资源描述
第9课 贸易新星
Prosperity Persists in the UAE
阿拉伯联合酋长国持续繁荣
一、（Excerpts）（摘录）
The profits of peace and prosperity 和平与共荣益处多多
1.In the two years since Iraq was ousted from Kuwait, peace and prosperity have returned to the Gulf region, and the UAE in particular .Major development plans have resumed in Abu Dhabi’s oil and gas sector and Dubai’s trade figures are soaring as more companies adopt the emirate as their regional base. Yet, below the surface calm, defense is still of great concern. The topic dominated discussions at the GCC summit in Abu Dhabi in December, and in February the government announced its biggest-ever investment in defense equipment at IDEX 1993, an exhibition held in Abu Dhabi.
自从伊拉克被逐出科威特，两年来和平与繁荣又回到了海湾地区，特别是阿联酋。阿布扎比的油气部门又重新恢复了重大的发展计划，同时由于越来越多的公司选择把自己的地区本部设在迪拜，该酋长国的贸易数字也在飞速上升。然而，在表面的平静之下，防御仍然是人们极为关心的事情。12月在阿布扎比召开的海湾合作委员会高峰会议上，该话题成了讨论的核心。随后在1993年2月，在阿布扎比召开的国际国防设施博览会上，该国政府宣布了其在防御设施方面最大的一笔投资计划。
2.The huge purchases announced at IDEX include a $3,500 million order for 436 of France’s new generation Leclerc tanks and a $300 million order for computerized air defence equipment from US’s Westinghouse Electric Corporation. Naval requirements are now being considered and could produce orders for six or seven vessels, including frigates, during the next three to four year.
这次在博览会上宣布的巨大的采购包括：436辆法国新一代“莱克勒克”坦克，价值35亿美元；美国西屋电器公司出产的计算机化防空设备，价值3亿美元。现在海军的需求也被考虑在内，在今后的三到四年间，政府可能会下6到7艘舰艇的定单，包括驱逐舰在内。
3.The UAE remains wary about Iraq’s threat to Kuwait and, therefore, to the Gulf, as well as the sovereignty dispute with Iran over the islands of Abu Musa and the Greater and Lesser Tumbs. Western diplomats say that, as Iraq has been neutralized for the moment, Iran is causing the greater concern. But they do not expect the dispute to revive, and conditions on the islands are said to be normal. “It is now a legal dispute,” one says.
阿联酋仍然提防着伊拉克对科威特也就是对海湾的威胁，同时还对伊朗就阿布穆萨和大小通布斯岛的主权之争保持警惕。西方外交官说，由于伊拉克目前被迫中立，伊朗就引起了越来越大的关注。但是，他们预计不会再起争端，据说岛上的情况一切正常。一名外交官说，“现在是法律上的争端。”
4.The appointment of an experienced UAE diplomat, Shaikh Fahim Bin Sultan al-Qassimi, as GCC secretary-general from 1 April will add weight to the UAE’s voice in the organization.Shaikh Fahim has already shown in recent public statements that he is inclined to be forthright about the threat posed by the UAE’s neighbours across the Gulf.
4月1日，阿联酋资深外交家Shaikh Fahim Bin Sultan al-Qassimi被任命为海湾合作委员会秘书长，这将会增加阿联酋在该组织的发言权。Shaikh Fa-him在最近的公开讲话中表明，他倾向于直面海湾邻国的威胁。
5.Domestically, the UAE is following the line of other Gulf states in promoting wider popular consultation.In January, the authorities announced that the federal national council, which last met in July 1991, would be revived.The council, made up of 40 nominees representing the seven emirates, has since met three times.It probably has more teeth than other consultative assemblies.It can reject or amend legislation according to the temporary constitution of the UAE, and it also has the power to summon ministers.
