From VOA Learning English this is As It Is. I'm Anna Matteo in Washington.
这里是美国之音英语学习As It Is节目。我是安娜·马特奥，在华盛顿为你报道。
On this Saturday's show we will hear about issues affecting the economy in India and social reform in Burma. We will also explore how upcoming national elections could affect both countries.
在这期周六的节目中，我们将听到有关影响印度经济和缅甸社会改革的一些问题。我们还将探讨即将到来的全国大选对这两个国家将会有何影响。
Social reform in Burma seems to be slowing. And experts wonder how the upcoming election in 2015 will affect foreign investment there. Keep listening to learn more in the second half of our show.
缅甸的社会改革似乎正在放缓。专家们想知道，2015年即将举行的大选将如何影响缅甸的外国投资。请继续收听我们节目的下半部分了解更多信息。
But first, Mario Ritter reports on some possible good news for India's slow-growing economy.
但首先，马里奥·利特为你带来印度缓慢增长的经济一些可能利好。
Hopes Rise That India's Economy Will Improve
印度经济增长预期加大
India is hoping its economy will improve. In the last two years, economic growth dropped to its lowest levels in ten years. But there are few signs that the economy could return to the high growth rates that once made India one of the world's fastest-growing economies.
印度正希望其经济会有所改善。在过去两年中，印度经济增长下降至十年以来的最低水平。但鲜有迹象表明经济能够回到曾经让印度成为世界增长最快的经济体之一的高增长率。
Gurdet Singh grows crops on about 40 hectares of fertile land in northern Punjab state. The area is financially successful because of farming. Mr. Singh says he plans to buy a new and bigger tractor to make his work easier. Mr. Singh is so successful that he hopes to buy a car after he pays the loans for his new tractor.
辛格（Gurdet Singh）在印度北部旁遮普州大约40公顷的肥沃土地上种植农作物。由于农业，该地区颇具经济实力。辛格先生表示，他计划购买一台新的大型拖拉机使自己的工作更轻松。辛格先生成就斐然，因而他希望在还完新拖拉机贷款后购买一台汽车。
India's automobile manufacturers have suffered severe financial problems during the past two years. Industry officials are hoping that people like Mr. Singh and others in rural areas will begin buying cars again.
印度汽车制造商在过去两年遇到了严重的财政问题。行业官员希望像辛格和农村地区的其他人将会再次开始购买汽车。
Vishnu Mathur is the head of the Society of Automobile Manufacturers of India. He says there is weak demand in urban areas for passenger cars. But, he says economic gains in India's rural areas could help carmakers.
马图尔(Vishnu Mathur)是印度汽车制造商协会负责人。他表示，农村地区对乘用车的需求疲软，但他表示，印度农村地区的经济增长能帮助到汽车制造商。
The Indian Rupee as flower decoration.Good feelings about the car industry may be a sign that the worst could be over for the Indian economy. But, they say the country's agricultural industry will show better growth. The Indian currency, the rupee, lost more than 20 per cent of its value compared to the dollar last year. That should help India's exports, which are increasing.
对汽车行业的看好可能是印度经济最坏的情况即将过去的一种迹象。专家们认为，当今年3月份2013财年结束时，印度经济增长将低于5%。但他们表示，该国的农业行业将呈现较好增长。与美元相比，印度货币卢比去年贬值超过20%，这应该有助于印度正在增长的出口。
Rafique Ahmed is the head of the Federation of Indian Export Organizations. He says exports are growing because of the devalued rupee and better global economic conditions.
拉菲克·艾哈迈德（Rafique Ahmed）是印度出口组织联合会的负责人。他说，出口增长是由于卢比贬值和全球经济状况改善。
While growth is widely expected to increase, economists say it is unlikely to reach levels seen in 2011, for example, when growth was nine percent.
虽然经济学家普遍预期增速将提高，但他们表示增速不可能达到2011年的水平，当时印度经济增速是9%。
Economists say confidence among investors -- both in India and in other countries -- must return before the Indian economy can improve. Private investment has slowed because investors are concerned by the lack of reform and government barriers to business. Many investors and businesses are waiting to see whom voters will choose to lead the country in national elections to be held by May.
经济学家表示，投资者信心 - 无论是在印度还是其他国家 - 必须恢复如初，印度经济才可能改善。由于投资者担心改革不力以及企业的政府壁垒，私人投资已经放缓。许多投资者和企业都在观望5月举行的全国选举中，选民会选择谁来领导印度。
Finance Minister P. Chidambaram has said growth will increase to more than six per cent in 2014.
财政部长奇丹巴拉姆（P. Chidambaram）曾表示，2014年印度经济增长将会提高到6%以上。
I'm Mario Ritter.
