(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
Zimbabwe announced last week that it would shift to the Chinese yuan as its reserve currency.
A reserve currency is a foreign currency held in large quantities by governments and financial institutions to pay international debts.
"Reserve currency is held in order to support the value of national currencies," writes Justin Kuepper, international investing expert, on the website International Invest.
Patrick Chinamasa is Zimbabwe's Minister of Finance and Economic Development. He said China agreed to cancel about $40 million of Zimbabwe's debts this year.
He also said the move was a sign of the friendship between China and Zimbabwe, a poor country in southern Africa.
It is also a sign of the growing economic ties between China and Zimbabwe. China is Zimbabwe's largest foreign investor, with interests ranging from construction and energy to telecommunications.
China has also become the largest exporter of Zimbabwean products – mainly tobacco and minerals, such as gold and diamonds.
Local economists said Zimbabwe is flooded with foreign currencies since the inflated Zimbabwean dollar collapsed in 2009.
In 2014, the nation's central bank permitted traders to use the U.S. dollar, the South African rand, Botswana's pula, the British pound, the euro, the Australian dollar, the Indian rupee, the Japanese yen and the Chinese yuan.
Business consultant Phillip Chiconi says this announcement is unlikely to change things for the businessmen with whom he works.
"I don't think it will make much difference to anyone, as we're already using foreign currencies," he said.
Zimbabwe has allowed the yuan as a legal currency for two years. But Chiconi said he has not seen it used. Instead, most traders prefer the stability of the U.S. dollar, which is being used as the country's major currency.
Zimbabwe suffered economic collapse after years of government mismanagement. That caused the Zimbabwean dollar to inflate above 230 million percent.
Although the central bank printed a 100-trillion-dollar bill, it didn't buy much. A loaf of bread cost $300 billion. The currency was done away with in 2009.
The market has stabilized by the U.S. dollar. But Zimbabwe's cost of living is still about 60 percent higher than that of neighboring South Africa.
BancABC chief economist James Wade says the yuan increases Zimbabwe's options.
"It's not like we're forcing people to use the Chinese yuan," he said. "... we are expanding options that they can use."
And, he notes, the context matters. China's president made a state visit to Zimbabwe this month, and signed many economic agreements. This included a billion-dollar loan for a thermal power plant.
If this action brings in more Chinese investment and more development, Zimbabweans will profit, no matter what currency they use.
I'm Mary Gotschall.
词汇解释
1.inflated adj. 通货膨胀的；充了气的；价格飞涨的；（植物）肿胀的 v. 膨胀（inflate的过去式和过去分词）；使充气；抬高（物价）
They had to buy everything at inflated prices at the ranch shop.
他们不得不以高价购买牧场商店里的各种物品。
2.mismanagement n. 管理不善；处置失当
His gross mismanagement left the company desperately in need of restructuring.
他处理事务的严重不当使得公司急需重组。
3.loaf n. 条，一条面包；块；游荡 vt. 游荡；游手好闲；虚度光阴 vi. 游荡；游手好闲；虚度光阴
The proposal could put 3p on a loaf of bread.
这项提议会使每个面包的成本增加3便士。
4.reserve currency 储备货币
I think the dollar remains the world dollar dominant reserve currency.
我认为美元任然是世界上占主导地位的存储货币。
内容解析
1.Zimbabwe announced last week that it would shift to the Chinese yuan as its reserve currency.
shift to 转向
They see the shift to the right as a worldwide phenomenon.
他们认为政治上的右翼倾向是一个世界现象。
They discovered the danger in time, and made shift to avert it.
他们及时地发现了这个危险, 连忙设法挽救过来。
2.Although the central bank printed a 100-trillion-dollar bill, it didn't buy much. A loaf of bread cost $300 billion. The currency was done away with in 2009.
be done away with 结束
Computers have done away with a lot of the repetitive work.
有了计算机就不必再做很多重复性的劳动。
Trivial formalities have been done away with.
繁琐礼节都取消了。
参考译文
津巴布韦上周宣布将把人民币作为储备货币。
储备货币是政府和金融机构大量持有的、用于支付国际债务的外国货币。
国际投资网的国际投资专家贾斯丁·库博说，“持有储备货币是为了支撑国家货币的价值。”
帕特里克是津巴布韦金融与经济发展部长，他说今年中国同意取消津巴布韦的大约4000万美元的债务。
他还说，此举是为了表示中国和津巴布韦这个南非穷国的友谊。
这同时也表明了中国与津巴布韦日益紧密的经济关系，中国是津巴布韦最大的外国投资者，其在津巴布韦的利益涉及建筑业、能源业与电信业等。
中国还是津巴布韦产品的最大出口方，主要是烟草和矿产，比如金和钻石。
当地经济学家称，自从通胀的津巴布韦货币2009年崩溃以来，津巴布韦就充斥着外国货币。
2014年，该国央行允许交易者使用美元、南非兰特、博兹瓦纳普拉、英镑、欧元、澳元、印度卢比、日元和人民币。
商业顾问菲利普说这一声明不可能改变自己商业合作伙伴的业务。
“我认为这对大家的影响不大，因为我们已经在使用外国货币了。”
津巴布韦将人民币作为合法货币已经两年了，但菲利普说没用看到谁在使用人民币。相反，大多数交易者更青睐美元的稳定性，美元已经是津巴布韦的主要货币。
多年的政府管理不善导致津巴布韦经济崩溃，这导致津巴布韦货币通胀了2.3亿个百分点。
尽管央行印制了面值100万亿元的钞票，但它买不了什么。一条面包要3000亿，这种货币2009年被废除。
目前美元已将市场稳定下来，但津巴布韦的生活成本仍比邻国的南非高60%。
Banabc首席经济学家詹姆斯·沃德称人民币给了津巴布韦更多选择。
“我们不可能逼迫人们使用人民币，我们只能给他们提供更多选择。”
他说大背景也很重要，本月中国的国家主席对津巴布韦进行国事访问，签署了多个经济协议，其中包括为一个热能发电厂提供10亿美元的借款。
如果此举能带来更多的中国投资，不管使用什么货币，津巴布韦将都将获利。
我是玛丽·歌切尔。
