2007年VOA标准英语-UN Says Asian Economic Growth Hinges on Investm

By Anjana Pasricha
New Delhi
25 March 2007

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Participants of Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) forum in Jakarta (File photo - 10 Apr 2006)

A regional United Nations agency says Asia needs to step up investment in infrastructure² to maintain the region's high growth momentum³. Anjana Pasricha reports from New Delhi, where the U.N.'s Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) recently held a meeting on infrastructure development in Asia.

The U.N. Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific says a shortage of roads, rail networks, ports and energy projects in rapidly-growing Asia threatens to hold back the region's economies.

At a two-day meeting in New Delhi, the U.N. agency called on Asia to invest more heavily in cross-border infrastructure projects to spur trade and investment in the region.

Representatives of 20 countries attended the meeting, where a new study by Research and Information Systems, a New Delhi-based research institute, highlighted the infrastructure deficit⁴ in Asia.

For example, lack of sufficient cross-border surface transportation among Central, South and East Asia forces Asian countries to rely heavily on shipping⁵ by sea, pushing up the cost of moving goods.

The study says Asian countries should cooperate to develop a dense⁶ network of roads and rails, in the same way European countries have.

Similarly, countries should share energy resources, because several resource-rich countries have low demand, while their neighbors have high demand.

Nagesh Kumar heads Research and Information Systems. He uses South Asia as an example to show how cross-border initiatives could bring vast benefits to the region.

"We could build a connecting road, say, from Afghanistan to Pakistan to India to Bangladesh to Myanmar [Burma], which would link up all these countries. It would become a Silk Road, for instance, providing the connectivity to the people, promoting businesses and livelihoods⁷. In energy, for instance, you could be developing hydro power in Nepal and bringing it to India, which is perennially⁸ short of energy," said Kumar.

International agencies have estimated that the region could use approximately $200 billion for infrastructure investment every year over the next five years in addition to what countries are already spending.

ESCAP head Kim Hak Su suggests that the region could use a part of its huge foreign exchange reserves to fund infrastructure projects.

"The crucial thing is Asia has net saving. Net saving as of 2005 is three $350 billion. This will grow more as the economies grow," he said. "So how to tap this net Asian saving?"

ESCAP has suggested the establishment of an Asian infrastructure investment bank to help finance major trans-Asian road and rail links and other projects in the region. 

1 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

2 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。

3 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。

4 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

5 shipping   

n.船运（发货，运输，乘船）

参考例句：

• We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
• There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。

6 dense   

a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的

参考例句：

• The general ambushed his troops in the dense woods. 将军把部队埋伏在浓密的树林里。
• The path was completely covered by the dense foliage. 小路被树叶厚厚地盖了一层。

7 livelihoods   

生计，谋生之道( livelihood的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• First came the earliest individualistic pioneers who depended on hunting and fishing for their livelihoods. 走在最前面的是早期的个人主义先驱者，他们靠狩猎捕鱼为生。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• With little influence over policies, their traditional livelihoods are threatened. 因为马赛族人对政策的影响力太小，他们的传统生计受到了威胁。

8 perennially   

adv.经常出现地；长期地；持久地；永久地

参考例句：

• He perennially does business abroad. 他常年在国外做生意。 来自辞典例句
• We want to know what is perennially new about the world. 我们想知道世上什么东西永远是新的。 来自互联网