巴西经济

 　　Rob: Hello I’m Rob. Welcome to 6 Minute English. My Brazilian colleague, Grace, is with me today. Hello, Grace.

　　Grace: Hi Rob!
　　Rob: Today we're talking about the Brazilian economy, and we'll have some language related to money and investments. Grace, you know what? I want to be rich!
　　Grace: Oh, so do I, Rob. So do I.
　　Rob: But, should I invest my money in Brazil?
　　Grace: That's a difficult question, Rob. Let me give you an easier question first, and then we can listen to an expert who knows all about it.
　　Rob: OK - well ask me the easy question then.
　　Grace: What's the name of the Brazilian currency? Is it…
　　a) the Brazilian peso
　　b) the real
　　c) the guarani
　　Rob: Mmmm… b) the real.
　　Grace: I'll give you the answer at the end of the programme. And I can even show you some Brazilian notes and coins.
　　Rob: OK, that's exciting. You are going to show me Brazilian notes - pieces of paper money, and some coins. Good. I love coins. And I know some people actually collect them.
　　Grace: But now let's talk about the Brazilian economy. You're going to hear BBC business reporter Robert Plummer. Overall, does he think the Brazilian economy is strong?
　　Robert Plummer, BBC business reporter:
　　The Brazilian economy is at a crossroads. It's now been two decades since the anti-inflation plan, which changed the currency in Brazil. But the government arguably has not really built on that legacy 1: there are structural 2 reforms, the tax system needs changing; a lot needs to be done to put the Brazilian economy on a sustainable footing.
　　Grace: He's says it's at a crossroads - in a place where it could do well, but a lot needs to change first - it could go either way.
　　Rob: Yes, 20 years ago there was an anti-inflation plan, a plan to stop inflation, which is the continuous increase in prices of goods and services. It makes life very hard!
　　Grace: It was a very good plan, you know. Before that, you would go to a shop to buy food and each month the same amount of goods cost more and more. The salary? Well, the salary remained the same. It was a real nightmare!
　　Rob: I can imagine. But he said, after that, the government hasn't built on the plan's success. To 'build on' success is to use success to do more things and get more success, to achieve more.
　　Grace: Rob, earlier you asked about investing in Brazil. Let's hear what the BBC expert has to say about it. Which thing might attract investors 3?
　　Robert Plummer, BBC business reporter:
　　The Brazilian economy is as globalised as anywhere else. It's offering investment opportunities for foreign investors. It has some of the highest real interest rates in the world so there's a chance of a quick profit. But it's also a risky 4 place. People pay a premium 5 to get a better profit. If, on the other hand, other investment opportunities arise elsewhere, this is 'hot money'; it can flow out again as easily as it flowed in.
　　Rob: So the chance of a quick profit! It's the money you earn after you pay costs. Well, sounds good to me!
　　Grace: Yes, he says that's because it has very high interest rates - which here means the percentage your money grows when it's invested.
　　Rob: But this extra money is not guaranteed. The analyst 6 also talks about risk. He says the Brazilian market is a risky place.
　　Grace: Yes… risky… it means that there is a possibility of something bad happening, like, for example, Rob, losing all your money.
　　Rob: Oh dear! So I should think carefully, but… I think I'm in luck today. I think I got the right answer to the question you put to me at the beginning of the programme.
　　Grace: The name of the Brazilian currency?
　　Rob: Yes, that's it.
　　Grace: Well, the choices were: the Brazilian peso, the real or the guarani. And you said?
　　Rob: I said 'real'.
　　Grace: Well, you're in luck, Rob. I don't know if you're going to be rich but you know already the name of the currency. The Brazilian peso does not exist and the guarani is Paraguay's currency. The Brazilian currency had several names in the 20th Century: from 'contos de reis' to 'cruzeiros' and then 'cruzados'. After that anti-inflation plan in the mid-90s, the name changed to 'real' - one 'real', ten 'reais' - this is for the plural 7. Here are some of the notes, Rob. Have a look.
　　Rob: OK. They are all different colours. We have two 'reais'… with a picture of a turtle. Ten 'reais' with it, a very nice picture of a parrot on the back… 6 Minute English ?British Broadcasting Corporation 2014 Page 3 of 4 bbclearningenglish.com
　　Grace: Yes. And when I look at this parrot, Rob, to be honest, I imagine it saying to me: "don't spend it, don't spend it", so I can save and, maybe, make a nice pot of money.
　　Rob: And how much would I need to buy a 'cafezinho' - a small cup of Brazilian-style coffee?
　　Grace: Well, one cafezinho in Sao Paulo, for example, can cost from 2.50 to 3.50 reais - three reais and fifty 'centavos'. Or even more, if you go somewhere a bit fancy. And if you go to a supermarket, you might be able to buy a bottle of one litre of coconut 8 water for around 12 reais.
　　Rob: Good, good. I'll hang on to these notes, thank you.
　　Grace: Well, our time is up but before we go, could you remind us of some of the words we heard today, Rob?
　　Rob: Of course. We heard:
　　notes
　　at a crossroads
　　anti-inflation
　　to build on
　　interest rates
　　profit
　　risky
　　Grace: Now it's time to say goodbye and go for a cafezinho, Rob.
　　Rob: Of course it is, but please join us again soon for 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. Ate logo (see you later).
　　Grace: Bye.




点击收听单词发音  






1
legacy

  
 


n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西


参考例句：





They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。












2
structural

  
 


adj.构造的，组织的，建筑（用）的


参考例句：





The storm caused no structural damage.风暴没有造成建筑结构方面的破坏。
The North American continent is made up of three great structural entities.北美大陆是由三个构造单元组成的。












3
investors

  
 


n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )


参考例句：





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












4
risky

  
 


adj.有风险的，冒险的


参考例句：





It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险，但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。












5
premium

  
 


n.加付款；赠品；adj.高级的；售价高的


参考例句：





You have to pay a premium for express delivery.寄快递你得付额外费用。
Fresh water was at a premium after the reservoir was contaminated.在水库被污染之后，清水便因稀而贵了。












6
analyst

  
 


n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家


参考例句：





What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。












7
plural

  
 


n.复数；复数形式；adj.复数的


参考例句：





Most plural nouns in English end in's '.英语的复数名词多以s结尾。
Here you should use plural pronoun.这里你应该用复数代词。












8
coconut

  
 


n.椰子


参考例句：





The husk of this coconut is particularly strong.椰子的外壳很明显非常坚固。
The falling coconut gave him a terrific bang on the head.那只掉下的椰子砰地击中他的脑袋。