2007年VOA标准英语-Iraq's Northern Kurdish Area Offers Business Op
时间:2019-01-25 作者:英语课 分类:2007年VOA标准英语(四月)
By Bill Rodgers
Washington
12 April 2007
Watch Iraq Prospects 1
Few foreign companies, aside from those dealing 2 directly with the military, are contemplating 3 business in Iraq until the security situation improves. Yet despite the violence, U.S. officials say opportunities do exist, primarily in the semi-autonomous northern Kurdish region where the economy is expanding rapidly. As VOA's Bill Rodgers reports, U.S. officials are touting 4 the northern Kurdistan area as a gateway 5 for eventually doing business in the rest of the country.
Construction in Iraq's northern Kurdish region
Construction is one sign of the economic boom in Iraq's northern Kurdish region, where cranes tower over mosques 6 in the region's capital city of Irbil.
Construction and other business activities are helping 7 the economy there expand by an estimated 10 percent a year, according to Commerce Department Undersecretary Frank Lavin.
At a recent Washington seminar, Lavin urged American companies to consider operating from Iraq's northern Kurdistan area - a strategy he called the Northern Gateway Initiative.
"If you're a U.S. company and you are thinking about an Iraq strategy," said Lavin, "think about the Kurdistan region as a possible gateway for Iraq, because the security situation is in hand there. You do have broad latitude 8 for business decision-making. It is easier to expand, build and hire and so forth 9, and it can be a reasonable platform for serving the rest of Iraq."
Frank Lavin
While no American manufacturers have established themselves in the Kurdish region, American products are available in markets, trucked in from Turkey. Lavin believes the region is ripe for foreign investment.
"What they need right away is oil refinery 10 and power generation," noted 11 Lavin. "But there's an enormous reconstruction 12 and retail 13 boom underway. Almost anything you could sell in Turkey or Kuwait, you could sell in the Kurdistan region."
Iraq's huge petroleum 14 reserves accounted for much of the country's nearly $30 billion in export earnings 15 last year, and oil will be the main attraction for potential foreign investors 16. The petrochemical sector 17 especially offers promising 18 business opportunities, but only if the violence that rocks parts of the country comes to an end.
Lavin acknowledges that foreign investment will remain non-existent until Iraqis stop the violence. "I think they've got to come to terms with it. I think they've got to get their arms around it because businesses will go elsewhere," he said. "Businesses need a secure operating environment, and if they don't have confidence that is the direction Iraq is headed, they're going to put their efforts elsewhere."
In the meantime, Lavin and other U.S. officials are urging the Iraqi government to enact 19 an investment law to prepare for the day when American and other foreign companies may want to do business in Iraq.
- There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
- They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。
- 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。
- You're too young to be contemplating retirement. 你考虑退休还太年轻。
- She stood contemplating the painting. 她站在那儿凝视那幅图画。
- He's been touting his novel around publishers for years. 他几年来一直到处找出版商兜售自己的小说。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- Technology industry leaders are touting cars as a hot area for growth. 科技产业领袖吹捧为增长热点地区的汽车。 来自互联网
- Hard work is the gateway to success.努力工作是通往成功之路。
- A man collected tolls at the gateway.一个人在大门口收通行费。
- Why make us believe that this tunnel runs underneath the mosques? 为什么要让我们相信这条隧洞是在清真寺下?
- The city's three biggest mosques, long fallen into disrepair, have been renovated. 城里最大的三座清真寺,过去年久失修,现在已经修复。
- The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
- By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。
- The latitude of the island is 20 degrees south.该岛的纬度是南纬20度。
- The two cities are at approximately the same latitude.这两个城市差不多位于同一纬度上。
- The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
- He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。
- They built a sugar refinery.他们建起了一座榨糖厂。
- The purpose of oil refinery is to refine crude petroleum.炼油厂的主要工作是提炼原油。
- 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。
- The country faces a huge task of national reconstruction following the war.战后,该国面临着重建家园的艰巨任务。
- In the period of reconstruction,technique decides everything.在重建时期,技术决定一切。
- In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
- These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。
- The Government of Iran advanced the price of petroleum last week.上星期伊朗政府提高了石油价格。
- The purpose of oil refinery is to refine crude petroleum.炼油厂的主要工作是提炼原油。
- That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
- Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。
- a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
- a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会
- The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
- The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。
- The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
- We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。