VOA标准英语2014--亚洲在基础设施支出方面遥遥领先

Asia Leads Infrastructure¹ Spending 亚洲在基础设施支出方面遥遥领先

A new report says global spending for capital projects and infrastructure will top nine-trillion-dollars a year by 2025. That’s up from four-trillion in 2012. Asian countries, especially China, are expected to lead the way.

The spending projections² are contained in a new report from PwC with assistance from Oxford³ Economics. The report analyzes⁴ infrastructure spending in 49 of the world’s largest economies. They account for 90-percent of the global economic output.

The Outlook to 2025 report focuses on five sectors⁵: Extraction industries, utilities, transport, manufacturing and social, which includes city infrastructure. The findings say emerging markets, mostly China and other Asian countries, will see much faster growth in infrastructure spending. One reason is because the region did not have the burden of recovering from a financial crisis.” Another is big demand in China.

Europe has recovered slowly from the economic crisis, which has constrained⁶ infrastructure spending. And spending in North America is a distant second to Asia.

PwC’s main role for its clients centers on audit⁷ and assurance, tax and consulting services. Jonathan Cawood, head of the firm’s Capital Projects and Infrastructure for Africa, says, “Africa’s share of the global pie is two-percent. But it’s certainly growing quite significantly. And I think also we’re seeing a significant uptick in spending across the region.”

He listed the continent’s leaders in infrastructure spending.

“South Africa specifically has been dominant⁸ over the last few decades, but we see Nigeria catching⁹ up very quickly. And probably in the next two to three years will overtake South Africa. And then the eastern corridor – Kenya the gateway¹⁰ into Tanzania, Ethiopia, Uganda and the resource-rich countries around there – is also experiencing significant growth,” he said.

Nigeria’s spending is forecast to grow from $23-billion in 2013 to $77-billion in 2025. Overall Infrastructure spending in Sub-Saharan Africa is forecast to grow by 10-percent a year over the next 10 years. If the forecast holds true the amount would be more than $180-billion.

Cawood said where that money is spent could be affected¹¹ by climate change.

“Certainly when one looks at fragile power, transport and water and city infrastructure often Africa is more exposed – so particularly along the East Coast. A country like Mozambique is exposed to regular flooding and with that comes disease and power outages and transportation going down. And I think when one looks at hydro power there are big questions around the key river basins in Africa and whether the water level and volumes are going to be sustainable,” he said.

That sustainability could be hindered by more frequent droughts and floods – some of the effects of climate change.

Infrastructure spending could also be affected by rapid urbanization. The PwC report projects the “biggest shifts” in urbanized populations will be in China, India, Ghana, Nigeria and the Philippines. Cawood said urbanization and demographic shifts will have implications for Africa’s cities.

“Most of them are growing very rapidly – often in a fairly unstructured way. Most of them are pretty gridlocked and over-subscribed in terms of basic services, whether it be housing, transport, ITC, water, power.”

The report said demographic shifts will leave “a lasting¹², fundamental imprint¹³ on infrastructure development for decades to come.”

Africa will probably need some outside help in infrastructure development. China’s infrastructure spending includes major investments in Africa. Cawood described it as “formidable.”

“It by far dwarfs¹⁴ any other source of investment and many of the projects in Africa are being delivered by Chinese funders and construction firms. Often led by the state-owned entities¹⁵.”

Cawood said driving most of the investment in Africa will be resource and consumer market potential, along with trade and economic and political reforms. He added, “It’s crucial for policymakers, citizens and businesses to understand the factors that unlock infrastructure and development….and then act responsibly and strategically.”

1 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。

2 projections   

预测( projection的名词复数 )； 投影； 投掷； 突起物

参考例句：

• Their sales projections are a total thumbsuck. 他们的销售量预测纯属估计。
• The council has revised its projections of funding requirements upwards. 地方议会调高了对资金需求的预测。

3 Oxford   

n.牛津（英国城市）

参考例句：

• At present he has become a Professor of Chemistry at Oxford.他现在已是牛津大学的化学教授了。
• This is where the road to Oxford joins the road to London.这是去牛津的路与去伦敦的路的汇合处。

4 analyzes   

v.分析( analyze的第三人称单数 )；分解；解释；对…进行心理分析

参考例句：

• This approach analyzes management by studying experience usually through cases. 这个学派通常从实例获得经验，用以分析管理。 来自辞典例句
• The econometrician analyzes statistical data. 经济计量学者要分析统计材料。 来自辞典例句

5 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》

6 constrained   

adj.束缚的,节制的

参考例句：

• The evidence was so compelling that he felt constrained to accept it. 证据是那样的令人折服，他觉得不得不接受。
• I feel constrained to write and ask for your forgiveness. 我不得不写信请你原谅。

7 audit   

v.审计；查帐；核对；旁听

参考例句：

• Each year they audit our accounts and certify them as being true and fair.他们每年对我们进行账务审核，以确保其真实无误。
• As usual,the yearly audit will take place in December.跟往常一样，年度审计将在十二月份进行。

8 dominant   

adj.支配的，统治的；占优势的；显性的；n.主因，要素，主要的人(或物)；显性基因

参考例句：

• The British were formerly dominant in India.英国人从前统治印度。
• She was a dominant figure in the French film industry.她在法国电影界是个举足轻重的人物。

9 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。

10 gateway   

n.大门口，出入口，途径，方法

参考例句：

• Hard work is the gateway to success.努力工作是通往成功之路。
• A man collected tolls at the gateway.一个人在大门口收通行费。

11 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。

12 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

13 imprint   

n.印痕，痕迹；深刻的印象；vt.压印，牢记

参考例句：

• That dictionary is published under the Longman imprint.那本词典以朗曼公司的名义出版。
• Her speech left its imprint on me.她的演讲给我留下了深刻印象。

14 dwarfs   

n.侏儒，矮子（dwarf的复数形式）vt.（使）显得矮小（dwarf的第三人称单数形式）

参考例句：

• Shakespeare dwarfs other dramatists. 莎士比亚使其他剧作家相形见绌。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The new building dwarfs all the other buildings in the town. 新大楼使城里所有其他建筑物都显得矮小了。 来自辞典例句

15 entities   

实体对像； 实体，独立存在体，实际存在物( entity的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Our newspaper and our printing business form separate corporate entities. 我们的报纸和印刷业形成相对独立的企业实体。
• The North American continent is made up of three great structural entities. 北美大陆是由三个构造单元组成的。