在国内，阿联酋像海湾其他国家一样正在促进更广泛的磋商．1月份当局宣布联邦国家委员会将再次召开，而上一次会议是在1991年7月。该委员会由7个酋长国提名的40名代表组成，此后已经开过三次会议。它可能比其他协商集会更有权力。它可以根据阿联酋的临时宪法修正或否决立法，它还有权力传唤部长们。
6.The local Arabic press has given full coverage to the council’s debates and to a series of informal majlis discussions held weekly during Ramadan.In the latter, the issues of youth unemployment, drugs, the role of women and the size of the immigrant population were freely discussed.However, observers say Western-style democracy is not on the political agenda as the majlis system enjoys legitimacy and appears well-suited to the tribal traditions of Gulf society.
阿拉伯地区的媒体对议会的辩论和斋月中每周一次的一系列非正式的议会讨论做了全面的报道。在非正式辩论会上，人们可以自由讨论青年失业、毒品、妇女地位、移民人口数量等问题。然而，观察家们说由于议会体制享有合法性并且好像很适合海湾地区部落的传统，西式的民主并未出现在政治日程上。
7.The wider publicity given to the council may be partly due to its first deputy speaker, Rashid Omran Tyriam, who is also the editor of the outspoken Sharjah-based newspaper Al-Khaleej.The editor of Dubai’s Al-Bayan.Khalid Mohammed Ahmed, is also on the council Both are newly appointed.
议会之所以受到更广泛的关注，部分由于第一副议长Rashid Omran Tyriam，他同时还是报纸《Al-Khale》的编辑，该报纸总部设在沙迦，一贯直言不讳。迪拜报纸《Al-Bayan》的编辑Khalid Mohammed Ahmed也在该议会当中。他们两人都是新近被任命的。
8.In Abu Dhabi, the economy is riding high on the spin-off from government plans to invest $5,000 million—6,000 million to increase oil output by 600,000 barrels a day to 2.6 million barrels a day by the late 1990s.The only sour note has been struck by new energy tax proposals in the US and the EC.Talks on the subject between GCC/OPEC oil ministers and EC officials are due to be held on 11 May.Diplomats say that OPEC is hoping to head off the threatened taxes, which may slow the growth in demand for oil and compromise Gulf capacity expansion plans.“It’s a carbon tax, and the misunderstanding has arisen largely because the West has not thought it through properly,” one diplomat says.“The initial reaction from OPEC was pretty tough but now seems to have softened a bit.Obviously they are reacting against a threat to their main source of livelihood,” he adds.
在阿布扎比，经济的飞速发展得益于政府50亿到60亿美元的投资计划，这一计划将使石油产量从每天的60万桶增长到90年代末的每天260万桶。这其中惟一的不和谐之音是美国和欧共体提出的新能源税提案。海湾合作委员会（或欧佩克）的石油部长和欧共体的官员们将于5月11日就这一议题进行会谈。外交官们称欧佩克希望能够阻止这一带有威胁性的税种的征收，因为它可能会降低石油需求量的增长，同时危及到海湾地区扩大生产能力的计划。“这是一项双重税，西方国家没有认真思考引起了误解，”一个外交官说，“欧佩克国家的第一反应很强硬，但是现在似乎温和了一些。显然，他们正在反抗对自己生活来源构成威胁的东西。”他补充说。
9.Abu Dhabi is pressing on regardless, signing a contract on 10 March with a consortium led by the US’ Bechtel for the biggest upstream hydrocarbons project in recent years.It involves a $1,350 million onshore gas project, known as 545, to develop reservoirs in the Bab gas field to produce dry gas, condensates and natural gas liquids.
阿布扎比不顾一切，继续行动。它3月10日同以美国Bethel公司为首的财团签订了一项合同，来实施几年来最大的一个碳氢化合物前期工程。该工程包括一个合同金额为13亿5千万美元的，代号为545的沿海燃气工程，用来在Bab气田开发蓄液槽，生产干天然气、冷凝液和液化气。
10.Major projects outside the oil and gas sector in Abu Dhabi appear to be on hold.This applies to the Lulu island development and the third crossing project, for which tenders have been invited three times, although the prospects for medium-size infrastructure projects in Abu Dhabi are reasonable.“Look where the money is coming from, what really matters is oil and gas,” a consultant says.The consensus is that these other projects will materialize; they are just not top priority at the moment.
