时间:2018-12-16 作者:英语课 分类:VOA标准英语2008年(五月)


英语课
By Peter Heinlein
Addis Ababa
30 May 2008


Economists 1 are rapidly lowering growth forecasts for Africa and urging donor 2 countries and lending agencies to increase assistance in light of the recent sharp increases in commodity prices. As VOA's Peter Heinlein reports from Addis Ababa, the authors of a just-released economic snapshot are warning African policymakers to be cautious as they plan for the future.


The African Economic Outlook report forecasts a nearly six percent growth in the continent's Gross Domestic Product this year, continuing through 2009. The report was prepared jointly 4 by the African Development Bank, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.


But that report was written in February. At a news conference Friday, co-author Leonce Ndikumana, the UNECA's chief of macroeconomic analysis admitted that the rapid price hikes in the past three months, combined with poor rainfall in many predominantly agricultural African regions have changed the picture considerably 5.


"We started working on forecasting Africa's economic performance…. These figures were for October, we were forecasting 6.1 percent for Africa, but then when we were finalizing 6 the figures in February, many things had happened," he said. "So the model gave us much lower figures. I would not be surprised if we did it again now we would find much lower figures."


Ndikumana says conditions have deteriorated 8 so rapidly over the past three months that an economic forecast done today might estimate Africa's growth as low as five percent over the coming year and a half. But he says even that reduced figure is healthy.


"Even if we have to revise the forecast, it would still give us a figure above five percent, which is good, by historical standards for African countries," he said. "Now if the oil prices keep going up...if food prices keep going up, for net food importers that's going to be a challenge. And if the rain if the weather is erratic 9 as it has been, we would even reduce the forecast."


Ndikumana cautions Africa's economic policymakers, especially those in non-oil producing countries, to be cautious in planning for the coming months. He also urges donor countries and lending agencies to be ready to increase levels of assistance if conditions deteriorate 7 further.


"African policy makers 3 should be concerned about some key developments, including high oil prices, high energy/food prices and the instability of the weather, especially because of the predominance of agriculture," he said. "What we advocate for is for continued prudent 10 policies at the national level, but we advocate for special assistance from the donor community, especially for oil importing countries, and net food importers."


There was fresh evidence Friday of the crippling effect of high oil prices on non-oil producing countries. Ethiopia's central bank reported the trade deficit 11 had expanded 15 percent to $1.3 billion in the quarter ending in January. That deficit is likely to widen, given the sharp price increase in recent weeks.


Western economists and diplomats 12 say the International Monetary 13 Fund is preparing to offer Ethiopia a bridge loan of more than one billion dollars to help it through a foreign exchange crunch 14. News agencies have reported that imports of oil and other commodities have pushed Ethiopia's foreign exchange reserves down to worrisome levels.




1 economists
n.经济学家,经济专家( economist的名词复数 )
  • The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
  • Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》
2 donor
n.捐献者;赠送人;(组织、器官等的)供体
  • In these cases,the recipient usually takes care of the donor afterwards.在这类情况下,接受捐献者以后通常会照顾捐赠者。
  • The Doctor transplanted the donor's heart to Mike's chest cavity.医生将捐赠者的心脏移植进麦克的胸腔。
3 makers
n.制造者,制造商(maker的复数形式)
  • The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
  • The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》
4 jointly
ad.联合地,共同地
  • Tenants are jointly and severally liable for payment of the rent. 租金由承租人共同且分别承担。
  • She owns the house jointly with her husband. 她和丈夫共同拥有这所房子。
5 considerably
adv.极大地;相当大地;在很大程度上
  • The economic situation has changed considerably.经济形势已发生了相当大的变化。
  • The gap has narrowed considerably.分歧大大缩小了。
6 finalizing
vt.完成(finalize的现在分词形式)
  • You may edit registered information any time during the finalizing period. 您可以在规定期限内随时编辑修改注册资料。 来自互联网
  • Natsun Trimming & Ironing, Finalizing the Perfection. 40南山整烫,完美在此定格。 来自互联网
7 deteriorate
v.变坏;恶化;退化
  • Do you think relations between China and Japan will continue to deteriorate?你认为中日关系会继续恶化吗?
  • He held that this would only cause the situation to deteriorate further.他认为,这只会使局势更加恶化。
8 deteriorated
恶化,变坏( deteriorate的过去式和过去分词 )
  • Her health deteriorated rapidly, and she died shortly afterwards. 她的健康状况急剧恶化,不久便去世了。
  • His condition steadily deteriorated. 他的病情恶化,日甚一日。
9 erratic
adj.古怪的,反复无常的,不稳定的
  • The old man had always been cranky and erratic.那老头儿性情古怪,反复无常。
  • The erratic fluctuation of market prices is in consequence of unstable economy.经济波动致使市场物价忽起忽落。
10 prudent
adj.谨慎的,有远见的,精打细算的
  • A prudent traveller never disparages his own country.聪明的旅行者从不贬低自己的国家。
  • You must school yourself to be modest and prudent.你要学会谦虚谨慎。
11 deficit
n.亏空,亏损;赤字,逆差
  • The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
  • We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。
12 diplomats
n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 );有手腕的人,善于交际的人
  • These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
  • The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》
13 monetary
adj.货币的,钱的;通货的;金融的;财政的
  • The monetary system of some countries used to be based on gold.过去有些国家的货币制度是金本位制的。
  • Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。
14 crunch
n.关键时刻;艰难局面;v.发出碎裂声
  • If it comes to the crunch they'll support us.关键时刻他们是会支持我们的。
  • People who crunch nuts at the movies can be very annoying.看电影时嘎吱作声地嚼干果的人会使人十分讨厌。
学英语单词
abstract factory pattern
achroocytosis
avolate
Balkan Oblast
be caught in a cleft stick
be indifferent to
beam-foil technique
cadmium screen
cannot-link
capacity constraint vector
car type conveyor
chart-based
chrematophobia
circuit representation
classification of costs by function
cmsr
composite bulkhead
conflabs
control character printout
correlatives
crewels
cross-inlet water turbine(cross turbine)
database builder
design guideline
Dongué
eighteen-minute
electronic annunciator
eurycephalic
eyecream
factorage
false goatsbeards
festgoers
front-rower
full depth pear
gay-friendly
go, man go
hanged on
hard copy file
hypophosphatasaemia
incredited
increment of hour angle
International Standard Book Number
it's Greek to me
john-paul
karl adolf eichmanns
Kālinjara
lastes
lewy
linear potential
longitudinal profile
Makamba, Prov.de
Mark Rothko
marketing value
Maňeru
mittes
moderating effect
molten-salt container
monetary economics
murcer
Nizhneilimsk
on the loaf
ordinary telegrah communication
oscillating sieve
P'angyo
paired selected ternary
paratrichius vittatus
peske
phacellate
plate-handling crane
plexus ophthalmicus
plumba
poynting polarimeter
precast concrete block flue
pressed stem
quadripartites
radiation luminescence
real-time scanner
rhamphoid
right-eyed flounder
Rockland Res.
run untrue
sand disc
Schraplau
sector-focused cyclotron
selenetaen
shore pit viper
shortall
simians
slope grader
Stapelfeld
steer committee
step servomotor
stereo-regularity
striving for superiority
supporting plate
swivel wheel head
tab welder
ultrasonocardiotomogram
unboundable
Viola acutifolia
where one is coming from
Zboriv