VOA慢速英语2011--Who Should Be the Next Chief of the IMF?

Economics Report - Who Should Be the Next Chief of the IMF?

This is the VOA Special English Economics Report.

这里是美国之音慢速英语经济报道。

The International Monetary 1 Fund will need to find a new leader. Dominique Strauss-Kahn has resigned as managing director. Mr. Strauss-Kahn is charged with a sexual attack on a cleaning woman at a New York hotel last Saturday. He said in a resignation letter released Thursday by the IMF that he denies the charges "with the greatest possible firmness."

国际货币基金组织将需要寻找一位新的领导人。多米尼克·斯特劳斯-卡恩（Dominique Strauss-Kahn）已经辞去总裁职务。斯特劳斯-卡恩被指控上周六在纽约一家酒店性侵犯一位女清洁工。他在周四国际货币基金组织发布的辞职信中，态度坚决地否认了这一指控。

His fall has especially shocked Europe. The IMF is currently playing a major part in rescue loans to Greece, Ireland and Portugal. European nations have increasingly depended on the fund to help them in their recent struggles with debt.

他的落马使欧洲尤为震动。国际货币基金组织当前在希腊、爱尔兰和葡萄牙的救援贷款中发挥着重要作用。欧洲国家在解决最近的债务危机中越来越依赖于国际货币基金的帮助。

The IMF and the World Bank grew out of an international conference held in the United States in nineteen forty-four. They were created as ways to support economic cooperation and development.

国际货币基金组织和世界银行源自1944年在美国召开的一次国际会议。它们设立的目的是为了支持（国际）经济合作与发展。

Both are both based in Washington. The World Bank has traditionally been led by an American and the IMF by a European.

两者总部都位于华盛顿。世界银行历来由美国主导，而国际货币基金组织由欧洲主导。

But fast-growing economies in the developing world say it is time for a change. Officials from Brazil, China and India say Mr. Strauss-Kahn's replacement 2 should come from outside Europe.

但发展中国家中的快速增长经济体表示，是时候改变这一状况了。来自巴西、中国和印度的官员表示，斯特劳斯-卡恩的替代者应该来自欧洲以外的国家。

German Chancellor 3 Angela Merkel, leader of Europe's biggest economy, disagrees.

作为欧洲最大经济体领导人的德国总理安格拉·默克尔(Angela Merkel)表示不同意。

ANGELA MERKEL: "In the present situation, when we have significant problems with the euro and the IMF is very much involved there, there should be a European candidate with support from the international community."

默克尔：“在目前欧元存在严重问题，而国际货币基金组织与此牵涉很深这样一种情况下，应该有一位取得国际社会支持的欧洲候选人。”

The main job of the IMF is to help make sure payments flow smoothly 4 between nations. Sometimes this means providing loans so governments can meet debt payments.

国际货币基金组织的主要职责是确保各国之间支出流动平稳。有时这意味着向一些国家提供贷款，以便该国政府能够偿付债务。

The money it lends comes mostly from "quotas 5" -- financial promises made by its members. One hundred eighty-seven nations belong to the IMF. The lender currently has about two hundred fifty billion dollars in approved loans. Most of these loans have not yet been used, or drawn 6 down.

该组织出借的钱来自“配额”--由组织成员作出的财务承诺。世界上有187个国家属于国际货币基金组织。当前该组织约有2500亿认证贷款。大部分贷款未被使用或提取。（注：这个所谓的approved loans应该是指特别提款权。）

What effect the resignation of Dominique Strauss-Kahn will have is unclear. He was praised as a skillful negotiator in dealing 7 with Europe and the global financial crisis.

斯特劳斯-卡恩的辞职将造成什么影响尚不得而知。斯特劳斯-卡恩被称赞为处理欧洲和国际金融危机的熟练谈判家。

STEPHANIE RICKARD: "But the actual negotiations 8 of the loan conditions on the ground is done by technocratic 9 economists 10, staff members at the IMF, and they're going to continue to do their job."

史蒂芬妮·里卡德(STEPHANIE RICKARD)：“但具体操作中的贷款条件的实际谈判是由作为国际货币基金组织工作人员的专业经济学家完成的。而他们将继续做好自己的工作。”

Stephanie Rickard is an expert on the IMF and World Bank at the London School of Economics.

里卡德是伦敦经济学院一位任职于国际货币基金组织和世界银行的专家。

Dominique Strauss-Kahn became managing director in two thousand seven. The Frenchman widely known as DSK is a member of France's Socialist 11 party. Before his arrest, he was considered a leading candidate for France's presidential election next year.

斯特劳斯-卡恩2007年成为国际货币基金组织总裁。这位法国人被众人称为DSK（昵称，来自名字缩写），他是法国社会党成员。在被逮捕之前，他被认为是明年法国总统大选的主要候选人之一。