VOA常速英语2007年-UN Official Urges Local Economists to Address A

By Peter Heinlein
Addis Ababa
15 November 2007

The head of the U.N. Economic Commission for Africa is urging homegrown economists¹ to take the lead in addressing Africa's economic challenges. VOA's Peter Heinlein has details from the opening session of the African Economic Conference under way in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.

U.N. Economic Commission for Africa Executive Secretary Abdoulie Janneh says homegrown talent is an essential component² in Africa's future economic success. Janneh made the comment in his keynote address to the three-day economic conference being sponsored jointly³ by the U.N.E.C.A and the African Development Bank.

Janneh welcomed the presence of what he called the many African economists from the diaspora attending the conference. But he urged them to remember that their ideas and intellectual contributions are most needed at home.

Afterward⁴, Janneh told VOA these "homegrown" economic thinkers must take the good ideas that work for them abroad, and put them to use for the future prosperity of the lands of their birth.

"What we are advocating is that these intellectuals give priority to Africa. If you go to the U.S., you go to other countries, there are outstanding African intellectuals and economists working in this context, in these institutions, and they are involved in a lot of global issues, and their voices are being heard," said Janneh. "We are saying, this is fine, continue to do so, but reserve a substantive⁵ portion of your intellect, or your attention, on African issues. Once you do that, I think it is fine. Do not leave this to outsiders."

Janneh noted⁶ that many of the most prominent schools of thought on bringing prosperity to Africa come from Europe and the United States. He pointed⁷ to the opposing ideas of American economists Jeffrey Sachs and William Easterly.

Sachs argues that what is needed is a massive increase in development assistance from wealthy countries. Easterly counters that the huge amounts of aid already poured into Africa have produced meager⁸ results, and suggests that the old 'top-down' assistance programs are in need of a fundamental revision.

Janneh says he agrees with Jeffrey Sachs that significantly more assistance is needed from the rich countries. He says recent history shows that donors⁹ often make generous promises, but fail to live up to them.

"The acceptance of the need for increased assistance is there," added Janneh. "The commitments are made. But if you look at the reality, in terms of actual disbursements, it is not at the level that has been commitments made last year. In fact there was a decline in Official Development Assistance to Africa."

The conference being held at the U.N.E.C.A. headquarters in Addis Ababa has attracted a number of top economists from abroad, including many with African roots. But it also features top economic officials and thinkers from several countries on the continent. Among them, the deputy director of Sudan's finance ministry¹⁰ is leading a discussion on trade negotiations¹¹, a top official in Equatorial Guinea's finance ministry is chairing a meeting on micro-finance, and a senior South African official is heading a panel on the increasingly important question of Africa's business and development relationship with **.

1 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》

2 component   

n.组成部分，成分，元件；adj.组成的，合成的

参考例句：

• Each component is carefully checked before assembly.每个零件在装配前都经过仔细检查。
• Blade and handle are the component parts of a knife.刀身和刀柄是一把刀的组成部分。

3 jointly   

ad.联合地，共同地

参考例句：

• Tenants are jointly and severally liable for payment of the rent. 租金由承租人共同且分别承担。
• She owns the house jointly with her husband. 她和丈夫共同拥有这所房子。

4 afterward   

adv.后来；以后

参考例句：

• Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏，然后吃饭。
• Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来，这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。

5 substantive   

adj.表示实在的；本质的、实质性的；独立的；n.实词，实名词；独立存在的实体

参考例句：

• They plan to meet again in Rome very soon to begin substantive negotiations.他们计划不久在罗马再次会晤以开始实质性的谈判。
• A president needs substantive advice,but he also requires emotional succor. 一个总统需要实质性的建议，但也需要感情上的支持。

6 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。

7 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

8 meager   

adj.缺乏的，不足的，瘦的

参考例句：

• He could not support his family on his meager salary.他靠微薄的工资无法养家。
• The two men and the woman grouped about the fire and began their meager meal.两个男人同一个女人围着火，开始吃起少得可怜的午饭。

9 donors   

n.捐赠者( donor的名词复数 )；献血者；捐血者；器官捐献者

参考例句：

• Please email us to be removed from our active list of blood donors. 假如你想把自己的名字从献血联系人名单中删去，请给我们发电子邮件。
• About half this amount comes from individual donors and bequests. 这笔钱大约有一半来自个人捐赠及遗赠。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

11 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。