VOA慢速英语2015 莫斯科科技中心寻求西方公司加入

AS IT IS 2015-04-12 Technology Center in Moscow Seeks Western Companies 莫斯科科技中心寻求西方公司加入

Russian officials are urging Western companies to open offices in a technology center in Moscow. They hope the center will help the country reduce its economic dependence¹ on energy exports by developing companies that create jobs in Russia.

The center is called “Technopolis.” It was once a car factory.

Igor Ischenko is the chief executive² officer of Technopolis. He says foreign companies are beginning operations at the center. He adds that the center is the starting point for the development of new technical and economic solutions in Russia.

Mr. Ischenko says 25 companies are operating in Technopolis now. He says that will increase to 50 by the end of the year. Officials had predicted that the center would hold 100 companies by then.

Many Western countries have put economic restrictions³, or sanctions⁴, in place against Russia because of its actions in Ukraine. The sanctions have led several Western companies to decide not to open offices in Technopolis.

Elina Belevskaya is head of public relations for Russia’s government-owned Holding Company Composite⁵. It makes high-technology materials.

She says her company talked with Dow Chemical and Dow Aksa. She said the company hoped the talks would lead to making products for the world auto⁶ industry, including Ford⁷ Motor Company. She says, our company is still rather new and we cannot do everything by ourselves. In Russia, it is not easy to convince⁸ large auto companies to buy your products, she says. Working with Dow Chemical would have let us make products for the U.S market. But, she says, the sanctions made that impossible.

It is not easy for Russian companies to find the materials needed for production and for developing markets within the country.

The Russian government also owns the Nanotechnology Center for Composites⁹. It buys its supplies from European companies and many of its customers are also foreign. Peter Molnar is the technical director for the Nanotechnology Center.

“This situation is somehow developing the local market and the local production. And we hope that we can be a part of this local production. And, yeah, I hope that we can show that it is possible to produce here -- even high-end products and products which are quite new and innovative¹⁰.”

Igor Ischenko of Technopolis says there are plans to open an even larger technology center. He says his company will operate it.

But he also says he is worried that Moscow’s financial problems may limit the tax reductions¹¹ companies are given for moving to the city. He says Moscow may not continue to provide free electric power and water to Technopolis if the city’s economy continues to worsen.

Words in This Story

sanctions -  n. an action that is taken or an order that is given to force a country to obey international laws by limiting or stopping trade with that country, by not allowing economic aid for that country (usually plural)

customer – n. someone who buys goods or services from a business

high-end – adj. higher in price and of better quality than most others

innovative – adj. having new ideas about how something can be done

1 dependence   

n.依靠，依赖；信任，信赖；隶属

参考例句：

• Doctors keep trying to break her dependence of the drug.医生们尽力使她戒除毒瘾。
• He was freed from financial dependence on his parents.他在经济上摆脱了对父母的依赖。

2 executive   

adj.执行的，行政的；n.执行者，行政官，经理

参考例句：

• A good executive usually gets on well with people.一个好的高级管理人员通常与人们相处得很好。
• He is a man of great executive ability.他是个具有极高管理能力的人。

3 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

4 sanctions   

批准( sanction的名词复数 )； 认可； 制裁； 约束力

参考例句：

• There was general acquiescence in the UN sanctions. 普遍默认了联合国的制裁。
• Trade sanctions were imposed against any country that refused to sign the agreement. 凡拒签该协议的国家均受到贸易制裁。

5 composite   

adj.混合成的，综合成的；n.合成物，复合材料

参考例句：

• English is a composite of many languages.英语是多种语言混合而成的。
• This composite illustration was made by putting together a number of drawings.这本综合说明书是集若干图片汇合而成的。

6 auto   

n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车

参考例句：

• Don't park your auto here.别把你的汽车停在这儿。
• The auto industry has brought many people to Detroit.汽车工业把许多人吸引到了底特律。

7 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
• If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。

8 convince   

vt.使确认，使信服；使认识错误

参考例句：

• It requires a lot of talking to convince him.要说服他很费口舌。
• I have given over trying to convince him.我已经不再试图说服他了。

9 composites   

合成物，混合物，复合材料( composite的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The main classes of materials are metals, polymers, ceramics, and composites. 材料的主要分类为金属、高聚物，陶瓷，及合成材料。
• Silane coupling agents are also used in many commercial sand-epoxy-type composites. 硅烷偶联剂亦用于许多通用的砂子环氧型复合材料中。

10 innovative   

adj.革新的，新颖的，富有革新精神的

参考例句：

• Discover an innovative way of marketing.发现一个创新的营销方式。
• He was one of the most creative and innovative engineers of his generation.他是他那代人当中最富创造性与革新精神的工程师之一。

11 reductions   

减少( reduction的名词复数 )； 降低； [数学]约简； [摄影术]减薄

参考例句：

• Many companies have announced dramatic reductions in staff. 许多公司已经宣布大幅裁员。
• The forthcoming talks hold out the hope of real arms reductions. 即将举行的会谈给实现真正的裁军带来了希望。