(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
Development banking in Asia has been in the news lately. Last year, China proposed creation of a development bank called the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. Chinese officials say the institution would help finance infrastructure projects throughout Asia.
The area has a need for better roads and other infrastructure, including ports and power supplies. The Asian Development Bank, another organization, was set up to reduce poverty in Asia and the Pacific. It estimated last May that the Asia-Pacific area needs about $800 billion a year in infrastructure development.
China reports that more than 20 countries have agreed to be founding members of the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank, or AIIB. Recently, some European powers added themselves to the list. U.S. allies Britain, Germany, France and Italy have joined up. So has South Korea. And Australia has agreed to move forward with negotiations.
The United States, however, has said it is concerned about the governance of the AIIB. It has urged countries to consider the bank's standards, its social and environmental policies, before joining.
Some observers say the United States should join the bank as a founding member. Asia expert Alejandro Reyes said the way the U.S. has dealt with the bank shows outdated thinking.
Yet other observers have said it is unlikely the U.S. will do so. The last day to become a founding member is March 31st.
Robert Kahn is a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. He said U.S. officials are concerned that the AIIB may be seeking to replace existing institutions, such as the World Bank and Asian Development Bank.
"In a world with the better politics, the United States would be joining this institution, but because of the environment on the Hill (in Washington), the United States is not only not in position where it could join this institution and get it approved by Congress, it cannot get even basic reform in the IMF through in a way that would make the existing institutions more attractive to the rising powers."
The U.S. Congress has failed to approve reforms of voting rights for the International Monetary Fund. The delay has led China and other countries to consider setting up their own institutions as a way to gain more influence in world economic governance.
Still, officials at the IMF, World Bank and Asian Development Bank say they are looking for ways to cooperate with the AIIB.
U.S. officials say they welcome new multi-lateral institutions that would observe high standards that the international community has built. China says it will uphold high standards. But most details will not become clear until the new bank is operational.
The bank is expected to start with $100 billion in capital, mostly from China.
Experts say it remains to be seen how China will take on a leadership position in the AIIB or whether it will work with existing organizations. Tom Wright is director of the Project of International Order and Strategy at the Brookings Institution in Washington, DC.
"This is not the end. It really is just [the] beginning and especially the beginning of a new chapter for China. It set up this bank, it said it is going to take a leadership position, but huge questions still hang over how it is going to behave."
China considers itself in a good position to carry out infrastructure projects in Asia. However, it has depended on state-owned companies and labor when working overseas.
Using international labor standards rather than Chinese labor rules would be a step forward, says economist Liu Li-gang of the ANZ Banking Group. He says China should open up competition for bank-supported projects. He said this will reduce criticism from often linked to Chinese foreign investment.
I'm Mario Ritter.
词汇解释
1.outdated adj. 过时的；旧式的 v. 使过时（outdate的过去式和过去分词）
Outdated ideas should be rooted out.
陈旧的思想观念应当肃清。
2.governance n. 管理；统治；支配
Wrong laws make short governance.
不健全的法律统治不长。
3.uphold vt. 支撑；鼓励；赞成；举起
The high court upheld the lower court's decision.
高级法院维持低级法院的判决。
内容解析
1.China considers itself in a good position to carry out infrastructure projects in Asia.
in a position to 能够，可以
The government was not in a position to provide them with food.
政府不可能给他们提供食物。
The merger puts the firm in a position to triple its earnings.
合并可使公司利润增长两倍。
参考译文
亚洲的开发银行业务最近备受关注，去年，中国提议成立名为“亚洲基础设施投资银行”的开发银行，中国官方称该机构将给整个亚洲的基础设施项目提供融资。
该地区有着改善道路和包括港口、电力设施在内基础设施的需求，另一个组织亚洲开发银行是为减少亚洲和太平洋地区的贫困而成立，该银行去年5月估计亚太地区在基础设施开发方面每年需要大约8000亿美元的资金。
中国报道称有20多个国家已经决定成为亚洲基础设施投资银行(AIIB)的成员国，最近，一些欧洲大国也加入进来。美国的盟友英国、德国、法国和意大利都已经加入，韩国也已加入，澳大利亚同意做进一步协商。
然而美国表示担心AIIB的管理问题，并敦促各国在加入之前考虑该银行的标准、社会和环境政策。
一些观察家称美国应该加入该银行，亚洲问题专家亚历杭德罗·雷耶斯称美国面对该银行的方式表现出过时的思维。
然而，一些观察家称美国不可能加入，成为创始成员国的最后时限是3月31日。
罗伯特·卡恩是外交关系理事会高级成员，他说美国官方担心AIIB可能意在代替现存的机构，包括世界银行和亚洲开发银行。
“在政治环境好转的情况下，美国可能会加入该银行，但考虑到华盛顿的局面，美国不仅没有能力加入该机构并获得国会批准，甚至无法对国际货币基金组织进行根本的改革，从而使这个现有机构对新兴大国更具吸引力。”
美国国会未能批准对国际货币基金组织投票权进行改革的提议，这样的耽搁就使得中国等国家考虑成立自己的银行，从而在世界经济治理中获得更大的影响力。
不过，国际货币基金组织、世界银行和亚洲开发银行的官员都表示正寻找办法与AIIB进行合作。
美国官方称欢迎那些遵守国际社会现有高标准的新的多边机构，中国称将遵守高标准，但在新银行开始运作之前，大多数细节并不清楚。
预计该银行将以1000亿美元的资金开始运营，资金大部分来自中国。
专家称将观望中国将如何在AIIB中发挥领导角色，看是否会与现有机构进行合作。汤姆·怀特是华盛顿布鲁金斯学会国际秩序与战略项目主任。
“好戏还在后面，这只是开始，尤其是中国新篇章的开始，中国成立这家银行，称准备担当领导角色，但在如何履行角色方面仍存在巨大疑问。”
中国自认为有能力承担亚洲的基础设施项目，然而在海外运营时需要依靠国有企业和劳动力。
澳新银行集团的经济学家刘利刚说，采取国际劳工标准而不是中国劳动法将是一个进步，他说中国应该开放银行支持项目的竞争，称这将减少通常与中国海外投资有关的批评。
我是马里奥·利特。
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