万花筒 2009-12-02&12-03 迪拜神话破灭

Nearly 90% of the oil of the United Arab Emirates is based here, Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE. That's how Abu Dhabi has built up the largest sovereign or government-controlled wealth fund in the world and why Abu Dhabi is expected to do more to bail¹ out its fellow gulf² emirate Dubai. Confirmation³ on Sunday that the UAE central bank will stand by banks in the emirate with more money if needed was one step.

"When investor⁴ confidence at the moment in Dubai has been shaken thoroughly⁵, what would happen over the next week or two will go a long way towards either confirming or changing that view."

Dubai doesn't have much oil, that's why it diversified⁶ into property and tourism. The city state, with its palm-shaped islands, also boasts the world's tallest building, the world's largest mall, even one of the world's largest indoor ski slopes.

Whether it's Dubai World or DP World or Dubai Ports or its troubled property development arm known as Nakheel, financiers just call it Dubai Inc, a series of industries and international investments all tied to Dubai's ruling family, much of it built on loans from dozens of international banks. But while oil prices rose, property investments in Dubai, like in many parts of the world, fell hard during the economic slump⁷.

1 bail   

v.舀（水），保释；n.保证金，保释，保释人

参考例句：

• One of the prisoner's friends offered to bail him out.犯人的一个朋友答应保释他出来。
• She has been granted conditional bail.她被准予有条件保释。

2 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

3 confirmation   

n.证实，确认，批准

参考例句：

• We are waiting for confirmation of the news.我们正在等待证实那个消息。
• We need confirmation in writing before we can send your order out.给你们发送订购的货物之前，我们需要书面确认。

4 investor   

n.投资者，投资人

参考例句：

• My nephew is a cautious investor.我侄子是个小心谨慎的投资者。
• The investor believes that his investment will pay off handsomely soon.这个投资者相信他的投资不久会有相当大的收益。

5 thoroughly   

adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地

参考例句：

• The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。
• The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。

6 diversified   

adj.多样化的，多种经营的v.使多样化，多样化( diversify的过去式和过去分词 )；进入新的商业领域

参考例句：

• The college biology department has diversified by adding new courses in biotechnology. 该学院生物系通过增加生物技术方面的新课程而变得多样化。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Take grain as the key link, develop a diversified economy and ensure an all-round development. 以粮为纲，多种经营，全面发展。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

7 slump   

n.暴跌，意气消沉，（土地）下沉；vi.猛然掉落，坍塌，大幅度下跌

参考例句：

• She is in a slump in her career.她处在事业的低谷。
• Economists are forecasting a slump.经济学家们预言将发生经济衰退。