【英语语言学习】谈腐败
时间:2019-02-16 作者:英语课 分类:英语语言学习
英语课
When we talk about corruption 1, there are typical types of individuals that spring to mind.
There's the former Soviet 2 megalomaniacs. Saparmurat Niyazov, he was one of them. Until his death in 2006, he was the all-powerful leader of Turkmenistan, a Central Asian country rich in natural gas. Now, he really loved to issue presidential decrees. And one renamed the months of the year including after himself and his mother. He spent millions of dollars creating a bizarre personality cult 4, and his crowning glory was the building of a 40-foot-high gold-plated statue of himself which stood proudly in the capital's central square and rotated to follow the sun. He was a slightly unusual guy.
And then there's that cliché, the African dictator or minister or official. There's Teodorín Obiang. So his daddy is president for life of Equatorial Guinea, a West African nation that has exported billions of dollars of oil since the 1990s and yet has a truly appalling 5 human rights record. The vast majority of its people are living in really miserable 6 poverty despite an income per capita that's on a par 3 with that of Portugal. So Obiang junior, well, he buys himself a $30 million mansion 7 in Malibu, California. I've been up to its front gates. I can tell you it's a magnificent spread. He bought an €18 million art collection that used to belong to fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent, a stack of fabulous 8 sports cars, some costing a million dollars apiece -- oh, and a Gulfstream jet, too. Now get this: Until recently, he was earning an official monthly salary of less than 7,000 dollars.
And there's Dan Etete. Well, he was the former oil minister of Nigeria under President Abacha, and it just so happens he's a convicted money launderer 9 too. We've spent a great deal of time investigating a $1 billion -- that's right, a $1 billion — oil deal that he was involved with, and what we found was pretty shocking, but more about that later.
So it's easy to think that corruption happens somewhere over there, carried out by a bunch of greedy despots and individuals up to no good in countries that we, personally, may know very little about and feel really unconnected to and unaffected by what might be going on. But does it just happen over there?
Well, at 22, I was very lucky. My first job out of university was investigating the illegal trade in African ivory. And that's how my relationship with corruption really began. In 1993, with two friends who were colleagues, Simon Taylor and Patrick Alley 10, we set up an organization called Global Witness. Our first campaign was investigating the role of illegal logging in funding the war in Cambodia.
So a few years later, and it's now 1997, and I'm in Angola undercover investigating blood diamonds. Perhaps you saw the film, the Hollywood film "Blood Diamond," the one with Leonardo DiCaprio. Well, some of that sprang from our work. Luanda, it was full of land mine victims who were struggling to survive on the streets and war orphans 11 living in sewers 12 under the streets, and a tiny, very wealthy elite 13 who gossiped about shopping trips to Brazil and Portugal. And it was a slightly crazy place.
So I'm sitting in a hot and very stuffy 14 hotel room feeling just totally overwhelmed. But it wasn't about blood diamonds. Because I'd been speaking to lots of people there who, well, they talked about a different problem: that of a massive web of corruption on a global scale and millions of oil dollars going missing. And for what was then a very small organization of just a few people, trying to even begin to think how we might tackle that was an enormous challenge. And in the years that I've been, and we've all been campaigning and investigating, I've repeatedly seen that what makes corruption on a global, massive scale possible, well it isn't just greed or the misuse 15 of power or that nebulous phrase "weak governance." I mean, yes, it's all of those, but corruption, it's made possible by the actions of global facilitators.
So let's go back to some of those people I talked about earlier. Now, they're all people we've investigated, and they're all people who couldn't do what they do alone. Take Obiang junior. Well, he didn't end up with high-end art and luxury houses without help. He did business with global banks. A bank in Paris held accounts of companies controlled by him, one of which was used to buy the art, and American banks, well, they funneled 16 73 million dollars into the States, some of which was used to buy that California mansion. And he didn't do all of this in his own name either. He used shell companies. He used one to buy the property, and another, which was in somebody else's name, to pay the huge bills it cost to run the place.
