VOA英语2010年-Zimbabwe's Economic Woes Continue

Nearly two years into Zimbabwe's government of national unity¹, the country's economy is plagued by a declining industrial sector² and continuing job losses. There is little foreign investment and little hope for financial assistance.

The International Monetary³ Fund said last week that while it continued technical assistance to Zimbabwe, the political situation remains⁴ too unstable⁵ for the international body to grant the country financial assistance. Without such assistance, however, the future for Zimbabwe's economy appears bleak⁶.

When President Robert Mugabe came to power 30 years ago, Zimbabwe manufactured more of its own products than any other country in Africa, including South Africa. Now, more than 50 percent of the country's factories are closed and most of those that remain are manufacturing at 30 percent of total capacity.

Zimbabwe began to slip into economic decline in 2000 when Mr. Mugabe launched a chaotic⁷, violent land-reform program. This became a major crisis when the former ZANU-PF government imposed price controls in 2007, forcing companies to sell goods below cost of production, while the central bank printed tons of worthless Zimbabwe dollars and inflation broke world records.

When the government of national unity came to power in February 2009, the Zimbabwe dollar was abandoned and the country adopted hard currencies, primarily the U.S. dollar and the South African rand.

This brought stability to the economy, but Zimbabwe economist⁸ Rob Davies said the manufacturing sector has little chance of recovery. "So the manufacturing sector, particularly after that little post-dollarization boom, post price control, are dealing⁹ with old, outdated¹⁰ capital equipment and it is very difficult for them to recapitalize, it is difficult for them to get long term loans for that."

Davies said there are even greater challenges now facing Zimbabwe and Movement for Democratic Change finance minister Tendai Biti. "They just do not have the scale to compete with South African or Chinese producers. So what [finance minister] Biti inherited was a de-industrialized economy, and it is not clear what you would do to turn this around."

Another economist, John Robertson, also is gloomy about the economy. While he said Biti had improved tax collection since the inclusive government came to power, there was little left over from public sector salaries to reconstruct broken infrastructure¹¹.

Robertson said there has been some increased agricultural production in the past year. The United Nations says Zimbabwe still needs emergency feeding, though, for about 1.7 million people before the next harvest, which beings in April. Robertson also said the mining and industrial sectors¹² need recapitalization.

"We have not been able to raise any international loans, because we are still so deeply in debt, and outstanding arrears¹³ are $7 billion," said Robertson. "That is close to nearly twice our GDP, so our credit rating is as bad as it can get, I think it is the worst in the world."

Robertson said most economic activity in Zimbabwe is the sale of imported goods in the retail¹⁴ trade. "Really, the economy has not got back on its feet. We are better than we were for reasons that are not related to production in the country, the shops are full of goods, the goods are mostly made in South Africa or South African suppliers, they are not made by local factories. We are not generating jobs in the country."

The MDC controls the social ministries¹⁵ and the finance ministry¹⁶ in the unity government and most economists¹⁷ say Finance Minister Biti has done the best he can with resources limited to tax collection.

But Davies said international donors¹⁸ and investors¹⁹ want to see political transformation²⁰ and stability, and the MDC cannot achieve that without the full cooperation of Mr. Mugabe and his ZANU-PF. "One thing you can be sure about, you would not have that policy designed by a GNU where people are fighting for the politics of the GNV."

Davies said, as an example, that although the MDC is in charge of the public service within the unity government, the party would not be able reduce the number of public servants if that was necessary to revive the economy.

"MDC is not going to do that, they would not allow him [Biti] to do that and [ZANU-PF] is not going to do that," said Davies. "Biti inherited problems without power. The political economy is such that he can not do a lot."

Mr. Mugabe said he is uncomfortable sharing power with the MDC, which narrowly won the last elections in 2008. He said he wants fresh elections early next year.

Many people fear new elections will bring a resurgence²² of the violence that affected²³ the elections in 2008, when about 180 MDC supporters were killed and tens of thousands were injured and forced out of their homes.

Industrialists²⁴ told ZANU-PF vice²¹ president Joyce Mujuru last week the economy is too fragile for another violent election.

1 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

2 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。

3 monetary   

adj.货币的，钱的；通货的；金融的；财政的

参考例句：

• The monetary system of some countries used to be based on gold.过去有些国家的货币制度是金本位制的。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。

4 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

5 unstable   

adj.不稳定的，易变的

参考例句：

• This bookcase is too unstable to hold so many books.这书橱很不结实，装不了这么多书。
• The patient's condition was unstable.那患者的病情不稳定。

6 bleak   

adj.(天气)阴冷的；凄凉的；暗淡的

参考例句：

• They showed me into a bleak waiting room.他们引我来到一间阴冷的会客室。
• The company's prospects look pretty bleak.这家公司的前景异常暗淡。

7 chaotic   

adj.混沌的，一片混乱的，一团糟的

参考例句：

• Things have been getting chaotic in the office recently.最近办公室的情况越来越乱了。
• The traffic in the city was chaotic.这城市的交通糟透了。

8 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

9 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。

10 outdated   

adj.旧式的，落伍的，过时的；v.使过时

参考例句：

• That list of addresses is outdated,many have changed.那个通讯录已经没用了，许多地址已经改了。
• Many of us conform to the outdated customs laid down by our forebears.我们许多人都遵循祖先立下的过时习俗。

11 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。

12 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》

13 arrears   

n.到期未付之债，拖欠的款项；待做的工作

参考例句：

• The payments on that car loan are in arrears by three months.购车贷款的偿付被拖欠了三个月。
• They are urgent for payment of arrears of wages.他们催讨拖欠的工钱。

14 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

15 ministries   

（政府的）部( ministry的名词复数 )； 神职； 牧师职位； 神职任期

参考例句：

• Local authorities must refer everything to the central ministries. 地方管理机构应请示中央主管部门。
• The number of Ministries has been pared down by a third. 部委的数量已经减少了1/3。

16 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

17 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 donors   

n.捐赠者( donor的名词复数 )；献血者；捐血者；器官捐献者

参考例句：

• Please email us to be removed from our active list of blood donors. 假如你想把自己的名字从献血联系人名单中删去，请给我们发电子邮件。
• About half this amount comes from individual donors and bequests. 这笔钱大约有一半来自个人捐赠及遗赠。 来自《简明英汉词典》

19 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

20 transformation   

n.变化；改造；转变

参考例句：

• Going to college brought about a dramatic transformation in her outlook.上大学使她的观念发生了巨大的变化。
• He was struggling to make the transformation from single man to responsible husband.他正在努力使自己由单身汉变为可靠的丈夫。

21 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

22 resurgence   

n.再起，复活，再现

参考例句：

• A resurgence of his grief swept over Nim.悲痛又涌上了尼姆的心头。
• Police say drugs traffickers are behind the resurgence of violence.警方说毒贩是暴力活动重新抬头的罪魁祸首。

23 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

24 industrialists   

n.工业家，实业家( industrialist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This deal will offer major benefits to industrialists and investors. 这笔交易将会让实业家和投资者受益匪浅。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The government has set up a committee of industrialists and academics to advise it. 政府已成立了一个实业家和学者的委员会来为其提供建议。 来自《简明英汉词典》