2006年VOA标准英语-Record Charity Gift Seen as Spur for Ordinary A

By Cindy Saine
Washington
27 June 2006

Buffett   
  
Warren Buffett's blockbuster $30 billion gift to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has excited charitable organizations, which hope the tycoon's generosity¹ will be contagious². Buffett's donation is reportedly the largest donation in history. Average Americans cannot match that sum, but studies show they are also generous givers.

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Americans have a long tradition of devoting part of their time, labor³ and financial resources to charitable causes. A study by the Giving USA Foundation released last week shows that in 2005, Americans increased their financial donations to charity by more than six percent. Giving USA Chairman Richard Jolly attributed much of the increase in giving to Americans' response to the Asian tsunami⁴, the Pakistani earthquake and Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Foundation board member Robert Evans says he believes Americans are the world's most generous people. "Last year, the last calendar year, Americans gave $260 billion to non-profits, all over the United States, including international issues. Thirty-five percent of the giving went to religion," he said.

Evans said Americans give more to religious organizations than to any other cause, followed by education.

But are Americans really the most generous people on the planet? Critics have alleged⁵ the United States is stingy because, in terms of a slice of its gross national product, the U.S. government lags behind other donor⁶ nations.

Other experts say this statistic⁷ is misleading, because Americans prefer to give through the private sector⁸, making it very difficult to produce any reliable international comparisons.

David Roodman of the Center for Global Development in Washington cites an OECD (Organization for Economic Development and Cooperation) study saying the U.S. ranks fourth worldwide in private giving to foreign countries, after Norway, Ireland and Switzerland. "We give about 10 cent, per person, per day in private aid out of our own pockets to poorer countries, which puts us at number four among the usual list of rich countries, which has about 21 countries on it. So we're four out of 21," he said.

Roodman says 80 to 90 percent of all American charitable gifts stay in the United States. He said he hopes Buffett's and Gates' generosity will inspire other Americans to give even more to the least fortunate. "I think what Warren Buffett and Bill Gates may do is to change how everyday, regular Americans think about where to send their money and that could be a good thing," he said.

The Gates Foundation is committed to fighting global poverty and curing fatal diseases, as well as improving American education

1 generosity   

n.大度，慷慨，慷慨的行为

参考例句：

• We should match their generosity with our own.我们应该像他们一样慷慨大方。
• We adore them for their generosity.我们钦佩他们的慷慨。

2 contagious   

adj.传染性的，有感染力的

参考例句：

• It's a highly contagious infection.这种病极易传染。
• He's got a contagious laugh.他的笑富有感染力。

3 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

4 tsunami   

n.海啸

参考例句：

• Powerful quake sparks tsunami warning in Japan.大地震触发了日本的海啸预警。
• Coastlines all around the Indian Ocean inundated by a huge tsunami.大海啸把印度洋沿岸地区都淹没了。

5 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

6 donor   

n.捐献者；赠送人；(组织、器官等的)供体

参考例句：

• 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。

7 statistic   

n.统计量；adj.统计的，统计学的

参考例句：

• Official statistics show real wages declining by 24%.官方统计数字表明实际工资下降了24%。
• There are no reliable statistics for the number of deaths in the battle.关于阵亡人数没有可靠的统计数字。

8 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• 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。