VOA常速英语2007年-Abu Dhabi Developer Challenges Donald Trump wit

By Mike O'Sullivan
Los Angeles
01 December 2007

An Abu Dhabi-based real estate developer is launching an English-language reality show for the Middle East. As we hear from Mike O'Sullivan in Los Angeles, Sulaiman Al-Fahim, the chief executive of Hydra¹ Properties, hopes to promote his company while attracting Western talent to his country.

The developer is challenging Donald Trump², the U.S. investor³ who hosts a reality show called The Apprentice⁴.

Al-Fahim has commissioned his own promotional video.

"This is the land of entrepreneurs," touts⁵ the promo.  "This is the land of opportunity.  This is the land where dreams come true."

The land is Abu Dhabi, one of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates in the Gulf⁶.  Al-Fahim says his show will send eight American and eight British entrepreneurs there to compete in Middle Eastern property markets.  Contestants⁷ will spend 15 weeks wheeling and dealing⁸, and the winner will get one million dollars to launch his own company. 

The series, called The Hydra Executives, is being produced with the cable channel Showtime Arabia.  Al-Fahim says the program will publicize his company, Hydra Properties.

"And the reality show for us means not only publicity⁹.  It is an opportunity we can get through the entrepreneurs who are going to come with their ideas," he explained.

Al-Fahim understands Western style business.  He earned a doctorate¹⁰ in real estate investment at American University in Washington, D.C.  He says the reality series will showcase talented entrepreneurs from the United States and Britain.

Executive producer Ziad Batal, a veteran of reality shows in the Middle East, says a show like this needs conflict.

"All the candidates are going to be trying to win the million bucks¹¹, but our job in reality is to create the drama and the conflicts based on the assignments, and the teamwork," he explained.  "Some people work well in teams, some people don't.  So that's the beauty about reality TV."

Casting will start in December, and the show will air in the Middle East and possibly other markets beginning in March next year. 

Casting director Beverly Pomerantz will find contestants for the show. 

"We interview them, and we're looking for passionate¹² people that really have a dream, something they've always wanted to do and they just didn't have an outlet¹³ to do it," she explained.  "So this is a great opportunity."

CEO Sulaiman al-Fahim says no one will be fired, and even the losers will get something for their effort, an introduction to the Middle East and crash course in Middle Eastern real estate.

1 hydra   

n.水螅；难于根除的祸患

参考例句：

• Let's knock down those hydras and drive them to the sea!让我们铲除祸根，把他们赶到大海去！
• We may be facing a hydra that defies any easy solution.我们也许正面临一个无法轻易解决的难题。

2 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

3 investor   

n.投资者，投资人

参考例句：

• My nephew is a cautious investor.我侄子是个小心谨慎的投资者。
• The investor believes that his investment will pay off handsomely soon.这个投资者相信他的投资不久会有相当大的收益。

4 apprentice   

n.学徒，徒弟

参考例句：

• My son is an apprentice in a furniture maker's workshop.我的儿子在一家家具厂做学徒。
• The apprentice is not yet out of his time.这徒工还没有出徒。

5 touts   

n.招徕( tout的名词复数 )；（音乐会、体育比赛等的）卖高价票的人；侦查者；探听赛马的情报v.兜售( tout的第三人称单数 )；招揽；侦查；探听赛马情报

参考例句：

• Many vouchers are returned for cash, allowing touts and middle men to make a healthy margin. 许多月饼券都被兑换成现金，这让券贩子和中间商赚取了不蜚的利润。 来自互联网
• Spotting prey, the customary crowd of hustlers and touts swarmed around, jostling for my business. 照例有大群的拉客黄牛在寻觅猎物，他们争相过来抢我的生意。 来自互联网

6 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

7 contestants   

n.竞争者，参赛者( contestant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The competition attracted over 500 contestants representing 8 different countries. 这次比赛吸引了代表8个不同国家的500多名参赛者。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency. 两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

9 publicity   

n.众所周知，闻名；宣传，广告

参考例句：

• The singer star's marriage got a lot of publicity.这位歌星的婚事引起了公众的关注。
• He dismissed the event as just a publicity gimmick.他不理会这件事，只当它是一种宣传手法。

10 doctorate   

n.(大学授予的)博士学位

参考例句：

• He hasn't enough credits to get his doctorate.他的学分不够取得博士学位。
• Where did she do her doctorate?她在哪里攻读博士？

11 bucks   

n.雄鹿( buck的名词复数 )；钱；（英国十九世纪初的）花花公子；（用于某些表达方式）责任v.（马等）猛然弓背跃起( buck的第三人称单数 )；抵制；猛然震荡；马等尥起后蹄跳跃

参考例句：

• They cost ten bucks. 这些值十元钱。
• They are hunting for bucks. 他们正在猎雄兔。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 passionate   

adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的

参考例句：

• He is said to be the most passionate man.据说他是最有激情的人。
• He is very passionate about the project.他对那个项目非常热心。

13 outlet   

n.出口/路；销路；批发商店；通风口；发泄

参考例句：

• The outlet of a water pipe was blocked.水管的出水口堵住了。
• Running is a good outlet for his energy.跑步是他发泄过剩精力的好方法。