2007年VOA标准英语-West, Central African Countries Low on Good Gov
时间：2019-01-10 作者：英语课 分类：2007年VOA标准英语（九月）
Dakar
26 September 2007
Two reports released by governance watchdogs name West and Central African countries as some of the most corrupt 1 and poorly governed in the world. Kari Barber reports from VOA's West and Central Africa bureau in Dakar that some people in low-ranking countries complain the indexes make it harder for impoverished 2 countries to entice 3 investment.
Transparency International has released its annual report ranking countries, from best to worst, on how business people and analysts 4 perceive the extent of government corruption 5.
A program coordinator 6 with the Berlin-based group, Job Ogonda, says weakness in governing bodies and a lack of political will to fight graft 7 are factors that often lead to perceptions of pervasive 8 corruption.
He says when it comes to changing these perceptions, Africa has a long way to go.
"We have seen the improvement in countries such as Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa and Swaziland. On the flip 9 side we have seen disastrous 10 performance over most of the rest of Africa," he noted 11.
Of 180 countries on the list, the only one in the region to rank in the top 50 was Cape 12 Verde, with many grouped near the bottom. Chad came in at 172 and Guinea at 168.
The Ibrahim Index of African Governance, a new listing released Tuesday, ranked nations on criteria 13 that include security, human rights, economic stability, free elections, corruption and infrastructure 14.
In the ranking, the West and Central African countries of Democratic Republic of Congo, Chad, and Guinea-Bissau occupied three of the bottom five spots.
Guinea-Bissau activist 15 and chamber 16 of commerce head for the capital Bissau, Macaria Barai, says she worries the reports will discourage investment and further hurt the country.
"We can develop the tourism sector," she said. "We have organic products that can be transformed. We have rich culture. It is not just bad."
Barai says in Guinea-Bissau, like many poor countries, correcting institutional problems often becomes low priority while the government focuses on paying back salaries and dealing 17 with the day-to-day survival of the people.
"Guinea-Bissau is conscious that we are moving down into the gutters 18 of poverty," she added. "We want to change this scenario 19. We want to go up again like other countries."
Publishers of the reports say they hope to push low-ranking countries to look at what is going wrong and how they can make changes.
- The newspaper alleged the mayor's corrupt practices.那家报纸断言市长有舞弊行为。
- This judge is corrupt.这个法官贪污。
- the impoverished areas of the city 这个城市的贫民区
- They were impoverished by a prolonged spell of unemployment. 他们因长期失业而一贫如洗。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- Nothing will entice the children from television.没有任何东西能把孩子们从电视机前诱开。
- I don't see why the English should want to entice us away from our native land.我不明白，为什英国人要引诱我们离开自己的国土。
- 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。
- 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。
- The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, coordinates all UN emergency relief. 联合国人道主义事务协调厅在紧急救济协调员领导下，负责协调联合国的所有紧急救济工作。
- How am I supposed to find the client-relations coordinator? 我怎么才能找到客户关系协调员的办公室？
- I am having a skin graft on my arm soon.我马上就要接受手臂的皮肤移植手术。
- The minister became rich through graft.这位部长透过贪污受贿致富。
- It is the most pervasive compound on earth.它是地球上最普遍的化合物。
- The adverse health effects of car exhaust are pervasive and difficult to measure.汽车尾气对人类健康所构成的有害影响是普遍的，并且难以估算。
- I had a quick flip through the book and it looked very interesting.我很快翻阅了一下那本书，看来似乎很有趣。
- Let's flip a coin to see who pays the bill.咱们来抛硬币决定谁付钱。
- The heavy rainstorm caused a disastrous flood.暴雨成灾。
- Her investment had disastrous consequences.She lost everything she owned.她的投资结果很惨，血本无归。
- 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。
- I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
- She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。
- The main criterion is value for money.主要的标准是钱要用得划算。
- There are strict criteria for inclusion in the competition.参赛的标准很严格。
- 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。
- He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
- He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。
- For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
- The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。
- This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
- His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。
- Gutters lead the water into the ditch. 排水沟把水排到这条水沟里。
- They were born, they grew up in the gutters. 他们生了下来，以后就在街头长大。