2006年VOA标准英语-Zimbabwe Orders Price Freeze

By Tendai Maphosa
Harare
07 August 2006 

New Zimbabwean bank notes introduced by the Reserve bank governor in Harare, Wednesday, August 2, 2006

The Zimbabwean government has ordered businesses not to increase prices until later this month when the changeover to the newly introduced currency is complete. 

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The order comes in the wake of last week's dropping of three zeros on all denominations¹ of Zimbabwean currency. Instead of adjusting prices accordingly, some traders saw the change as an opportunity to hike prices.

Minister of Industry Obert Moyo said the directive was effective from August 1, when the new currency came into circulation. The freeze will be in force until August 21, when the changeover is supposed to be complete. He warned businesses that flouted² the law face a heavy fine. He ordered businesses that had increased prices to revert³ to the prices before the announcement of the currency revaluation.

A supermarket manager who spoke⁴ to VOA on condition of anonymity⁵ said the price increases were a response to what his business paid to the wholesalers. He said he had no choice but to increase prices accordingly if he is to stay in business giving the example of bread, which is being sold at more than twice the government stipulated⁶ price. Shop owners say if the sell it at the government price, they will be making a loss so the would rather risk paying a fine.

Zimbabwe is grappling with its worst economic crisis characterized by the highest inflation rate in the world, high unemployment, regular power outages and shortages of fuel, food and foreign currency. The dropping of the zeros is meant to make it easier for consumers to carry out everyday transactions.

Besides making it easy for consumers the introduction of the new currency was also meant to catch those involved in the foreign currency parallel market flatfooted. The government has put a cap on the amount that can be deposited by individuals and businesses.

Anybody found with more than the respective amounts risks losing their money if they cannot prove they got it through legitimate⁷ means. So far the state-controlled daily, The Herald⁸, reports that more than 2,000 people have been arrested for having amounts in excess of the stipulated limits.

Police have mounted roadblocks all over the country and are also manning border posts to intercept⁹ those trying to bring Zimbabwean currency into the country

before the expiration¹⁰ of the changeover period. The authorities allege¹¹ that billions of Zimbabwean currency had been externalized in neighboring countries where they were fueling the foreign currency black market.

1 denominations   

n.宗派( denomination的名词复数 )；教派；面额；名称

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• The service was attended by Christians of all denominations. 这次礼拜仪式各教派的基督徒都参加了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 flouted   

v.藐视，轻视( flout的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• North Vietnam flouted the accords from the day they were signed. 北越从签字那天起就无视协定的存在。 来自辞典例句
• They flouted all our offers of help and friendship. 他们对我们愿意提供的所有帮助和友谊表示藐视。 来自辞典例句

3 revert   

v.恢复，复归，回到

参考例句：

• Let us revert to the earlier part of the chapter.让我们回到本章的前面部分。
• Shall we revert to the matter we talked about yesterday?我们接着昨天谈过的问题谈，好吗？

4 spoke   

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

参考例句：

• 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。

5 anonymity   

n.the condition of being anonymous

参考例句：

• Names of people in the book were changed to preserve anonymity. 为了姓名保密，书中的人用的都是化名。
• Our company promises to preserve the anonymity of all its clients. 我们公司承诺不公开客户的姓名。

6 stipulated   

vt.& vi.规定；约定adj.[法]合同规定的

参考例句：

• A delivery date is stipulated in the contract. 合同中规定了交货日期。
• Yes, I think that's what we stipulated. 对呀，我想那是我们所订定的。 来自辞典例句

7 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。

8 herald   

vt.预示...的来临，预告，宣布，欢迎

参考例句：

• In England, the cuckoo is the herald of spring.在英国杜鹃鸟是报春的使者。
• Dawn is the herald of day.曙光是白昼的先驱。

9 intercept   

vt.拦截，截住，截击

参考例句：

• His letter was intercepted by the Secret Service.他的信被特工处截获了。
• Gunmen intercepted him on his way to the airport.持枪歹徒在他去机场的路上截击了他。

10 expiration   

n.终结，期满，呼气，呼出物

参考例句：

• Can I have your credit card number followed by the expiration date?能告诉我你的信用卡号码和它的到期日吗?
• This contract shall be terminated on the expiration date.劳动合同期满，即行终止。

11 allege   

vt.宣称，申述，主张，断言

参考例句：

• The newspaper reporters allege that the man was murdered but they have given no proof.新闻记者们宣称这个男人是被谋杀的，但他们没提出证据。
• Students occasionally allege illness as the reason for absence.学生时不时会称病缺课。