DEVELOPMENT REPORT - Efforts to Fight Poverty

DEVELOPMENT REPORT - Efforts to Fight Poverty
By Jill Moss¹

Broadcast: Monday, October 04, 2004

This is Gwen Outen with the VOA Special English Development Report.

The World Bank estimates² that more than one thousand million people live on less than one dollar a day. These are the poorest of the poor, about one-sixth of the world population.

Martin Ravallion works³ for the Development Research Group at the World Bank. He says about fifty percent of the people in several African nations are among the world's poorest. These nations include Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Tanzania and Zambia.

But even though these areas remain extremely poor, Mister⁴ Ravallion says world poverty has been cut in half over the last twenty years. He says the number of poor people dropped by almost four hundred million between nineteen eighty-one and two thousand one.

To reduce poverty, the World Bank says developing nations should expand the possibilities for business and investment⁵. The bank's newest World Development Report notes that private industry creates more than ninety percent of jobs in developing countries.

The report for two thousand five is based on questions asked of more than thirty thousand businesses in fifty-three developing countries. World Bank researchers found that companies are most concerned about how governments decide to enforce⁶ laws. About ninety percent of those in Guatemala reported policy conflicts with their government. This was true of more than seventy percent of businesses in Belarus and Zambia.

Many companies also express concerns about problems like dishonesty and undependable electricity supplies.

Last week, about fifty heads of state discussed ways to reduce poverty during a one-day conference in New York. The leaders and top officials met before the opening of the United Nations General Assembly⁷ meeting.

 
Jacques Chirac
French President Jacques Chirac and Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva called for a world tax to help finance⁸ an anti-poverty campaign. Diplomats⁹ say international finances¹⁰, airplane tickets and sales of heavy weapons are just some of the things that could be taxed.

Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman and another official represented the United States at the conference. She said taxes on world trade would be undemocratic and impossible to put in place.

The U.N. has a goal to reduce by half the remaining number of poor people in the world by two thousand fifteen.

This VOA Special English Development Report was written by Jill Moss. This is Gwen Outen.

1 moss   

n.苔，藓，地衣

参考例句：

• Moss grows on a rock.苔藓生在石头上。
• He was found asleep on a pillow of leaves and moss.有人看见他枕着树叶和苔藓睡着了。

2 estimates   

估计

参考例句：

• Unofficial estimates put the figure at over two million. 非官方的估计数字为200万以上。
• We got estimates from three different contractors before accepting the lowest. 我们得到3个承包商的报价后，接受了最低的报价。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 works   

n.作品，著作；工厂，活动部件，机件

参考例句：

• We expect writers to produce more and better works.我们期望作家们写出更多更好的作品。
• The novel is regarded as one of the classic works.这篇小说被公认为是最优秀的作品之一。

4 mister   

n.(略作Mr.全称很少用于书面)先生

参考例句：

• Mister Smith is my good friend.史密斯先生是我的好朋友。
• He styled himself " Mister Clean ".他自称是“清廉先生”。

5 investment   

n.投资，投资额；(时间、精力等的)投入

参考例句：

• It took two years before I recouped my investment.我用了两年时间才收回投资。
• The success of the project pivots on investment from abroad.这个工程的成功主要依靠外来投资。

6 enforce   

vt.实施，执行；强制，强迫；加强，坚持

参考例句：

• You have no right to enforce your own views on me.你无权把你自己的观点强加给我。
• They tried to enforce agreement with their plans.他们企图迫使人们同意他们的计划。

7 assembly   

n.集会(不可数)；会议(可数)，装配(不可数)

参考例句：

• He took his seat in an unobserved corner of the assembly room.他在会议室一个不为人注意的犄角坐下来。
• It was very quiet in the assembly hall.会场里静悄悄的。

8 finance   

n.财务管理，财政，金融，财源，资金

参考例句：

• She is an expert in finance.她是一名财政专家。
• A finance house made a bid to buy up the entire company.一家信贷公司出价买下了整个公司。

9 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• 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》

10 finances   

n.(pl.)财源，资产

参考例句：

• I need a professional to sort out my finances. 我需要专业人士为我管理财务。
• The company's finances are looking a bIt'shaky. 这个公司的财政情况看来有点不稳定。