VOA标准英语2010年-Venezuela's Oil Wealth Powers Social P

Venezuela sits on huge oil reserves, and oil wealth is powering President Hugo Chavez' drive to eradicate¹ poverty and transform the country into a socialist² haven³. But critics accuse the government of mismanaging the state-owned petroleum⁴ industry. VOA's Michael Bowman recently visited Caracas. In the first of a two-part report, he examines how Venezuela's oil wealth is being spent.

Michael Bowman | Caracas 05 August 2010

Venezuelan oil rig

Hillside slums of ramshackle homes and narrow alleyways ring Caracas. Cauldrons of desperation and lawlessness, these are tough neighborhoods where Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez draws a base of support. 

President Chavez has invested heavily to improve these communities, and recently came to the 23 de Enero neighborhood to inspect homes renovated⁵ with state funds.

Here, oil money flows directly. President Chavez ordered the state oil company, PDVSA, to build and operate a massive social services center.

 M. Bowman, VOA
Miguel

At the medical clinic, Miguel, a 23-year-old painter, is treated for gastritis. "I do not have to pay anything. Everything here is free for the public. This should continue. I hope it does, because we will improve Venezuela," he said.

And who does he thank for his treatment? "President Chavez. President Hugo Chavez has done all this, with the revolution," he said.

In a workshop next door, people make clothes worn by PDVSA employees and Chavez-backers. Many who toil⁶ here are in their 50s and 60s, and say they would never get a job, let alone a living wage, in the private sector⁷.

"Even though we are elderly, we are here working.  This would be impossible anywhere else, impossible if this were a private operation," said one sewing lady.

Elsewhere in Caracas, oil revenue bankrolled a new cable car service for a hillside community. In another neighborhood, residents like Jose Rodriguez point to a free dental clinic and a basketball court. "Many people ask: where is the oil money going? Well, I have seen some of it going to work right here in my community," he said.

 M. Bowman, VOA
Claudia Perez

But not everyone is thrilled. Across town from 23 de Enero, in one of Caracas' more well-to-do neighborhoods, medical student Claudia Perez accuses President Chavez of pampering⁸ his supporters at the expense of everyone else. "He only takes care of those who support him and his government, not those who have a different point of view," she said.

And, she says, the Chavez program is short-sighted. "Oil cannot be everything. One day it will run out. And we are doing nothing to generate other forms of wealth," she said.

President Chavez boasts his country has enough oil to last the next 100 years. And he could be right.

New geological surveys show Venezuela's oil reserves dwarfing⁹ those of Saudi Arabia. But having oil is one thing; maintaining a state-owned oil industry and using revenue wisely are another, says Venezuelan oil analyst¹⁰ Juan Carlos Sosa.  

"Since almost all the oil revenue PDVSA receives are used for non-petroleum purposes, PDVSA cannot maintain the wells and keep them running. It does not have the funds, so it has to close the wells. And since foreign companies are given no incentive¹¹ to invest in oil operations, production is paralyzed," he said.

Venezuela's oil production has plummeted¹² by a third under Chavez, according to Sosa.

He blames PDVSA's social programs that are so popular among the poor. "Instead of staying on top of oil production and international sales, PDVSA's president has to worry about a thousand other things. And nothing is done well," he said.

And by doling¹³ out money in direct assistance rather than focusing on long-term development, President Chavez is masking poverty rather than curing it, according to economist¹⁴ Orlando Ochoa of Venezuela's Catholic University. "Oil wealth can be used to transform and improve the economic base of a country, as has been done in Norway.  Or, it can be used to compensate¹⁵ for economic imbalances, thereby¹⁶ prolonging the pain, as has been done in Venezuela and Iran," he said.

But President Chavez makes no apologies for the way he is spending Venezuela's oil revenue. "We are building hospitals, universities, housing, highways, railroads, public works projects like water distribution. And all of this costs money," he said.

And that money depends not only on petroleum production, but also on global oil prices, over which President Chavez has no control.

 

1 eradicate   

v.根除，消灭，杜绝

参考例句：

• These insects are very difficult to eradicate.这些昆虫很难根除。
• They are already battling to eradicate illnesses such as malaria and tetanus.他们已经在努力消灭疟疾、破伤风等疾病。

2 socialist   

n.社会主义者；adj.社会主义的

参考例句：

• China is a socialist country,and a developing country as well.中国是一个社会主义国家，也是一个发展中国家。
• His father was an ardent socialist.他父亲是一个热情的社会主义者。

3 haven   

n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所

参考例句：

• It's a real haven at the end of a busy working day.忙碌了一整天后，这真是一个安乐窝。
• The school library is a little haven of peace and quiet.学校的图书馆是一个和平且安静的小避风港。

4 petroleum   

n.原油，石油

参考例句：

• The Government of Iran advanced the price of petroleum last week.上星期伊朗政府提高了石油价格。
• The purpose of oil refinery is to refine crude petroleum.炼油厂的主要工作是提炼原油。

5 renovated   

翻新，修复，整修( renovate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He renovated his house. 他翻修了房子。
• The house has been renovated three years earlier. 这所房子三年前就已翻新。

6 toil   

vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事

参考例句：

• The wealth comes from the toil of the masses.财富来自大众的辛勤劳动。
• Every single grain is the result of toil.每一粒粮食都来之不易。

7 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。

8 pampering   

v.纵容，宠，娇养( pamper的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• But you need to make an appointment because these people are usually very busy pampering pets. 但是你需要先预约，因为这些人通常都在忙于照顾宠物们。 来自超越目标英语 第2册
• He had been pampering, and coaxing, and indulging that individual all his life. 他一生都在姑息、迁就、纵容那家伙。 来自辞典例句

9 dwarfing   

n.矮化病

参考例句：

• In the Northwest, they are being planted by hedgerow on seedling roots, clonal and dwarfing stocks. 在西北部地区用灌木树篱把它接在实生砧、无性砧及矮化砧上。 来自辞典例句
• In the Northwest, they are being planted by hedgrow on seedling roots, clonal and dwarfing stocks. 在西北部地区把它接在实生砧、无性砧及矮化砧上。 来自辞典例句

10 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

11 incentive   

n.刺激；动力；鼓励；诱因；动机

参考例句：

• Money is still a major incentive in most occupations.在许多职业中，钱仍是主要的鼓励因素。
• He hasn't much incentive to work hard.他没有努力工作的动机。

12 plummeted   

v.垂直落下，骤然跌落( plummet的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Share prices plummeted to an all-time low. 股票价格暴跌到历史最低点。
• A plane plummeted to earth. 一架飞机一头栽向地面。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 doling   

救济物( dole的现在分词 )； 失业救济金

参考例句：

• "What are you doling?'she once demanded over the intercom. 有一次他母亲通过对讲机问他：“你在干什么？ 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史
• Many scrollbars are quite parsimonious in doling out information to users. 很多滚动条都很吝啬，给用户传递的信息太少。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

14 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。

15 compensate   

vt.补偿，赔偿；酬报 vi.弥补；补偿；抵消

参考例句：

• She used her good looks to compensate her lack of intelligence. 她利用她漂亮的外表来弥补智力的不足。
• Nothing can compensate for the loss of one's health. 一个人失去了键康是不可弥补的。

16 thereby   

adv.因此，从而

参考例句：

• I have never been to that city,,ereby I don't know much about it.我从未去过那座城市，因此对它不怎么熟悉。
• He became a British citizen,thereby gaining the right to vote.他成了英国公民，因而得到了投票权。