VOA常速英语2015--世界银行行长表示消除极端贫穷指日可待

World Bank President Says Ending Extreme Poverty Within Reach 世界银行行长表示消除极端贫穷指日可待

The head of the World Bank says slowing economic growth around the world is hurting the institution’s goal of ending extreme poverty by the year 2030. While the challenges may be great, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim said the goal remains 1 within reach - but only if world leaders and emerging financial and development institutions do their part.  

What is extreme poverty? According to the United Nations it’s a condition characterized by a lack of basic human needs, like clean drinking water, food, sanitation 2 and education.

什么是极端贫困?依照联合国的观点，它是缺乏最为基本的人类需要,比如洁净的饮用水、食品、卫生和教育等。

The good news, says World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, is that the world has made some progress.

而世界银行行长金墉表示好消息是世界已经取得了一些进展。

“Over 25 years, we’ve gone from nearly two billion people living in extreme poverty to fewer than one billion," said Kim.

“25年来,我们已经将在极度贫困下生活的近20亿人缩减至不到10亿人。”

Despite inroads, nearly a billion people still live on less than a $1.25 per day.

尽管已经取得进展,近10亿人每天的生活费用仍不到1.25美元。

Further complicating 3 the goal of eradicating 4 poverty is the economic slowdown in developed and emerging economies.

而对于消除贫困目标更难的难题是发达国家和新兴经济体的经济增长缓慢。

One solution is to partner with new financial institutions such as the Asian Infrastructure 5 and Investment Bank - led by China - and the New Development Bank founded by the so-called BRICS countries: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

一种解决方案是与新型金融机构合作，像是中国牵头的亚洲基础设施及投资集团，还有由金砖国家:巴西、俄罗斯、印度、中国和南非资助的新型发展银行。

“We at the World Bank Group see these development banks as potentially very strong allies in tackling the enormous challenge of bringing much needed infrastructure to the developing world," said Kim.

“我们世界银行集团将这些发展银行视为潜在的强大盟友，因为它们能够解决向发展中国家提供急需基础设施这样巨大的难题。”

Such banking 6 coalitions 7 could help address the infrastructure spending gap that the World Bank alone can't fill.  Amy Studdart is deputy director in Political Economy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

这样的银行联盟能够帮助解决单靠世界银行不能填补的基础设施支出差距。华盛顿战略与国际研究中心政经副主任艾米·斯图达尔特说道。

“There’s a huge infrastructure gap in Asia.  The World Bank itself estimates that it was $2.5 trillion worth of investment that needs to happen in South Asia and South East Asia alone," said Studdart.

“亚洲有个巨大的基础设施缺口。世界银行估计在南亚和东南亚需要有2.5万亿的投资。”

Despite the perceived need for such lending groups, some - including the United States - fear such institutions could further diminish Western influence in Asia.

尽管已经意识到需要此类的贷款集团,但包括美国在内的国家担心这样的机构可能会进一步削弱西方在亚洲的影响力。

But Jim Yong Kim says influence is not the issue.

但金墉表示影响力不是问题。

“The fundamental issue for us is, your enemy cannot be other institutions.  Your enemy has to be poverty," he said.

“对我们来说最根本的问题是你的敌人不是其他机构。你的敌人是贫困。”

The World Bank is expected to address those issues when world leaders come together at the United Nations later this year to establish global priorities.  Among them - ending poverty.

今年晚些时候世界各国领导人一起在联合国讨论全球热点问题时世界银行预计会着手解决。其中一项就是消除贫困。