阿布扎比天然气和石油以外的主要工程似乎均在等待之中。Lulu岛的开发和第三个渡口工程就是如此，它们已经进行过三次招标，尽管阿布扎比的中型基础设施工程尚为乐观。“看一下钱的来源，真正重要的是石油和燃气。”一顾问说。人们一致认为，这些非油气工程迟早都会实现，只是目前它们还不是优先考虑的工程。
11.Dubai is making progress in its efforts to promote international awareness of its attractions. The emirate is now firmly on the world sporting map and reaping the rewards of more publicity. Tennis has been added to the growing list of sporting events, with a BMW/Dubai Duty Free-sponsored tournament in February. This joins horse racing, golf, powerboat racing and snooker championships, which are all already established on the international tournament circuit.
迪拜在使国际社会意识到自己的魅力方面所做的努力已经取得了进展。该国已在世界体育界占据了一席之地，并正在获得越来越多的关注。不断增加的体育赛事里又添进了网球，2月份就有一项锦标赛由宝马公司和迪拜政府以免税的方式共同赞助。此外，赛马、高尔夫球、汽艇比赛和斯诺克台球冠军赛等都已在国际巡回锦标赛中确立了自己的地位。
12.Major investment is going into the Dubai-based Emirates airline, which added four new destinations last summer—Rome, Zurich, Paris and Jakarta—and on 14 April started operations to Dhahran, its 31st destination. Emirates now employs almost 3,500 staff, making it one of Dubai’s largest employers.
大部分的投资正在流入总部设在迪拜的酋长国航空公司，它在去年夏天新添了4个目的港：罗马、苏黎世、巴黎和雅加达，并于4月14日开通了飞往德黑兰的业务，这是它的第31个目的港。该航空公司现雇佣近3500名员工，是迪拜最大的雇主之一。
13.Soon, $2,000 million in financing will have to be arranged for the next phase of development, which will cover deliveries form 1996 to 2000.Firm orders have been placed for seven Boeing 777s with Rolls Royce engines and there is an option on a further seven.
不久，该公司就要筹划20亿美金用于下一阶段的发展，它将被用于支付从1996年到2000年的交货费用。7架罗尔斯罗伊斯为引擎的波音777飞机的定单已确定下来，而且有可能再订购7架。
14.Dubai’s total non-oil trade grew by more than 23 per cent in 1992 to Dh 59,848 million and was seemingly unaffected by the recession, Abu Dhabi also achieved a 23 per cent increase in total non-oil trade, albeit with small volumes, from Dh 14,470 million in 1991 to Dh 17,860 million last year.And in Sharjah, which accounts for about 34 per cent of the UAE’s manufacturing capacity, total foreign trade is expected to come to more than Dh 4,500 million, arise of 10 per cent compared with 1991.
迪拜的非石油贸易总额在1992年增长了23％以上，至598.48亿迪拉姆，似乎未受衰退的影响。阿布扎比在非石油方面的贸易总额也增加了23％，虽然成交量较小，只从1991年的144.7亿迪拉姆增加到去年的178.6亿迪拉姆。沙迦的生产能力约占整个阿联酋的34％，它的对外贸易总额预计将达到45亿迪拉姆以上，比1991年增长了10％。
Surplus
15.According to provisional estimates for 1992, the UAE’s trade surplus was Dh 21,800 million, down from the 1991 figure, also provisional, of Dh 30,200 million. The drop is mainly because of a 25 per cent increase in imports to Dh 64,000 million from Dh 51,100 million. The current account surplus has risen to Dh 9,700 million from Dh 6,000 million, helped by a huge drop in government grants from Dh 17,000 million to Dh 2,700 million.
