有争议的水稻方案使泰国执政党的声望有所影响 Controversial Rice Scheme Risks Thai Ruling Party's Popularity

 

VOA常速英语2014--Controversial Rice Scheme Risks Thai Ruling Party's Popularity 有争议的水稻方案使泰国执政党的声望有所影响

BANGKOK — Thailand's unfinished election means the current caretaker government cannot create any new debt, leaving rice farmers owed billions of dollars as part of a budget-busting, controversial subsidy¹ program. The ruling party campaigned on the subsidy plan, which analysts² now say has become a spectacular failure.

在曼谷郊区Nonthaburi省的商务部外面，农民们在集会中，举着牌子在联合收割机前，要求英拉政府解决延迟支付大米补贴计划的欠款，2014年2月6日 曼谷，——泰国未完成的竞选意味着英拉看守政府不能发行新债，这样，作为破产预算和有争议的补贴计划的一部分，（使得）农民欠了数十亿美元。

The embattled government came to power pledging increased incomes for rice farmers through a plan that pays up to 40 percent above market price for all the grain they can sell.

泰国被围困的政府因保证可增加大米农民收入而上台，它的办法是通过一个计划，以高于市场多达百分之40的价格付给大米农民他们所有能卖出的大米。

The rice pledging program encouraged over-production and made Thai rice uncompetitive for export, ballooning government spending by billions and creating a mountain of stored grain.

这个鼓励超量生产的保证大米价格项目，导致泰国大米不具竞争性，政府支出增加，以及堆积如山的大米存量。

A Chinese company Wednesday pulled out of a deal to buy over a million tons of stockpiled Thai rice.

一家中国公司在星期三撤销了购买上百万吨泰国大米的交易。

The collapsed³ deal struck a blow to the government's efforts to off-load an estimated 20 million tons in danger of rotting in warehouses⁴.

交易的失败让政府解决库存的大约20,000,000吨大米的努力失败。

Ammar Siamwalla of the Thailand Development Research Institute says the program also appears rife⁵ with corruption⁶.

泰国发展研究所专家阿玛尔.西亚姆瓦拉说，这个项目看来也充满腐败。

“Very shady. And, most of it is in the disposal of the rice, in the sale of the rice," he said. "And, it is not shady, it is completely dark... Because no figures are ever revealed."

西亚姆瓦拉说：“非常可疑。而且它大部分涉及大米的处置、大米的销售。它不只是可疑，它简直是完全在黑暗中，因为从来没有数字被公布。”

The rice pledging scheme in 2012 cost Thailand the title of world's biggest rice exporter, a position it had held for three decades.

Reports of cheaper rice smuggled⁷ from neighboring Burma and Cambodia and sold as "Thai rice" further tarnish⁸ the program's image.

泰国国家肃贪委员会正在调查总理英拉在大米价格政策上的角色，英拉在其中的角色有可能导致她被弹劾。

Thailand's National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) is investigating Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's role in the rice scheme that could see her impeached⁹.

泰国反政府示威者认为，大米项目是一个执政党治理政策上的失败，他们鼓励农民加入他们的行列，支持一个未经选举的改革委员会。

Several other officials, including a former commerce minister, are being investigated for corruption over the policy.

包括商业部长在内的一些政府官员因为政策的失败被调查。

The subsidy is an expansion of populist programs by her brother, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, that included cheap loans and affordable¹⁰ health care for the countryside.

补贴是英拉的哥哥前总理他信，为乡下民众提供的受欢迎项目，包括低利贷款和健保的扩大。

Those policies helped Thaksin get elected twice before he was ousted¹¹ by the military in a 2006 coup¹².

这些政策帮助塔克辛 在2006前被军事政变撤职之前被选举两次。

Ammar Siamwalla says newer policies, including tablet computers for school kids and tax rebates¹³ for first time car owners, show mixed results.

新的政策包括给学校孩童的平板电脑，以及给首次购车车主的回馈金。不过泰国发展研究所专家阿玛尔.西亚姆瓦拉说，这些政策结果好坏参半。

“The health care is probably the best policy the Thai government, any Thai government, has ever implemented¹⁴... Just as the rice pledging scheme, the current rice pledging scheme, is the worst policy any Thai government has ever implemented,” he said.

西亚姆瓦拉说：“健保可能是泰国政府，任何泰国政府实施过最好的政策，不过目前的大米保证价格项目，也是任何泰国政府实施过的最糟糕的政策。”

Thailand's anti-government protesters, supported by the opposition¹⁵, cite the rice program as a failure of the ruling party's populist rule. 

由反对党支持的反政府抗议者把稻谷计划视作是执政党的平民项目的失败。

Thousands have occupied major Bangkok intersections¹⁶ since January and are encouraging farmers to join them in calls for an un-elected reform council to take over government and clean up corruption.

自从1月份以来，成千上万的人已经占据Bangkok的主要道路枢纽，并且鼓励农民加入他们，号召一个非选举改革委员会来接任政府，清除腐败。

The protesters tried to stop the February2 national elections by blocking candidate registrations¹⁷ and voters.  Legal challenges and by-elections are expected to take months to complete.

这些抗议者试图通过阻止候选人和选民来阻止在2月进行的国家选举。合法的挑战和补选可能持续数月来完成。

The standoff over elections means rice farmers, not paid in months, have longer to wait.

这种僵持意味着好几个月没有收入的农民还将在等一段时间。

But most are still reluctant to turn on the politicians who supported them.

