VOA标准英语2012--International Cooperation Under Strain
时间：2019-01-13 作者：英语课 分类：VOA标准英语2012年(九月)
International Cooperation Under Strain
The World Trade Organization is holding its annual public forum 1 in Geneva. Representatives from governments, NGOs, business and academia are debating whether international cooperation is suffering in these turbulent times.
The WTO is posing the question: Is multilateralism in crisis? One of the ways it’s defined is a group of countries working together on a particular issue, whether it be a trade pact 2, a voting bloc 3 or a military alliance.
WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy gave the 2012 Public Forum’s opening address.
“This year, like last year, has been marked by extraordinary turbulence 4, sluggish 5 economic growth rates, high unemployment. Newly released figures on world trade that are just worrying. And in this slowdown no one has been spared,” he said.
Lamy said this year’s turmoil 6 goes beyond economics.
“Like last year, political turbulence is rampant 7 across the globe. Food prices are starting to rise once again, although not in the same alarming fashion. And the climate crisis is continuing to go unabated.”
The rise of emerging economies, he said, is bringing “new and stronger voices from the developing world” that are saying loud and clear “the rules of the multilateral system must change.”
The WTO chief said he agrees that the “rules of the game are in need of adjustment” -- whether in trade, economics, the environment or food security.
“Governments are not only struggling to cope with the vast panoply 8 of domestic problems that they are confronted with, but they must do this against a landscape in which their relative powers have also changed,” he said.
Citizens, he said, are asking for “the right to a decent living.”
“They want jobs. They want human rights. They want dignity. The question then becomes can multilateral cooperation live up to their expectations? Will the international community be able to rise to the multiple challenges with which it is confronted today?”
Lamy said while multilateralism is facing obstacles, he is still somewhat optimistic. He says, for example, the many U.N. agencies based in Geneva are “symbols of international cooperation” – agencies “that rose out of the ashes of two world wars.”
“Yes, the challenges we face today are multiple and, yes, multilateralism is struggling, but we have proven ourselves to be up to the task before and I think we can be up to it again.” He said.
The World Trade Organization Public Forum runs through Wednesday, September 26th.
- They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
- The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。
- The two opposition parties made an electoral pact.那两个反对党订了一个有关选举的协定。
- The trade pact between those two countries came to an end.那两国的通商协定宣告结束。
- A solid bloc of union members support the decision.工会会员团结起来支持该决定。
- There have been growing tensions within the trading bloc.贸易同盟国的关系越来越紧张。
- The turbulence caused the plane to turn over.空气的激流导致飞机翻转。
- The world advances amidst turbulence.世界在动荡中前进。
- This humid heat makes you feel rather sluggish.这种湿热的天气使人感到懒洋洋的。
- Circulation is much more sluggish in the feet than in the hands.脚部的循环比手部的循环缓慢得多。
- 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。
- Sickness was rampant in the area.该地区疾病蔓延。
- You cannot allow children to rampant through the museum.你不能任由小孩子在博物馆里乱跑。