2007年VOA标准英语-India, Japan Seek to Improve Trade Despite Obst

By Steve Herman
New Delhi
11 March 2007

 
Chairman and Chief Executive of Suzuki Osamu Suzuki (L) and Managing Director of Maruti Udyog Limited Jagdish Khattar (R) after inaugurating Maruti-Suzuki's new autoplant at Manesar, 06 Feb 2007
Business leaders and trade officials from India and Japan are in agreement that the current level of trade does not match the economic power of the two Asian nations. But Indians and Japanese disagree on the reasons, and how their two-way trade can reach its potential. VOA's Steve Herman reports from New Delhi.

The Indians say the Japanese have failed to take advantage of India's soaring economy.

At a time when India's economy is growing by nearly 10 percent a year, Japan's share of total Indian trade fell below 2.6 percent in the 2005-2006 fiscal¹ year, compared with nearly four percent several years earlier.

Japanese officials say their country ranks as the third-largest foreign investor² in India. But Indian businessmen say the Japanese have not followed up with sufficient new investment.

At the India-Japan Strategic Partnership³ Symposium⁴ in New Delhi on Friday, Rakesh 
Rakesh Mohan, deputy governor, Reserve Bank of India
Mohan, deputy governor of the Reserve Bank of India, reminded Japanese business leaders they were responsible for helping⁵ to build a world-class automotive industry here.

He says those manufacturing standards have spread to other sectors⁶ of India's economy, but further investment from Japan has been disappointing.

"The whole total quality movement in India has been induced by Japan and therefore, I think, that there have been a lot of opportunities missed," said Mohan. "And one would hope that now Japan would no longer miss such opportunities in the years to come."

Mikio Sasaki, the chairman of Mitsubishi Corporation, Japan's largest trading company, told the symposium that India has much to do if it desires significant new foreign investment.

"Developing power-generating plants, ports, roads, railways and other public infrastructure⁷ is a major area that needs a strong response," he said

 
Mikio Sasaski, chairman, Mitsubishi Corp. 
Japanese investors⁸ also complain about bureaucratic⁹ delays, widespread corruption¹⁰, and interstate regulations that increase the time and cost of moving goods across the country.

Indian business leaders counter that they face significant challenges in expanding exports to Japan, such as entry barriers for chemicals and medicines, and high tariffs¹¹ on seafood¹².

The two countries are in the process of reaching what they call a "comprehensive economic partnership agreement." The Japanese say the first high-level dialogue on the pact¹³ will be held in Japan next month. An Indian official predicts a deal will be made within one year.

1 fiscal   

adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的

参考例句：

• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
• The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。

2 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。

3 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

4 symposium   

n.讨论会，专题报告会；专题论文集

参考例句：

• What have you learned from the symposium?你参加了这次科学讨论会有什么体会？
• The specialists and scholars present at the symposium come from all corners of the country.出席研讨会的专家学者们来自全国各地。

5 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

6 sectors   

n.部门( sector的名词复数 )；领域；防御地区；扇形

参考例句：

• Berlin was divided into four sectors after the war. 战后柏林分成了4 个区。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Industry and agriculture are the two important sectors of the national economy. 工业和农业是国民经济的两个重要部门。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

7 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

8 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

9 bureaucratic   

adj.官僚的，繁文缛节的

参考例句：

• The sweat of labour washed away his bureaucratic airs.劳动的汗水冲掉了他身上的官气。
• In this company you have to go through complex bureaucratic procedures just to get a new pencil.在这个公司里即使是领一支新铅笔，也必须通过繁琐的手续。

10 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

11 tariffs   

关税制度； 关税( tariff的名词复数 )； 关税表； （旅馆或饭店等的）收费表； 量刑标准

参考例句：

• British industry was sheltered from foreign competition by protective tariffs. 保护性关税使英国工业免受国际竞争影响。
• The new tariffs have put a stranglehold on trade. 新的关税制对开展贸易极为不利。

12 seafood   

n.海产食品，海味，海鲜

参考例句：

• There's an excellent seafood restaurant near here.离这儿不远有家非常不错的海鲜馆。
• Shrimps are a popular type of seafood.小虾是比较普遍的一种海味。

13 pact   

n.合同，条约，公约，协定

参考例句：

• The two opposition parties made an electoral pact.那两个反对党订了一个有关选举的协定。
• The trade pact between those two countries came to an end.那两国的通商协定宣告结束。