VOA标准英语2013--Nepal’s Political Crisis Paralyzes Economy

 

Nepal’s Political Crisis Paralyzes Economy

It’s nearly 5 p.m. and Sunil Lamichhane has yet to make a sale at his new clothing store in downtown Kathmandu. The retailer¹ says Nepal’s political turmoil² and its effect on the local economy means less money in people’s pockets for a new shirt or shoes.

“It has directly affected³ our fashion store. Because fashion comes in third, in terms of priorities, after food and shelter,” he said.

Since the end of the 10-year Maoist insurgency⁴ in 2006, the inclusion of the former rebels in the government in 2007 and the abolishment of the monarchy⁵ in 2008 - Nepal has been hit with one political crisis after another.

The country has been without a parliament for more than a year, after major political parties missed yet another deadline to write a constitution and reach a consensus⁶ on the structure of the government.

The political paralysis⁷ has not only hit day-to-day life in Nepal, it’s also deeply affected people’s confidence in their government. A recent poll found that if Constituent⁸ Assembly elections were to be held tomorrow, more than 50 percent of the people would not know who to vote for.

Nepali Times editor Kunda Dixit said although it may be optimistic to think that a country can go from civil war to peace and monarchy to republic in a few years without any problems, political leaders have squandered⁹ key opportunities to define a new state structure that would lead to stability, development and economic growth.

“Directly in the domestic economy, the fact that politicians cannot agree has led to the third year in a row where we haven’t had a full budget, which has an impact on everything, on infrastructure¹⁰, on salaries, on long term projects,” he said.

He said the only reason Nepal’s economy has not collapsed¹¹ was because of the more than $4 billion in remittances¹² sent home by Nepalis working abroad - roughly 22 percent of the country’s gross domestic product.

Deepak Pandey is one of Nepal’s young people who are now considering leaving the country for work.

Frequent strikes called by political parties have made it harder for students to attend classes at his institute.  He said many have a difficult time finding a job in Nepal once they finish their education.

“The youth are not feeling secure inside the country due to this instability. They feel like there is no point in even working hard,” he said.

For now, he and other Nepalis look to the November 19 election of a new 491-member Constituent Assembly in the hope that political parties can put aside their differences, come up with a constitution and put the future of their country first.

It’s a hope also shared by neighboring economic giants India and China, who fear any instability in the former Himalayan kingdom could spill over the border. 

1 retailer   

n.零售商(人)

参考例句：

• What are the retailer requirements?零售商会有哪些要求呢？
• The retailer has assembled a team in Shanghai to examine the question.这家零售商在上海组建了一支团队研究这个问题。

2 turmoil   

n.骚乱，混乱，动乱

参考例句：

• His mind was in such a turmoil that he couldn't get to sleep.内心的纷扰使他无法入睡。
• The robbery put the village in a turmoil.抢劫使全村陷入混乱。

3 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。

4 insurgency   

n.起义；暴动；叛变

参考例句：

• And as in China, unrest and even insurgency are widespread. 而在中国，动乱甚至暴乱都普遍存在。 来自互联网
• Dr Zyphur is part an insurgency against this idea. 塞弗博士是这一观点逆流的一部分。 来自互联网

5 monarchy   

n.君主，最高统治者；君主政体，君主国

参考例句：

• The monarchy in England plays an important role in British culture.英格兰的君主政体在英国文化中起重要作用。
• The power of the monarchy in Britain today is more symbolical than real.今日英国君主的权力多为象徵性的，无甚实际意义。

6 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？

7 paralysis   

n.麻痹(症)；瘫痪(症)

参考例句：

• The paralysis affects his right leg and he can only walk with difficulty.他右腿瘫痪步履维艰。
• The paralysis affects his right leg and he can only walk with difficulty.他右腿瘫痪步履维艰。

8 constituent   

n.选民；成分，组分；adj.组成的，构成的

参考例句：

• Sugar is the main constituent of candy.食糖是糖果的主要成分。
• Fibre is a natural constituent of a healthy diet.纤维是健康饮食的天然组成部分。

9 squandered   

v.（指钱，财产等）浪费，乱花( squander的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He squandered all his money on gambling. 他把自己所有的钱都糟蹋在赌博上了。
• She felt as indignant as if her own money had been squandered. 她心里十分生气，好像是她自己的钱给浪费掉了似的。 来自飘（部分）

10 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。

11 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。

12 remittances   

n.汇寄( remittance的名词复数 )；汇款，汇款额

参考例句：

• He sends regular remittances to his parents. 他定期汇款给他父母。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Remittances sometimes account for as much as 20% of GDP. 在这些国家中，此类汇款有时会占到GDP的20%之多。 来自互联网