will help the poor and make it easier for the world's 200 million unemployed³ to find work.

IMF Chief Christine Lagarde says overall growth is getting better.

“The economic world no longer looks quite as dangerous as it did none months ago," she said.

But growth will still be tepid⁴, she warns, especially in wealthy developed nations. She says it could be hurt by ill-considered cuts in government budgets and economic stimulus⁵ efforts, or further disruptions in Europe.

The United States and Western Europe are traditionally give the most money and provide the top leaders to the IMF and World Bank. So stalled growth hurts international financial institutions.

That means new resources are likely to come from faster-growing, emerging nations in Asia or Africa, according to University of Waterloo Professor Bessma Momani. She spoke⁶ via Skype.

“They will come with the money that will bolster⁷ the coffers of the IMF that is so sorely needed, and they won’t have to come to the United States all the time," she said.

Brookings Institution scholar Domenico Lombardi says many nations have already approved a reform package giving emerging economies more power in the IMF. But, until recently, the deal seemed stalled in Washington. 

“What has happened is that the administration has formally proposed the legislation to Congress, and the expectation is that Congress might approve the package, ratify⁸ the package by the end of the year," he said.

One scholar says the success of this gathering⁹ will be measured by the amount of money actually sent in the near future to help the poor and improve infrastructure¹⁰. 

1 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

2 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 unemployed   

adj.失业的，没有工作的；未动用的，闲置的

参考例句：

• There are now over four million unemployed workers in this country.这个国家现有四百万失业人员。
• The unemployed hunger for jobs.失业者渴望得到工作。

4 tepid   

adj.微温的，温热的，不太热心的

参考例句：

• She bent her mouth to the tap and drank the tepid water.她把嘴伸到水龙头底下去喝那微温的水。
• Her feet firmly planted on the tepid rough brick of the floor.她一双脚稳固地立在微温而粗糙的砖地上。

5 stimulus   

n.刺激，刺激物，促进因素，引起兴奋的事物

参考例句：

• Regard each failure as a stimulus to further efforts.把每次失利看成对进一步努力的激励。
• Light is a stimulus to growth in plants.光是促进植物生长的一个因素。

6 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

7 bolster   

n.枕垫；v.支持，鼓励

参考例句：

• The high interest rates helped to bolster up the economy.高利率使经济更稳健。
• He tried to bolster up their morale.他尽力鼓舞他们的士气。

8 ratify   

v.批准，认可，追认

参考例句：

• The heads of two governments met to ratify the peace treaty.两国政府首脑会晤批准和平条约。
• The agreement have to be ratify by the board.该协议必须由董事会批准。

9 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

10 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。