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Dubai: Boom and Bust in the Desert 杜拜：沙漠奇迹，幻灭神话？

 

课文朗读

 

课文讲解

 

繁體中文譯本

 

Who said that nothing can grow in the desert? Out of the windswept sand dunes of the Arabian Peninsula, a modern economic miracle has sprouted – Dubai.

谁说沙漠里长不出东西？在阿拉伯半岛狂风吹扫的沙丘中，一个现代的经济奇迹就这么萌芽而发──杜拜。

 

Dubai is a city-state located in the Persian Gulf which, despite being only one-ninth of the size of Taiwan, has boasted an economy worth billions of U.S. dollars. Unlike many of the rich states around it, Dubai’s wealth is not dependent on huge reserves of oil. In fact, oil accounts for merely 6% of its total GDP. Driven by its ambitious ruler Sheikh Mohammed, Dubai has built itself up as a service- and tourism-oriented economy, investing massively in spectacular construction projects.

杜拜是位于波斯湾上的城邦国家，虽然面积只有台湾的九分之一大，却拥有价值好几十亿美元的经济总值。不同于周围其他富有的城邦，杜拜的财富并非倚赖庞大的石油储藏量。事实上，石油仅占其国内生产毛额的百分之六。受到其野心勃勃的统治者穆罕默德所驱使，杜拜为自身开发服务及观光导向的经济，大举投资多项壮观的建筑计划。

 

Back in the mid-1990s, Dubai was just a small trading port. But then the amazing transformation began. Between 1995 and 2005, its economy grew by 230% as it remodeled itself as an international financial hub and tourist destination. The establishment of the Dubai International Financial Center in 2004 was a sign of Dubai’s intention to rival the world’s financial capitals: New York, London, and Hong Kong.

回顾1990年代中期，杜拜不过是个小小的贸易港口，不过之后就发生了不可思议的转变。在1995至2005年间，杜拜的经济成长率高达百分之230，将国家重新塑造为国际金融中心及观光胜地。2004年兴建的杜拜国际金融中心就是一大表征，展现其想与纽约、伦敦及香港等世界金融首都抗衡的意图。

 

For the most visible demonstration of Dubai’s ambition, you need only look upward – 818 meters upward, to be precise. The Burj Khalifa, formerly known as Burj Dubai, is the world’s tallest building, having just taken the crown from Taipei 101. Chief among Dubai’s other tourist draws are the world’s only seven-star hotel, the sail-shaped Burj Al Arab, and the Palm Jumeriah, an island resort built to resemble a giant palm tree. After all, if a city can grow from the desert, why can’t palm tree emerge from the sea?

想见识杜拜雄心壮志的最佳例证，你只要抬头往上看即可，精确地说是往上818公尺。哈里发塔（原名为杜拜塔）是世界上最高的建筑物，最近才刚从台北101手中接下这份殊荣。杜拜其他主要的观光景点包括世界上唯一的七星级饭店Burj Al Arab帆船饭店，还有整座特地建成巨型棕榈树形状的度假胜地朱美拉岛。毕竟，如果沙漠中都可以出现这么一个欣欣向荣的城市，那么为什么海面上不能长出棕榈树呢？

 

Vocabulary

单词发音

 

boom [bum] n.（商业等的）繁荣

reserve [rɪˋzɝv] n. 储藏量

merely [ˋmɪrlɪ] adv. 仅仅，不过

ambitious [æmˋbɪʃəs] adj. 有雄心的；野心勃勃的

invest [ɪnˋvɛst] v. 投（资）

massively [ˋmæsɪvlɪ] adv. 大大地；大量地

transformation [͵trænsfɚˋmeʃən] n. 转变

financial [faɪˋnænʃəl] adj. 财政的；金融的

establishment [ɪsˋtæblɪʃmənt] n. 建立；设立

intention [ɪnˋtɛnʃən] n. 意图，意向，目的

rival [ˋraɪv!] v. 与……竞争

demonstration [͵dɛmənˋstreʃən] n. 证明

resort [rɪˋzɔrt] n. 常去的休闲度假之处；名胜

resemble [rɪˋzɛmb!] v. 像，类似

 

More Information

单词发音

 

boom and bust 大繁荣后紧接着发生严重的不景气; 景气循环

windswept [ˋwɪnd͵swɛpt] adj. 被风吹扫的；暴露在风中的；迎风的

dune [djun] n.（风吹积成的）沙丘

peninsula [pəˋnɪnsələ] n. 半岛

sprout [spraʊt] v. 发芽; 〔树叶或新芽〕开始长出来

gulf [gʌlf] n. 海湾

account for（在数量、比例上）占 to form the total of an amount of something

oriented [ˋɑrɪɛntɪd] adj. 以……为方向的，以……为目的的

remodel [riˋmɑd!] v. 重新塑造; 改制；改建

 

 

 

课文朗读

 

课文讲解

 

They say that all good things must come to an end. In the case of Dubai’s economic miracle, there are signs that the end could already be drawing near.

人们说一切美好之事都有结束的时候。至于杜拜的经济奇迹，从些许预兆可以看出它离终点越来越近了。

 

When a worldwide economic crisis, almost unprecedented in scale, began to sweep across the world in late 2008, Dubai was not spared its ill effects.Previously confident foreign investor started to get cold feet and pull out of deals, resulting in the suspension of construction projects. Then, in November 2009, Dubai’s faltering economy became headline news everywhere when the state-owned Dubai World asked its creditor bank for a six-month delay on loan repayments, totaling US$60 billion. As evidence of the delicate and interconnected nature of financial markets, stocks and currency values across the world plunged at the news.

