VOA标准英语2104--Africa Set to Continue Growth – Except in Ebola-Infected Areas

 

Africa Set to Continue Growth – Except in Ebola-Infected Areas

World Bank figures are beginning to confirm the impact of the crisis on the economies of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

New data shows the service sectors² of the three countries have been especially hard hit.  The Bank’s latest report, called Africa’s Pulse: Decades of Growth is Transforming Africa’s Economies, says wholesale³ and retail⁴ traders in Liberia report drops in business of up to 75 percent from the same period last year.  It says gasoline and diesel⁵ sales in the country are down by 21 and 35 percent, respectively.  And, since the on-set of the crisis, hotel occupancy across the three countries is down by 13 to 40 percent.   

In Guinea, the exodus⁶ of people from farming areas has affected⁷ the production of exports such as coffee, cocoa and palm oil.  The Food and Agriculture Organization says up to 40 percent of farmers in Kailahun, Sierra Leone, have moved or died.  The World Bank says in total, the economic impact could mean the loss of potentially tens of billions of dollars in revenues for West Africa over two years (2014-2015).

Aversion behavior

Economists⁹ say the public and political response to Ebola is affecting economic activity in the three countries. 

The FAO says about 90 percent of Sierra Leone’s most productive plots are not being farmed – due in part, it says, to the fear among farmers of sharing tools, and government restrictions¹⁰ on movement aimed at preventing the spread of the disease. 

Some airports are closed as are the borders – which are crucial to merchants.  Many people are afraid to go to West Africa’s hot and crowded markets, for fear of getting the virus.  Ebola can be spread by bodily fluids from an infected person.

Sierra Leone and Liberia are recovering from long civil wars, and were bouncing back with growth rates approaching 10 percent. 

Francisco Ferreira, the World Bank’s chief economist⁸ for Africa, says response to the virus has put an end to the optimism, at least for now.

"The fear it creates, the aversion behavior toward others, on farmers, miners, workers, consumers," he said, "that’s reducing GDP by two percent in Guinea,  and 3.3 percent in Sierra Leone and Liberia --  which adds up to around $359 million this year."

Next year, he says, could be worse. If the outbreak is not controlled, affected countries could lose over $800 million.

In response, the World Bank is mobilizing a $400 million finance package for the three countries.  The money will go toward providing emergency response equipment and building field hospitals and treatment centers.  It will also help strengthen heath care systems, including monitoring of the outbreak.  And the funding will provide general budgetary support for the Ebola-stricken countries which are redirecting scarce resources to fight the virus.

Projections¹¹ of growth

The economic forecast for the rest of Africa stands in stark¹² contrast to that of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Growth is projected for most African states – despite a drop in commodity prices and slow global economic growth. 

The World Bank attributes economic expansion to public spending on infrastructure¹³, a buoyant services sector¹ and a rebound¹⁴ in agricultural production for both export and domestic markets.

Punam Chuhan-Pole, the World Bank’s lead economist for Africa,  mentions two low-income countries where growth has remained robust¹⁵.

"In Ivory Coast," she said, "it’s cocoa production, which is mostly for export, and also rice production [for domestic markets].  In Ethiopia, agricultural production has gone up…it is also supported in Ethiopia with spending in infrastructure.  There’s a range of factors, but agriculture is a strong impetus¹⁶ to growth."

Chuhan-Pole said Africa is by-passing industrialization as a means of promoting growth and jobs.

Propelling the continent forward are services --- like tourism, transport, financing and telecommunications – and extractive industries, like the mining of oil, gas, metals and minerals.

"Extractive sector growth is something that has the potential to provide benefits to the rest of the economy, because it is a source of income," she said. "The important thing is how is income from extractives distributed?"

"To the extent that governments are able to get revenues from this and are able to redistribute it in terms of spending on health, education, and social programs to help poor people -- there are obviously benefits that can be derived¹⁷ from the extractive sector."

Those revenues could help Africa meet the UN’s ambitious Millennium¹⁸ Development Goals, which aim in part to improve child and maternal¹⁹ health and reduce poverty.   The Bank says Sub-Saharan Africa has met only about a third of the target of cutting poverty in half for those with incomes below $1.25 per day.  It says the continent has met only about half of the target set for improving nourishment²⁰ and about a third on guaranteeing the completion of primary school.