根据对1992年的初步估计，阿联酋的贸易顺差为218亿迪拉姆，比1991年初步估算的数据有所下降，1991年贸易顺差为302亿迪拉姆。下降的主要原因是进口增加了25％，从510亿迪拉姆增加到640亿迪拉姆。经常项目的贸易顺差从60亿迪拉姆增至97亿迪拉姆，原因之一是政府的津贴大幅下降，从170亿迪拉姆跌至27亿迪拉姆。
16.The central bank has begun to show new teeth with the announcement on 5 April of the rules defining capital and the ratio of risk-weighted assets to capital, which come into effect on 1 July. According to the new regulations, the minimum capital to risk-weighted assets ratio is to be 10 per cent—2 per cent higher than the minimum level recommended by the Basle committee on banking supervision.
中央银行开始做出威胁的姿态，4月5日颁布了一些条例，为资本下了定义，并规定了风险加权资产与资本之间的比率，该条例于7月1日开始生效。根据新条例，最低资本与风险加权资本比率为10％—比巴塞尔银行监督委员会建议的最低限额高2％。
17. Bankers say that the profits of some UAE banks will inevitably drop in 1993 as they will have to cut back on their riskier assets and will not be able to carry forward provisions to the next year. The rules have been welcomed as a clear sign that the UAE is determined to ensure its banking industry has solid, ethical foundations.
银行家称阿联酋的一些银行在1993年会不可避免地面临利润的下降，因为他们不得不削减其风险较大的资产，并不能把政府提供的钱和设备转人下一年的账户。这些条例受到了欢迎，因为人们把它当作是阿联酋决心保证其银行业有一个坚固、符合道德标准的基础的信号。
TRADE
China shows how it’s done in Dubai 贸易：中国显示其在迪拜的作为
18.The Chinese city of Guangzhou, situated a mere 50 minutes flying time from Hong Kong, was expecting buyers from more than 400 UAE companies to attend its Chinese export commodities spring fair held from 15-24 April.
中国的广州市距香港只有50分钟的飞行距离。目前它正期待着来自阿联酋400多家公司的买主来参加4月15到24日举办的中国春季出口商品交易会。
19. Interest in imports from China is high. The Chinese consulate’s commercial section in Dubai reported a continual stream of visitors in the run-up to the exhibition from companies wanting to do business for the first time with China. More than 4,000 Chinese traders visited the emirates on government and private missions last year. As a result of this activity, China’s exports to the UAE have almost doubled from $279.5 million in 1990 to $552.7 million in 1992, according to Chinese government statistics. Dubai’s statistics show that China was the fifth largest supplier in 1990.last year, however, it ousted the US to become the second largest exporter to the emirate with goods worth more than $1,000 million, or 8 per cent of Dubai’s total import bill. The discrepancy in the value of imports compared with Chinese government figures is due to the fact that Dubai’s figures show all goods manufactured in China including those by Taiwanese or Hong Kong joint ventures.
客商们对从中国进口的商品热情很高。中国驻迪拜领事馆商贸部的报告说，在展会的筹备期，来自各公司希望与中国首次合作的商人就络绎不绝。去年，4000多名中国商人因公或因私访问了酋长国。根据中国政府的统计数字，此举使中国对阿联酋的出口额翻了一番，由1990年的2.795亿美元增至1992年的5.227亿美元。迪拜的统计数字显示，1990年中国是其第五大供应商。然而，去年中国超过美国成为对该国的第二大出口国，向其出口的货物价值10亿美元，占迪拜进口总额的8％。这一进口额之所以与中国政府公布的数字有些差异，是因为迪拜的数字显示了所有在中国制造的产品，包括有台湾和香港合资企业生产的产品。
20. Either way, the increase is impressive. However, China is unlikely to challenge Japan’s supreme position, with imports worth almost $2,000 million or 15 per cent of the total bill. Japan’s chief exports to the UAE are vehicles, accounting for 20 per cent of the total, and consumer electronics, at more than 14 per cent. China’s exports include textiles, ready-made garments, chemicals, food, household equipment and toys.