2008年尾声，当规模大到不可置信的世界金融危机开始袭击全球时，杜拜也未从狂潮中幸免。先前信心十足的投资者开始畏怯，从交易中抽手，导致多项建筑计划搁置无进展。接着在2009年11月，杜拜经济摇摇欲坠的消息上了世界各地的头条新闻，国营的杜拜世界公司请求债权银行将还款期限展延半年，其债务总值达600亿美元。由于金融市场相当脆弱，且彼此间相互联系，新闻一爆发，全球的股票及币值在新闻爆发的同时都随之暴跌。

 

For many observers, Dubai’s fall from grace has been no great surprise. Dubai’s economy has been labeled a “bubble,” referring to its unsustainable rate of growth which is destined to eventually burst. The impatient Sheikh Mohammed chose to take the shortcut to success by borrowing huge amounts of money to get projects off the ground. Now, with many of these high-profile projects struggling and the state stuck with massive debts, this gamble appears to have backfired.

对很多观察者来说，杜拜名誉扫地可不是什么出人意料的事。杜拜的经济被戏称为「泡沫」，指的是其经济成长率无法持续，且最后将破灭成为幻影。心急的领导者穆罕默德选择走成功的快捷方式，债台高筑只为了使计划能「万丈高楼平地起」。而现在，很多吸睛的计划都在苦撑，国家也受制于自身的巨额债务，这个赌注看来是弄巧成拙、适得其反了。

 

It is too early to write Dubai’s obituary just yet. However, if this fairy tale is to have a happy ending, then short-term, get-rich-quick thinking will need to be ditched in favor of a more long-term, sustainable approach. The challenge now for Dubai is to prove to the world that its economy is built on something more solid than sand.

现在要写杜拜的讣闻还太早。不过，如果这个沙漠童话要有幸福美满的结局，就要摒弃想走小路、一夜致富的思维，选择有远见、能长期维持的作法。对于杜拜来说，现在的挑战就是要向全世界证明，它们的经济建立在比沙子还要稳固的基础上。

 

−by David Vickers

 

Vocabulary

单词发音

 

crisis [ˋkraɪsɪs] n. 危机

unprecedented [ʌnˋprɛsə͵dɛntɪd] adj. 无先例的，空前的

spare [spɛr] v. 使免遭；免去；解除

previously [ˋpriviəslɪ] adv. 事先；以前

get cold feet【口】临阵退缩或胆怯  to suddenly become too frightened to do something you had planned to do, especially something important like getting married

faltering [`fɔltərɪŋ] adj. 踌躇的; 犹豫的; 摇晃的

headline [ˋhɛd͵laɪn] n.（报纸等的）标题；大标题

loan [lon] n. 贷款

plunge [plʌndʒ] v. 暴跌，骤降

shortcut [ˋʃɔrt͵kʌt] n. 快捷方式

get something off the ground 起飞；顺利开始 to get something started

ditch [dɪtʃ] v.【俚】抛弃，丢弃 to get rid of; discard

approach [əˋprotʃ] n. 方法，门径

solid [ˋsɑlɪd] adj. 牢靠的，稳固的

 

More Information

单词发音

 

draw near 接近，靠近 approach

ill effect 恶果 if something has ill effects, it causes problems or damage

pull out of  退出，取消 withdraw

suspension [səˋspɛnʃən] n. 暂停；中止

creditor bank 债权银行

delicate [ˋdɛləkət] adj. 脆弱的

interconnect [͵ɪntɚkəˋnɛkt] v. 使互相连接；使互相联系

fall from grace 失宠; 失去天恩；失落的荣耀

destined [ˋdɛstɪnd] adj. 命中注定的

high-profile 高姿态的；立场明确的；倍受瞩目的

backfire [ˋbækˋfaɪr] v. 产生和预期情况完全相反的结果；事与愿违

obituary [əˋbɪtʃʊ͵ɛrɪ] n. 讣告﹐讣闻﹐讣文

get-rich-quick [ˋgɛtˋrɪtʃˋkwɪk] adj. 想发横财的 to make a lot of money in a short time

in favor of 支持……；有利于…… because one prefer something

 

 

Reading Questions

 

1. Which of the following is NOT true of Dubai?

A. It is wealthy mostly because of its supply of oil.

B. Its ruler is determined to achieve many goals.

C. In the mid-1990s, Dubai couldn’t compete with London and Hong Kong.

D. The Burj Khalifa is a symbol of Dubai’s growth and competitiveness.

 

2. What is the economy of Dubai based on?

A. Exporting large amounts of natural resources.

B. Selling luxury goods to the wealthy elite.

C. Sending laborers abroad.

D. The service and tourism industries.

 

3. What happened to Dubai during the global financial crisis?

A. It was slightly affected, but investment remained the same.

B. Its economy suffered, just as many did around the world.

C. It went about business as usual, unaware of what was happening.

D. Against all odds, its economy actually improved.

 

4. What does the article imply about Dubai?

A. The industries based in Dubai are all doomed to fail.

B. Dubai undoubtedly has the strongest economy in the world.

C. A change in attitude is needed to ensure Dubai’s future success.

D. Those in charge of Dubai should stay on their present course.

 

against all odds  尽管极为不利或遭强烈反对 despite very low probability; in a most unlikely way

 

 

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Answer

1. ( A )

2. ( D )

3. ( B )

4. ( C )