我是马里奥·利特。
And I'm Anna Matteo in Washington. You are listening to VOA Learning English.
我是华盛顿的安娜·马特奥。你正在收听的是美国之音英语学习节目。
Now on to Burma. When military rulers began reform policies in 2011, most nations ended their restrictions against Burma. But experts now fear that reforms are slowing as Burma nears its 2015 national elections. Here is Faith Lapidus with more.
现在再说缅甸。当缅甸的军人统治者于2011年开始进行政治改革，大多数国家停止了对缅甸的各项限制。但专家们现在担心，随着缅甸2015年全国大选的邻近，改革有所放缓。 Faith Lapidus为您带来详细报道。
Experts Fear Burma's Reforms Stalling
专家担忧缅甸经济停滞
Some experts fear that rights reforms in Burma are slowing ahead of national elections planned for 2015. The Asian Development Bank has said that Burma, also known as Myanmar, can become a middle-income country by 2030. To do so, however, the economy must continue to grow at more than six per cent a year.
一些专家担心缅甸的权利改革在2015年全国大选之前正在放缓。亚洲开发银行曾表示缅甸能够在2030年成为中等收入国家。然而为了实现这个目标，缅甸经济必须以每年6%以上的速度增长。
Burma's military rulers began reforming its economic and political systems in 2011. These reforms led most nations to end restrictions against Burma.
缅甸的军人统治者于2011年开始对其经济和政治体系进行改革。这些改革使得大多数国家停止了对缅甸的各项限制。
John Hancock is an Australian lawyer and expert on Burma. He says Burma has made strong progress in the past six to seven years. He adds that foreign investors see opportunity for profits in Burma.
约翰·汉考克（John Hancock）是一名澳大利亚律师和缅甸问题专家。他说缅甸在过去六七年取得了长足进步。他补充说，外国投资者看到了在缅甸赚钱的机会。
However, Mr. Hancock says that Burma must rebuild government operations and complete land reforms. He says the government must increase spending on education and roads and power systems. More than 25 per cent of Burma's 61 million people live below the national poverty level. Many of the poor live in rural areas.
然而，汉考克先生表示，缅甸必须重新恢复政府运作并完成土地改革。他说，缅甸政府必须加大对教育、道路和电力系统的投资。缅甸6100万人口有25%生活在国家贫困线以下，其中多数人生活在农村地区。
Aung Zaw is the editor of the Irrawaddy newspaper. He says many in Burma fear the reform efforts will not be enough. He says poor supervision of land records leaves people in danger of losing their land.
昂梭(Aung Zaw)是《伊洛瓦底报》的编辑。他说，许多缅甸人害怕改革措施不够彻底。他说，对土地登记的监管不力使得人们处于失去土地的风险之中。
Aung Zaw says there is evidence that the Burmese army has forced villagers out to make room for foreign investment. He says foreign investors have shown interest in new Special Economic Zones. But, he says, these new economic areas come with huge social and environmental costs. He says often villagers are forced from their homes without fair payment.
昂梭表示，有证据表明，缅甸军队为了给外国投资腾出空间，强迫村民迁出。他说，外国投资者已经对新的经济特区表示了兴趣。但他表示，这些新的经济特区附带了巨大的社会和环境成本。他说，村民往往被强迫离开家园，却未得到合理赔偿。
The government of Australia has warned investors that people and companies with close ties to Burma's military influence many areas of the economy including the oil, gas and wood industries.
澳大利亚政府已经警告投资者，和缅甸军方有着密切联系的个人和公司影响着许多经济领域，包括石油、天然气和木材行业。
Sean Turnell is an economist at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia. He says agriculture reform has slowed in Burma although a majority of Burmese make a living through agriculture.
肖恩·特纳尔（Sean Turnell）是澳大利亚悉尼市麦考瑞大学的一位经济学家。他说，缅甸的农业改革已经有所放缓，尽管大多数缅甸人通过农业谋生。
Mr. Turnell says that without land rights farmers have limited opportunity to borrow money at fair rates.
特纳尔先生表示，如果没有土地权，农民们以公平利率借贷的机会就非常有限。
Experts say some who fear changes in Burma are trying to slow reforms by creating ethnic and religious conflict ahead of the planned 2015 elections.
专家表示，缅甸的既得利益者正试图在2015年选举前通过制造种族和宗教冲突来延缓改革。
I'm Faith Lapidus.
我是Faith Lapidus。
I'm Anna Matteo. You can share your thoughts and practice your written English by leaving us a comment! You can also connect with us through Facebook, Twitter, iTunes and LinkedIn. And join us next time for another As It Is on VOA Learning English!
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