And then there's Dan Etete. Well, when he was oil minister, he awarded an oil block now worth over a billion dollars to a company that, guess what, yeah, he was the hidden owner of. Now, it was then much later traded on with the kind assistance of the Nigerian government -- now I have to be careful what I say here — to subsidiaries of Shell and the Italian Eni, two of the biggest oil companies around.
So the reality is, is that the engine of corruption, well, it exists far beyond the shores of countries like Equatorial Guinea or Nigeria or Turkmenistan. This engine, well, it's driven by our international banking 17 system, by the problem of anonymous 18 shell companies, and by the secrecy 19 that we have afforded big oil, gas and mining operations, and, most of all, by the failure of our politicians to back up their rhetoric 20 and do something really meaningful and systemic to tackle this stuff.
Now let's take the banks first. Well, it's not going to come as any surprise for me to tell you that banks accept dirty money, but they prioritize their profits in other destructive ways too. For example, in Sarawak, Malaysia. Now this region, it has just five percent of its forests left intact. Five percent. So how did that happen? Well, because an elite and its facilitators have been making millions of dollars from supporting logging on an industrial scale for many years. So we sent an undercover investigator 21 in to secretly film meetings with members of the ruling elite, and the resulting footage, well, it made some people very angry, and you can see that on YouTube, but it proved what we had long suspected, because it showed how the state's chief minister, despite his later denials, used his control over land and forest licenses 22 to enrich himself and his family. And HSBC, well, we know that HSBC bankrolled the region's largest logging companies that were responsible for some of that destruction in Sarawak and elsewhere. The bank violated its own sustainability policies in the process, but it earned around 130 million dollars. Now shortly after our exposé, very shortly after our exposé earlier this year, the bank announced a policy review on this. And is this progress? Maybe, but we're going to be keeping a very close eye on that case.
And then there's the problem of anonymous shell companies. Well, we've all heard about what they are, I think, and we all know they're used quite a bit by people and companies who are trying to avoid paying their proper dues to society, also known as taxes. But what doesn't usually come to light is how shell companies are used to steal huge sums of money, transformational sums of money, from poor countries. In virtually every case of corruption that we've investigated, shell companies have appeared, and sometimes it's been impossible to find out who is really involved in the deal.
A recent study by the World Bank looked at 200 cases of corruption. It found that over 70 percent of those cases had used anonymous shell companies, totaling almost 56 billion dollars. Now many of these companies were in America or the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and Crown dependencies, and so it's not just an offshore 23 problem, it's an on-shore one too. You see, shell companies, they're central to the secret deals which may benefit wealthy elites 24 rather than ordinary citizens.
One striking recent case that we've investigated is how the government in the Democratic Republic of Congo sold off a series of valuable, state-owned mining assets to shell companies in the British Virgin 25 Islands. So we spoke 26 to sources in country, trawled through company documents and other information trying to piece together a really true picture of the deal. And we were alarmed to find that these shell companies had quickly flipped 27 many of the assets on for huge profits to major international mining companies listed in London. Now, the Africa Progress Panel, led by Kofi Annan, they've calculated that Congo may have lost more than 1.3 billion dollars from these deals. That's almost twice the country's annual health and education budget combined. And will the people of Congo, will they ever get their money back? Well, the answer to that question, and who was really involved and what really happened, well that's going to probably remain locked away in the secretive company registries of the British Virgin Islands and elsewhere unless we all do something about it.
And how about the oil, gas and mining companies? Okay, maybe it's a bit of a cliché to talk about them. Corruption in that sector 28, no surprise. There's corruption everywhere, so why focus on that sector? Well, because there's a lot at stake. In 2011, natural resource exports outweighed 29 aid flows by almost 19 to one in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Nineteen to one. Now that's a hell of a lot of schools and universities and hospitals and business startups, many of which haven't materialized and never will because some of that money has simply been stolen away.
Now let's go back to the oil and mining companies, and let's go back to Dan Etete and that $1 billion deal. And now forgive me, I'm going to read the next bit because it's a very live issue, and our lawyers have been through this in some detail and they want me to get it right.