但大多数人任然对支持他们的政客不感兴趣。

Rice farmer Thitiya Boonkhean is owed $6,000. She now sells anti-government T-shirts to protesters to make a living.

泰国政府积欠大米农民蒂提亚.布恩基恩6千美元，她现在依赖卖T恤衫维生。

She says she is neutral in the political dispute and does not favor any side.  She wishes the two sides would hold talks and come to an understanding.  Farmers are now facing great hardships, she says, as they have not received any money from the rice pledging scheme.

卖T恤衫大米农民蒂提亚.布恩基恩说：“我是中立的，我不偏好任一方。我希望两边能够以对话取得了解。农人现在面临艰苦的日子，因为我们没有从大米保证价格项目上收到任何金钱。”

There are signs farmers are losing patience.  Some are blocking roads in protest against the withheld¹⁸ payments and on Thursday petitioned Thailand's government and the revered¹⁹ monarch²⁰ for help.

迹象显示农民正在逐渐失去耐心，他们挡住道路并向泰国政府请愿，甚至求助于泰国皇室。

But so far, their numbers are small.

不过他们的人数至今还很少。

 

Prime Minister Yingluck says, if re-elected, she will revise the rice pledging scheme but has not yet said in what way the bloated program will change.

泰国总理英拉说，如果她取得连任，她将会修改大米保证价格项目，不过她还没有说，将如何改变这个膨胀的项目。

1 subsidy   

n.补助金，津贴

参考例句：

• The university will receive a subsidy for research in artificial intelligence.那个大学将得到一笔人工智能研究的补助费。
• The living subsidy for senior expert's family is included in the remuneration.报酬已包含高级专家家人的生活补贴。

2 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

3 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。

4 warehouses   

仓库，货栈( warehouse的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The whisky was taken to bonded warehouses at Port Dundee. 威士忌酒已送到邓迪港的保稅仓库。
• Row upon row of newly built warehouses line the waterfront. 江岸新建的仓库鳞次栉比。

5 rife   

adj.(指坏事情)充斥的，流行的，普遍的

参考例句：

• Disease is rife in the area.疾病在这一区很流行。
• Corruption was rife before the election.选举之前腐败盛行。

6 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

7 smuggled   

水货

参考例句：

• The customs officer confiscated the smuggled goods. 海关官员没收了走私品。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Those smuggled goods have been detained by the port office. 那些走私货物被港务局扣押了。 来自互联网

8 tarnish   

n.晦暗，污点；vt.使失去光泽；玷污

参考例句：

• The affair could tarnish the reputation of the prime minister.这一事件可能有损首相的名誉。
• Stainless steel products won't tarnish.不锈钢产品不会失去光泽。

9 impeached   

v.控告（某人）犯罪( impeach的过去式和过去分词 )；弹劾；对（某事物）怀疑；提出异议

参考例句：

• Elected officials can be impeached. 经过选举产生的官员可以被弹劾。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The judge was impeached for taking a bribe. 这个法官被检举接受贿赂。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

10 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。

11 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。

12 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。

13 rebates   

n.退还款( rebate的名词复数 )；回扣；返还（退还的部份货价）；折扣

参考例句：

• The VAT system offers advantages, such as rebates on exports. 增值税有其优点，如对出口商品实行回扣。 来自辞典例句
• In more recent years rate rebates have been introduced for households. 近年地方税的减免已适用于家庭。 来自辞典例句

14 implemented   

v.实现( implement的过去式和过去分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• This agreement, if not implemented, is a mere scrap of paper. 这个协定如不执行只不过是一纸空文。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The economy is in danger of collapse unless far-reaching reforms are implemented. 如果不实施影响深远的改革，经济就面临崩溃的危险。 来自辞典例句

15 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

16 intersections   

n.横断( intersection的名词复数 )；交叉；交叉点；交集

参考例句：

• Traffic lights have been placed at all major intersections. 所有重要的交叉路口都安装了交通信号灯。
• Intersections are of the greatest importance in highway design. 在道路设计中，交叉口占有最重要的地位。 来自辞典例句

17 registrations   

n.登记( registration的名词复数 )；登记项目；登记（或注册、挂号）人数；（管风琴）音栓配合（法）

参考例句：

• In addition to the check-in procedures, the room clerks are customarily responsible for recording advance registrations. 除了办理住宿手续外，客房登记员按惯例还负责预约登记。 来自辞典例句
• Be the Elekta expert for products registrations in China. 成为在中国注册产品的医科达公司专家。 来自互联网

18 withheld   

withhold过去式及过去分词

参考例句：

• I withheld payment until they had fulfilled the contract. 他们履行合同后，我才付款。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• There was no school play because the principal withheld his consent. 由于校长没同意，学校里没有举行比赛。 来自《简明英汉词典》

19 revered   

v.崇敬，尊崇，敬畏( revere的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• A number of institutions revered and respected in earlier times have become Aunt Sally for the present generation. 一些早年受到尊崇的惯例，现在已经成了这代人嘲弄的对象了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Chinese revered corn as a gift from heaven. 中国人将谷物奉为上天的恩赐。 来自辞典例句

20 monarch   

n.帝王，君主，最高统治者

参考例句：

• The monarch's role is purely ceremonial.君主纯粹是个礼仪职位。
• I think myself happier now than the greatest monarch upon earth.我觉得这个时候比世界上什么帝王都快乐。