Microcredit Summit Campaign

By Jill Moss¹

Broadcast: November 10, 2003

This is Robert Covent with the VOA Special English Development Report.
In many developing nations, more than fifty percent of workers are self-employed. They might move from 1)temporary job to temporary job. Or they may own a small business. Many poor people would like to start a business, but cannot get a bank loan².
One tool to fight poverty is the use of microcredit loans³. These are small loans for poor people who want to turn self-employment projects into businesses. In some countries, the loans may start out as small as twenty dollars. People may also receive training to learn how to operate a business.
In nineteen-ninety-seven, delegates⁴ from one-hundred-thirty-seven nations attended a conference in Washington, D.C. They agreed to give microcredit loans to one-hundred-million of the world's poorest families by two-thousand-five.
An organization in the United States called the Results Educational Fund⁵ supports the campaign. It says more than forty-one-million families around the world have received microcredit so far. The Results Educational Fund says the nine-year campaign is well on the way to its goal.
The Microcredit Summit⁶ Campaign brings together lenders, aid groups, educators, non-governmental organizations and others. The campaign has four main ideas. The first is to reach the poorest families in each country. The World Bank 2)estimates that over one-thousand-million people live on less than one dollar a day.
The second goal is to reach out especially to women. Campaign officials say experience shows that women are less likely than men to waste their earnings⁸. They say women are more likely to invest⁹ their profits in their families and businesses. So the campaign seeks to give women more power.
The third goal is to create loan organizations that are financially strong. And the fourth is to make sure the programs have a measurable effect on the lives of the families that receive microcredit.
There are more than two-thousand-five-hundred microcredit organizations around the world. Campaign officials say most do charge interest, but often use their earnings to reach more people. They also say that some banks have seen the success of microcredit and 3)recognized it as a good market.
The Web site for the campaign is microcreditsummit, all one word, dot o-r-g.
This VOA Special English Development Report was written by Jill Moss. This is Robert Covent.
注释：
1) temporary [5tempErEri] adj.暂时的，临时的
2) estimate⁷ [5estimeit] v.估计，估价
3) recognize [5rekE^naiz] v.公认

1 moss   

n.苔，藓，地衣

参考例句：

• Moss grows on a rock.苔藓生在石头上。
• He was found asleep on a pillow of leaves and moss.有人看见他枕着树叶和苔藓睡着了。

2 loan   

n.贷款；借出的东西；借；vt.借出；贷予

参考例句：

• I asked the bank to help me with a loan.我请银行给我一笔贷款。
• Has the bank okayed your request for a loan?银行批准你的贷款要求了吗？

3 loans   

n.借出物，借款( loan的名词复数 )v.借出，贷与（尤指钱）( loan的第三人称单数 )；出借（贵重物品给博物馆等）

参考例句：

• They are offering loans at extortionate rates of interest. 他们在放高利贷。
• Government loans have been the salvation of several shaky business companies. 政府的贷款救活了几家濒临倒闭的公司。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 delegates   

代表，代表团成员( delegate的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The conference was attended by delegates from 56 countries. 此次会议有来自56个国家的代表出席。
• Delegates expressed strong opposition to the plans. 代表强烈反对这些计划。

5 fund   

n.基金，资金，存款，财源，贮藏；vt.提供资金，积累

参考例句：

• They decided to set up a fund for this purpose.他们决定为此专立一项基金。
• This fund may not be drawn on without permission.这笔钱非经批准不得动用。

6 summit   

n.最高点，峰顶；最高级会议；极点

参考例句：

• They climbed up the mountain and reached the summit.他们爬山，最终达到了山顶。
• The summit of the mountain is lost in the cloud and mist.山顶隐没在云雾之中。

7 estimate   

n.估计，估量；评价，看法；vt.估计，估量

参考例句：

• We estimate the cost to be five thousand dollars.我们估计费用为5000美元。
• The lowest estimate would put the worth of the jewel at ＄200.按最低的评估这块宝石也值200美元。

8 earnings   

n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得

参考例句：

• That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
• Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。

9 invest   

v.投资；投入(时间等)；授予，赋予

参考例句：

• I have decided to invest in a new car.我已经决定买一辆新汽车。
• The best time to invest is now.现在是投资的最佳时机。