Now, on the surface, the deal appeared straightforward 30. Subsidiaries of Shell and Eni paid the Nigerian government for the block. The Nigerian government transferred precisely 31 the same amount, to the very dollar, to an account earmarked for a shell company whose hidden owner was Etete. Now, that's not bad going for a convicted money launderer. And here's the thing. After many months of digging around and reading through hundreds of pages of court documents, we found evidence that, in fact, Shell and Eni had known that the funds would be transferred to that shell company, and frankly 32, it's hard to believe they didn't know who they were really dealing 33 with there.
Now, it just shouldn't take these sorts of efforts to find out where the money in deals like this went. I mean, these are state assets. They're supposed to be used for the benefit of the people in the country. But in some countries, citizens and journalists who are trying to expose stories like this have been harassed 34 and arrested and some have even risked their lives to do so.
And finally, well, there are those who believe that corruption is unavoidable. It's just how some business is done. It's too complex and difficult to change. So in effect, what? We just accept it. But as a campaigner and investigator, I have a different view, because I've seen what can happen when an idea gains momentum 35. In the oil and mining sector, for example, there is now the beginning of a truly worldwide transparency standard that could tackle some of these problems. In 1999, when Global Witness called for oil companies to make payments on deals transparent 36, well, some people laughed at the extreme naiveté of that small idea. But literally 37 hundreds of civil society groups from around the world came together to fight for transparency, and now it's fast becoming the norm and the law. Two thirds of the value of the world's oil and mining companies are now covered by transparency laws. Two thirds.
So this is change happening. This is progress. But we're not there yet, by far. Because it really isn't about corruption somewhere over there, is it? In a globalized world, corruption is a truly globalized business, and one that needs global solutions, supported and pushed by us all, as global citizens, right here.
n.腐败,堕落,贪污
- 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。
adj.苏联的,苏维埃的;n.苏维埃
- Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
- Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。
n.标准,票面价值,平均数量;adj.票面的,平常的,标准的
- Sales of nylon have been below par in recent years.近年来尼龙织品的销售额一直不及以往。
- I don't think his ability is on a par with yours.我认为他的能力不能与你的能力相媲美。
n.异教,邪教;时尚,狂热的崇拜
- Her books aren't bestsellers,but they have a certain cult following.她的书算不上畅销书,但有一定的崇拜者。
- The cult of sun worship is probably the most primitive one.太阳崇拜仪式或许是最为原始的一种。
adj.骇人听闻的,令人震惊的,可怕的
- The search was hampered by appalling weather conditions.恶劣的天气妨碍了搜寻工作。
- Nothing can extenuate such appalling behaviour.这种骇人听闻的行径罪无可恕。
adj.悲惨的,痛苦的;可怜的,糟糕的
- It was miserable of you to make fun of him.你取笑他,这是可耻的。
- Her past life was miserable.她过去的生活很苦。
n.大厦,大楼;宅第
- The old mansion was built in 1850.这座古宅建于1850年。
- The mansion has extensive grounds.这大厦四周的庭园广阔。
adj.极好的;极为巨大的;寓言中的,传说中的
- We had a fabulous time at the party.我们在晚会上玩得很痛快。
- This is a fabulous sum of money.这是一笔巨款。
n.小巷,胡同;小径,小路
- We live in the same alley.我们住在同一条小巷里。
- The blind alley ended in a brick wall.这条死胡同的尽头是砖墙。
孤儿( orphan的名词复数 )
- The poor orphans were kept on short commons. 贫苦的孤儿们吃不饱饭。
- Their uncle was declared guardian to the orphans. 这些孤儿的叔父成为他们的监护人。
n.阴沟,污水管,下水道( sewer的名词复数 )
- The sewers discharge out at sea. 下水道的污水排入海里。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
- Another municipal waste problem is street runoff into storm sewers. 有关都市废水的另外一个问题是进入雨水沟的街道雨水。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
n.精英阶层;实力集团;adj.杰出的,卓越的
- The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
- We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。
adj.不透气的,闷热的
- It's really hot and stuffy in here.这里实在太热太闷了。
- It was so stuffy in the tent that we could sense the air was heavy with moisture.帐篷里很闷热,我们感到空气都是潮的。
n.误用,滥用;vt.误用,滥用
- It disturbs me profoundly that you so misuse your talents.你如此滥用自己的才能,使我深感不安。
- He was sacked for computer misuse.他因滥用计算机而被解雇了。
漏斗状的
- The crowd funneled through the hall. 群众从走廊中鱼贯而过。
- The large crowd funneled out of the gates after the football match. 足球赛后大群人从各个门中涌出。
n.银行业,银行学,金融业
- John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
- He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。
adj.无名的;匿名的;无特色的
- Sending anonymous letters is a cowardly act.寄匿名信是懦夫的行为。
- The author wishes to remain anonymous.作者希望姓名不公开。
n.秘密,保密,隐蔽
- All the researchers on the project are sworn to secrecy.该项目的所有研究人员都按要求起誓保守秘密。
- Complete secrecy surrounded the meeting.会议在绝对机密的环境中进行。
n.修辞学,浮夸之言语
- Do you know something about rhetoric?你懂点修辞学吗?
