（第１３回）多くのアフリカ諸国で農業研究への投資が不足

Much of Africa Not Investing Enough in Agricultural Research
多くのアフリカ諸国で農業研究への投資が不足

こんにちは。
今日の話題は、アフリカの農業研究です。貧困との戦いを続けるアフリカ諸国で
は、それぞれの国で農業研究への投資がもっと必要のようです。

それでは、単語から
[Words]
agricultural research　農業研究
poverty　貧困
sub-Saharan Africa　サハラ以南のアフリカ
cause　原因
volatility　乱高下
water scarcity　水不足
address　対処する
commitment　深い関与
institutes　機関
measure　方法
donation　寄付
qualified　能力のある
retirement　定年退職


それでは、放送を聞いてみましょう。

[Sound - Web]
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[Transcript]
This is the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.

Investing in agricultural research and development can help poor
countries fight hunger and poverty. A new study says investments in
sub-Saharan Africa increased by more than twenty percent between two
thousand one and two thousand eight. But the study also found that just
a few countries were responsible for most of that growth.

Nigeria was responsible for one-third of it. Ghana, Tanzania, Sudan and
Uganda also increased their spending. But thirteen countries decreased
their investments.

Nienke Beintema from the Washington-based International Food Policy
Research Institute led the study. She says new technologies are needed
to deal with some of the causes of hunger.

NIENKE BEINTEMA: "Food price volatility, growing population, water
scarcity and climate change. There is more demand on better technologies
or different technologies to address these issues."

She says some countries, including Nigeria, have increased their
investments after spending far too little in the past.

NIENKE BEINTEMA: "It is a positive sign because it is more commitment
from the government. But Nigeria had extremely low levels of
agricultural research funding. I was there for the first time in two
thousand or two thousand one. And I visited institutes that could not
function. They even did not have a phone line, or they did not have gas
for the cars, one computer that did not work."

Nigeria now has the largest agricultural research system south of the
Sahara. That is one measure of progress. But Nienke Beintema says a
better measure is whether a country is spending more than one percent of
its agricultural money on research. And in two thousand eight, she says,
Nigeria was not doing that.

Botswana, Burundi, Kenya, Mauritania and Mauritius were spending more
than one percent. So were Namibia, South Africa and Uganda.

Ms. Bientema examined levels of financing and employment at three
hundred seventy research centers in thirty-two countries. She believes
most countries depend too heavily on international donations to help pay
for research. Many donations are short term, she says, and the research
often ends when the money has been spent.

Ms. Bientema says countries must improve their higher education systems
to get more qualified researchers. But the study found that new
researchers are not being hired in some countries because of budget
problems. At the same time, many older researchers are nearing
retirement age.

Private industry may be able to help if governments cut their spending.
Some cooperatives, for example, raise money for research into important
crops.

And that’s the VOA Special English Agriculture Report, written by
Jerilyn Watson and Steve Baragona. For more agricultural news and to
learn English, go to voaspecialenglish.com. I’m Steve Ember.


どうでしたか。
それでは、記事に関しての質問です。
(Q.1) How much did agricultural investments increase between 2001 and
2008 in sub-Saharan Africa?
(Q.2) What are the causes of hunger?
(Q.3) What is a disadvantage of donations?

(A.1) A new study says investments increased by more than twenty percent.
(A.2) Food price volatility, growing population, water scarcity and
climate change.
(A.3) Many donations are short term.

(Q.1) ２００１年から２００８年の間にサハラ以南のアフリカの農業投資はどの
くらい増えましたか。
(Q.2) 飢饉の原因は何ですか。
(Q.3) 寄付の不都合な点は何ですか。

(A.1) ２０パーセント以上増加しました。
(A.2) 食料価格の乱高下、人口増加、水不足、気候変動。
(A.3) 多くの寄付は、短期的なものである点。

いかがでしたでしょうか。
長期にわたって研究を支える資金と環境の確保が課題のようです。

それでは。
また次回。
See you next time.