不管怎样，这一增长给人留下了深刻的印象。然而，中国仍然不可能挑战日本的首席地位。日本的进口几乎价值20亿美元，占迪拜总额的15％。日本向阿联酋的出口主要是汽车，占其总额的20％，还有家用电器，占14％以上。中国出口的商品包括纺织品、成衣、化学品、食品、家用产品和玩具。
21. The UK, according to Dubai customs statistics, has slipped from second largest exporter in 1990 to fifth last year with Dh 3,402 million of exports of 7 per cent of the total. The UK embassy is quick to point out that the figures only show visible trade and the value of UK exports to the UAE is rising steadily—from £665 million ($1,024 million) in 1990 to £ 926 million ($1,426) in 1992, according to UK Department of Trade & Industry figures. The UAE was the UK’s 25th most important export destination in 1991 and the 23rd most important destination in 1992.
根据迪拜海关统计的数字，英国已由1990年迪拜的第二大出口国下滑到去年的第五大出口国，出口额为54.02亿迪拉姆，或者说是占迪拜进口总额的7％。英国大使馆很快指出，这一数字只表明了有形贸易，根据英国贸易工业部提供的数字，英对阿联酋的出口额在稳步上升，由1990年的6.65亿英镑(10.24亿美元）上升到1992年的9.26亿英镑(14.26亿美元）。1991年阿联酋排在英国重要出口地的第25位，而1992年为第23位。
22. UK exporters will be hoping that the trade fair, Britain & the Gulf, held in Dubai from 13-16 April, will help to boost UK market share. It is interesting to note that 14 per cent of British exports were tools and engineering equipment, according to Dubai customs figures. The biggest single category of exports was silver in semi-wrought or unfinished state, Dh 221.7 million or 6.5 per cent of the UK’s total exports. Other commodities in the top 10 export list were medicine, vehicles, whisky and cigarettes.
英国的出口商们希望4月13日至16日将在迪拜举行的英国和海湾国家商品交易会将会有助于英国市场份额的增加。有趣的是，根据迪拜海关的统计数字，英国出口品的14％都是工具和工程设备。出口最多的单一品种是半成品的银，价值2.217亿迪拉姆，占英国总出口额的6.5％。位于其出口产品前十位的其他商品为药品、车辆、威士忌酒和香烟。
23. The UAE’s trade is conducted primarily through Dubai. Dubai accounted for approximately 77 per cent of UAE imports in the first half of 1992, 66 per cent of re-exports and 66 per cent of exports. Of Dubai’s Dh 59,848 million total non-oil foreign trade in 1992, imports accounted for 79.5 per cent of the total, re-exports for 15 per cent and non-oil exports for just 5.5 per cent.
阿联酋的贸易主要通过迪拜来进行。1992年的上半年，迪拜大约占据了阿联酋进口总额的77％，再出口额和出口额的66％。1992年迪拜的非石油对外贸易额为598.48亿迪拉姆，其中，进口占总额的79.5％，再出口占15％，而非石油出口只占5.5％．
24. What the statistics do not reveal is how much is unofficially re-exported from the country. This is acknowledged by Dubai’s customs department. “The re-export figures are indicative of markets rather than volumes,” a spokesman says. “If you add up the import figures and work out that 85 per cent of it is supposed to stay in the country, then the UAE would be the best stocked warehouse in the world.”
这些统计数字并没有显示该国非官方的再出口额。迪拜的海关署承认了这一点。“这些再出口数字显示的是市场而非再出口量，”一名发言人说，“如果你把进口数字加起来，就会算出进口的85％都应留在国内，这样，阿联酋就成了世界上最大的仓库了。”
25.The number one re-export destination is Iran, with re-exports up 23 per cent on the 1991 figure to Dh 2,678 million—or almost 30 per cent of the total, according to official statistics. The top three re-export items are cars a
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