- Behind all the rhetoric,his relations with the army are dangerously poised.在冠冕堂皇的言辞背后,他和军队的关系岌岌可危。
n.研究者,调查者,审查者
- He was a special investigator for the FBI.他是联邦调查局的特别调查员。
- The investigator was able to deduce the crime and find the criminal.调查者能够推出犯罪过程并锁定罪犯。
n.执照( license的名词复数 )v.批准,许可,颁发执照( license的第三人称单数 )
- Drivers have ten days' grace to renew their licenses. 驾驶员更换执照有10天的宽限期。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
- Jewish firms couldn't get import or export licenses or raw materials. 犹太人的企业得不到进出口许可证或原料。 来自辞典例句
adj.海面的,吹向海面的;adv.向海面
- A big program of oil exploration has begun offshore.一个大规模的石油勘探计划正在近海展开。
- A gentle current carried them slowly offshore.和缓的潮流慢慢地把他们带离了海岸。
精华( elite的名词复数 ); 精锐; 上层集团; (统称)掌权人物
- The elites are by their nature a factor contributing to underdevelopment. 这些上层人物天生是助长欠发达的因素。
- Elites always detest gifted and nimble outsiders. 社会名流对天赋聪明、多才多艺的局外人一向嫌恶。
n.处女,未婚女子;adj.未经使用的;未经开发的
- Have you ever been to a virgin forest?你去过原始森林吗?
- There are vast expanses of virgin land in the remote regions.在边远地区有大片大片未开垦的土地。
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说
- They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
- The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
轻弹( flip的过去式和过去分词 ); 按(开关); 快速翻转; 急挥
- The plane flipped and crashed. 飞机猛地翻转,撞毁了。
- The carter flipped at the horse with his whip. 赶大车的人扬鞭朝着马轻轻地抽打。
n.部门,部分;防御地段,防区;扇形
- 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。
v.在重量上超过( outweigh的过去式和过去分词 );在重要性或价值方面超过
- This boxer outweighed by his opponent 20 pounds. 这个拳击选手体重比他的对手重20磅。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- She outweighed me by ten pounds, and sometimes she knocked me down. 她的体重超过我十磅,有时竟把我撞倒。 来自百科语句
adj.正直的,坦率的;易懂的,简单的
- A straightforward talk is better than a flowery speech.巧言不如直说。
- I must insist on your giving me a straightforward answer.我一定要你给我一个直截了当的回答。
adv.恰好,正好,精确地,细致地
- It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
- The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。
adv.坦白地,直率地;坦率地说
- To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说,我一点也不赞成这个主意。
- Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说,我不反对改革。
n.经商方法,待人态度
- 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。
n.动力,冲力,势头;动量
- 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。
adj.明显的,无疑的;透明的
- The water is so transparent that we can see the fishes swimming.水清澈透明,可以看到鱼儿游来游去。
- The window glass is transparent.窗玻璃是透明的。