（第１２回）ベルナンキが中央銀行代表としてはじめての記者会見

Bernanke Meets the Press in a First for US Central Bank
ベルナンキが中央銀行代表としてはじめての記者会見

こんにちは。
今日の話題は、アメリカ金融制度のトップの記者会見の話です。長い歴史の中で
記者会見は初めて開催されたようです。

それでは、単語から
[Words]
the Federal Reserve 連邦準備制度
short-term interest rate 短期金利
anticipate 予想する
subdued 落ち着いた
warrant 正当化する
exceptionally 並外れた
blame 非難する
quantitative easing 量的緩和
QE2 量的金融緩和策第二弾
monetary policy 金融政策


それでは、放送を聞いてみましょう。

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http://www.voanews.com/MediaAssets2/learningenglish/dalet/se-econ-fed-29apr11.Mp3

[Transcript]
This is the VOA Special English Economics Report.

Central bankers have to choose their words carefully. So they often say
little in public -- or little that makes sense. But the United States
central bank says it is trying to be more clear and timely in
communicating its policies.

The latest example: a press conference by Chairman Ben Bernanke.
Wednesday's event was the first of its kind in the ninety-eight-year
history of the Federal Reserve.

In his opening comments. Mr. Bernanke explained a decision by the
Federal Open Market Committee to leave its main short-term interest rate
near zero. The committee had just completed a two-day meeting.

BEN BERNANKE: "The committee continues to anticipate that the economic
conditions -- including low rates of resource utilization, subdued
inflation trends and stable inflation expectations -- are likely to
warrant exceptionally low levels for the federal funds rate for an
extended period."

In other words, the economy is not growing fast enough to worry about
inflation. A reporter asked what an "extended period" means to the Fed.
Mr. Bernanke said it suggests "a couple of meetings probably" but it all
depends on the economy.

The chairman said it is very hard to blame the American public for being
impatient with the speed of the recovery. But he pointed out that
unemployment is still high -- 8.8 percent in March. Oil and gasoline
prices are high. And the housing market remains very weak.

The committee said it will complete purchases of six hundred billion
dollars in Treasury securities in June. The Fed launched the bond buying
program late last year in an effort to keep interest rates low and
strengthen the economy.

Some economists say this second round of what is known as quantitative
easing, or "QE2," has not been effective. Mr. Bernanke disagreed and
pointed to examples like gains in stock prices.

The Fed has two main goals for its monetary policy: the highest possible
employment rates and stable prices. The bank faced criticism for
intervening either too little to some critics or too much to others in
the financial crisis.

The press conference produced no surprises. Yet, as recently as the
middle of the nineteen nineties, the Fed did not even release its
decisions or its interest rate targets to the public.

Today the Fed is trying to reach out to Americans through ways like this
video on its website.

BEN BERNANKE: "Hi, I'm Ben Bernanke, chairman of the Federal Reserve
System. The Fed, as it's often called, is the central bank of the United
States … "

The Fed announced in March that Mr. Bernanke will hold four press
briefings a year. The next of three planned for this year will follow a
decision on interest rates in June.

And that’s the VOA Special English Economics Report. I’m Mario Ritter.


どうでしたか。
それでは、記事に関しての質問です。
(Q.1) Who is the Chairman of the United States Federal Reserve?
(Q.2) What are the Fed's two main goals?
(Q.3) When will Mr. Bernanke hold press briefing next time?

(A.1) Ben Bernanke.
(A.2) The goals are the highest possible employment rates and stable
prices.
(A.3) Next briefing will held in June.

(Q.1) 誰がアメリカ連邦準備制度理事会議長ですか。
(Q.2) 連邦準備制度の２つの大きな目標は何ですか。
(Q.3) ベルナンキの記者会見は次回いつ開催されますか。

(A.1) ベン・ベルナンキ
(A.2) 出来る限り高い雇用率と安定した物価
(A.3) 次回は６月に開催されます。


いかがでしたでしょうか。
金融関連の話題は、少し単語が難しいですね。

それでは。
また次回。
See you next time.

