听力文本

From VOA Learning English, this is the Economics Report.

The African Union has held countless meetings and conferences on how to increase trade between African countries, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) has organized similar gatherings. Yet these efforts have failed to lead to a increase in intra-Africa trade.

Currently, African countries do only 11 percent of their foreign trade with other countries on the continent. By comparison, Asian countries do 50 percent of their trade with Asian countries. Last year, the world bank reported that Africa loses billions of dollars every year because of trade barriers.

This past July, a U.N. report urged African governments to provide more support to private businesses, reduce trade barriers and expand public services. The slow progress makes it difficult for companies to do business in surrounding countries.

Jittu Horticulture PLC is Ethiopia's biggest exporter of horticulture products. The company's General Manager Jan Prins says Ethiopia has huge possibilities for trade, but he says there are too many difficulties when attempting to trade with neighboring countries.

"The major challenge is to reach these markets. And it can either be logistic problems like over flooded border areas, bad roads or no roads, trade barriers, political issues or security issues. For Ethiopia it is very difficult to reach the markets in the surrounding countries."

Problems getting visas, corruption and high transportation costs are some of the barriers companies face when they attempt to trade within the continent. A truck in Africa will travel, on average, just nine kilometers an hour because of the many security or inspection stations. As a result, 40 percent of the cost of product is for transportation.

Intra-Africa trade, both imports and exports, totaled $131 billion in 2011. African Union countries have agreed to make the continent a free trade zone by 2017. Treasure Maphanga is the Director of the AU's Trade and Industry Department, she says governments must make that goal of a continental free trade area a reality.

"I see that in many countries there is political will that exists at a certain level. Intra-Africa trade does not just depend on one ministry, it does not just depend on the head of state. It depends on the whole government machinery. And coordinating toward a specific goal."

The African Union will hold another conference on increasing Intra-Africa trade at the end of October.

That is the Economics Report from VOA Learning English, I'm Bob Doughty.

译文属可可原创，仅供学习交流使用，未经许可请勿转载

词汇解释

1.trade barrier 贸易壁垒

Trade barrier is broken gradually, country economy is more free.
贸易壁垒被逐渐打破，各国经济更为自由]A1Rrf9#hL!K-z,7s(_+。

2.horticulture n. 园艺，园艺学

It is forbidden to occupy basic farmland to develop horticulture or dig ponds to breed fish.
禁止占用基本农田发展林果业和挖塘养鱼ps&,2;epiiq。

3.logistics n. [军] 后勤；后勤学；物流

Logistics is now more important in our industry than technology.
物流目前在我们这一行比技术还重要j5QEuum@0qj,。

4.inspection n. 视察，检查

Inspection is cordially invited.
恳请莅临视察FgsO=uW~0)%b@,du|。

内容解析

1.Yet these efforts have failed to lead to a increase in intra-Africa trade.

lead to 导致；通向

Heart failure led to her father's death.
心力衰竭导致她父亲的死亡!*WU=teos+E2;p;USco。

The street leads to the supermarket.
这条街通向超级市场n4,*.F+_Jnl1H&Gy.A)。

2.Intra-Africa trade does not just depend on one ministry, it does not just depend on the head of state. It depends on the whole government machinery.

depend on 取决于；依赖；依靠；信任，信赖，确信，信任，对…有信心：取决于，依…而定：

My wife and daughter depend on me for their living.
我妻子女儿靠我生活V#2)jM8Po^h[GBm6=fqp。

Your advancement depends on your worth ——your ability.
你的晋升取决于你自己的价值，即你的能力SpFEqvmQ|Z%^a7H^U。

参考译文

这里是美国之音慢速英语经济报道vsCq#Tsh8f%vppj。

非盟已久如何增加非洲国家之间的贸易举行了无数次会议，联合国非洲经济委员会(UNECA)也组织了类似的会议，然而所有这些努力都未能增加非洲各国间的贸易u]-UBFk,A%@。

最近，非洲国家和这片大陆上其他国家的外贸只占了全部贸易额的11%Iu(ZP0GUUZ8=。但相比之下，亚洲与非洲国家的贸易占总贸易量的50%zI*&3Z&_7^d=)XR_=g。去年，世界银行报道称由于贸易障碍，非洲每年损失数十亿美元gjtkn3)~xq7EkG6。

今年7月份，一份联合国报告敦促非洲政府向企业提供更多支持，减少贸易障碍，扩大公共服务M;1gUKW.GT@~ATqkMvFt。进展缓慢使得公司在邻国做生意很难V2xRV~%-BNh4+%4L。

Jittu Horticulture PLC是埃塞俄比亚最大的园艺产品出口商，公司经理简·普林斯说埃塞俄比亚在贸易方面有很大的潜能，但他说在试图与邻国进行贸易时会有太多困难%XXI[fPKRk。

“最大的挑战是进入市场，或是物流问题，诸如邻近地区受灾、道路不好或者没有道路、贸易障碍、政治问题或安全问题BOp2(=]&#MZFz_TA。对埃塞俄比亚来说，进入邻国市场是非常困难的28Vp)r]VF~nvfX。”

获得签证问题、腐败和高运输成本都是公司在大陆内做生意时遇到的障碍，由于存在许多安检站和检查站，一辆卡车在非洲每小时平均只能行驶9公里Y6nuze_gf76|ZlY)yE-。结果，运输占了产品40%的成本vhga7eeH1Em^gkq。

2011年非洲各国间的贸易，包括进口和出口的总额是1310亿美元D~GYaYzI]Ch0)d9Pv。非盟国家同意在2017年前将非洲建设成自由贸易区，Treasure Maphanga是非盟贸易和工业部主任，她说各国政府必须将非洲大陆成为自由贸易区的目标成为现实0rjx6!GP_UzMxthn。

“我看到很多国家在一定层面上都存在着政治意愿，非洲内的贸易不仅依赖于一个部，不仅依靠国家元首，还依靠整个政府机器，通过协调向一个特定目标努力iFbw#E[o@c,1。”

非盟将在10月底就增加非洲内部贸易举行另一次会议QDlfx%-U9i4。

这里是美国之音慢速英语经济报道，我是鲍勃·多迪XIx|3)_j))CIsvP。

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