The World Bank says the manufacturing sector in Africa is lagging, but can contribute to growth.   Its economists say for the continent that means improving the business climate curbing²¹ fiscal²² deficits²³, guaranteeing affordable²⁴ energy, lowering transport costs and building a skilled labor²⁵ force.  

1 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

2 sectors   

n.部门( sector的名词复数 )；领域；防御地区；扇形

参考例句：

• Berlin was divided into four sectors after the war. 战后柏林分成了4 个区。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Industry and agriculture are the two important sectors of the national economy. 工业和农业是国民经济的两个重要部门。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

3 wholesale   

n.批发；adv.以批发方式；vt.批发，成批出售

参考例句：

• The retail dealer buys at wholesale and sells at retail.零售商批发购进货物，以零售价卖出。
• Such shoes usually wholesale for much less.这种鞋批发出售通常要便宜得多。

4 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

5 diesel   

n.柴油发动机，内燃机

参考例句：

• We experimented with diesel engines to drive the pumps.我们试着用柴油机来带动水泵。
• My tractor operates on diesel oil.我的那台拖拉机用柴油开动。

6 exodus   

v.大批离去，成群外出

参考例句：

• The medical system is facing collapse because of an exodus of doctors.由于医生大批离去，医疗系统面临崩溃。
• Man's great challenge at this moment is to prevent his exodus from this planet.人在当前所遇到的最大挑战，就是要防止人从这个星球上消失。

7 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

8 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。

9 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》

10 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

11 projections   

预测( projection的名词复数 )； 投影； 投掷； 突起物

参考例句：

• Their sales projections are a total thumbsuck. 他们的销售量预测纯属估计。
• The council has revised its projections of funding requirements upwards. 地方议会调高了对资金需求的预测。

12 stark   

adj.荒凉的；严酷的；完全的；adv.完全地

参考例句：

• The young man is faced with a stark choice.这位年轻人面临严峻的抉择。
• He gave a stark denial to the rumor.他对谣言加以完全的否认。

13 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。

14 rebound   

v.弹回；n.弹回，跳回

参考例句：

• The vibrations accompanying the rebound are the earth quake.伴随这种回弹的振动就是地震。
• Our evil example will rebound upon ourselves.我们的坏榜样会回到我们自己头上的。

15 robust   

adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的

参考例句：

• She is too tall and robust.她个子太高，身体太壮。
• China wants to keep growth robust to reduce poverty and avoid job losses,AP commented.美联社评论道，中国希望保持经济强势增长，以减少贫困和失业状况。

16 impetus   

n.推动，促进，刺激；推动力

参考例句：

• This is the primary impetus behind the economic recovery.这是促使经济复苏的主要动力。
• Her speech gave an impetus to my ideas.她的讲话激发了我的思绪。

17 derived   

vi.起源；由来；衍生；导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取

参考例句：

• Many English words are derived from Latin and Greek. 英语很多词源出于拉丁文和希腊文。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He derived his enthusiasm for literature from his father. 他对文学的爱好是受他父亲的影响。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 millennium   

n.一千年，千禧年；太平盛世

参考例句：

• The whole world was counting down to the new millennium.全世界都在倒计时迎接新千年的到来。
• We waited as the clock ticked away the last few seconds of the old millennium.我们静候着时钟滴答走过千年的最后几秒钟。

19 maternal   

adj.母亲的，母亲般的，母系的，母方的

参考例句：

• He is my maternal uncle.他是我舅舅。
• The sight of the hopeless little boy aroused her maternal instincts.那个绝望的小男孩的模样唤起了她的母性。

20 nourishment   

n.食物，营养品；营养情况

参考例句：

• Lack of proper nourishment reduces their power to resist disease.营养不良降低了他们抵抗疾病的能力。
• He ventured that plants draw part of their nourishment from the air.他大胆提出植物从空气中吸收部分养分的观点。

21 curbing   

n.边石，边石的材料v.限制，克制，抑制( curb的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Progress has been made in curbing inflation. 在控制通货膨胀方面已取得了进展。
• A range of policies have been introduced aimed at curbing inflation. 为了抑制通货膨胀实施了一系列的政策。

22 fiscal   

adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的

参考例句：

• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
• The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。

23 deficits   

n.不足额( deficit的名词复数 )；赤字；亏空；亏损

参考例句：

• The Ministry of Finance consistently overestimated its budget deficits. 财政部一贯高估预算赤字。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Many of the world's farmers are also incurring economic deficits. 世界上许多农民还在遭受经济上的亏损。 来自辞典例句

24 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。

25 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。