（第１１回）職場のイジメはコストにはね返る

Adding Up the Costs of Bullying in the Workplace
職場のイジメはコストにはね返る

こんにちは。
今日の話題は、職場におけるイジメの話題です。おとなの世界にもイジメはあり
ますが、これを放置しておくと、大変なことになるようです。

それでは、単語から
[Words]
prevent 防ぐ
threat 脅し
baseless criticism 基準のない批判
discrimination 差別
tolerate 我慢する
behavior 態度
tense 緊張
toxic 有毒な
insulting criticisms 無礼な批判
equate 同じようにみなす
degree 程度
compassion 同情


それでは、放送を聞いてみましょう。

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[Sound - MP3]
http://www.voanews.com/MediaAssets2/learningenglish/dalet/se-econ-bullying-25mar11.Mp3

[Transcript]
This is the VOA Special English Economics Report.

President Obama held a White House conference this month to discuss ways
to prevent bullying in school. But bullying is a problem not just among
young people. Workplace bullying can involve threats, baseless criticism,
discrimination and favoring some employees unfairly over others.

Thirty-five percent of Americans in a survey said they had been bullied
at some time at work. The poll by Zogby International and the Workplace
Bullying Institute found that another fifteen percent have witnessed it.

What some workers might consider bullying by another worker or a
supervisor might not be true. But experts say productivity suffers in
workplaces where employers tolerate or accept bullying. People take sick
leave more often. Some take legal action.

Jennifer Sandberg is a law partner in the Atlanta offices of Fisher &
Phillips. She represents companies in labor cases. She says employers
can avoid most problems simply by acting in a professional, businesslike
way.

JENNIFER SANDBERG: "The best advice I can give to managers and
supervisors is not to worry about the law, but rather to be sure that
their behavior is professional."

She says this means that everyone plays by the same set of rules.

JENNIFER SANDBERG: “There are still basic rules that every single
person in an organization needs to follow.”

People who bully spend less time on productive work. They can make the
workplace tense and unhealthy.

Executive coach, CNN commentator and author Lauren Mackler calls it a
"toxic" environment. She advises people to avoid emotional conflict and
child-like reactions when faced with insulting criticisms.

She also says people who show self-respect can be less likely targets of
a bully. She gives examples like dressing well and looking people in the
eye when talking to them.

And Lauren Mackler advises people who feel bullied to consider how the
bully got that way.

LAUREN MACKLER: "You can equate the behavior with the degree of pain
that the bully carries inside."

She says bullies were often bullied themselves as children.

LAUREN MACKLER: "That'll help you to have more compassion inside instead
of judging the person and further feeding a toxic interaction.”

But bullying can cause some people to leave their job. Ms. Mackler says
replacing experienced workers can cost one and a half times their yearly
pay, or even more.

Last April, Australia's Productivity Commission considered the cost of
bullying in a report on workplace safety. The lowest estimate of the
cost to the Australian economy ten years ago was six to thirteen billion
dollars.

And that's the VOA Special English Economics Report. Follow us on
Facebook and YouTube at VOA Learning English. I'm Mario Ritter.


どうでしたか。
それでは、記事に関しての質問です。
(Q.1) How many Americans had been bullied at work?
(Q.2) What is Jennifer Sandberg's advice?
(Q.3) Who can be less likely targets of a bully?

(A.1) Thirty-five percent of Americans.
(A.2) Acting in a professional.
(A.3) Lauren Mackler says people who show self-respect can be less
likely targets of a bully.

(Q.1) どの位のアメリカ人が職場でイジメにあったことがあるでしょうか。
(Q.2) ジェニファー・サンドバーグさんのアドバイスは何ですか。
(Q.3) どのような人はイジメにあいにくいでしょうか。

(A.1) ３５％のアメリカ人
(A.2) プロ意識を持って行動すること。
(A.3) ローレン・マクラーさんは、自尊心を見せるように振る舞う人はイジメに
あいにくいと述べています。

いかがでしたでしょうか。
記事最後のオーストラリアの見積もりはびっくりの数字ですね。

それでは。
また次回。
See you next time.