VOA慢速英语:Who Should Be the Next Chief of the IMF?

The International Monetary Fund will need to find a new leader. Dominique Strauss-Kahn has resigned as managing director. Mr. Strauss-Kahn is charged with a sexual attack on a cleaning woman at a New York hotel last Saturday. He said in a resignation letter released Thursday by the IMF that he denies the charges "with the greatest possible firmness."
国际货币基金组织（IMF）将要另觅一位新的领导人。多米尼克．施特劳斯-卡恩已经辞去总裁的职务。施特劳斯-卡恩被控告上周六在纽约一家酒店对一名女清洁工实行性侵犯。他在由IMF周四公布的辞职信中称他“万分坚决”否认对他的控告。

His fall has especially shocked Europe. The IMF is currently playing a major part in rescue loans to Greece, Ireland and Portugal. European nations have increasingly depended on the fund to help them in their recent struggles with debt.
他的下台尤其震惊了整个欧洲。IMF如今在对希腊，爱尔兰和葡萄牙提供救助资金方面发挥着重要的作用。欧洲国家越来越依靠这些资金帮助解决他们最近面临的债务难题。

The IMF and the World Bank grew out of an international conference held in the United States in nineteen forty-four. They were created as ways to support economic cooperation and development.
IMF和世界银行在1944美国举行的国际会议中产生。这两个机构是为支持经济合作和发展而成立的。

Both are both based in Washington. The World Bank has traditionally been led by an American and the IMF by a European.
这两个机构的总部都设在华盛顿。传统上，世界银行由美国人领导，而IMF是由欧洲人领导。

But fast-growing economies in the developing world say it is time for a change. Officials from Brazil, China and India say Mr. Strauss-Kahn's replacement should come from outside Europe.
但是经济快速发展的发展中国家称这需要进行改变。巴西，中国和印度的官员称施特劳斯-卡恩的替代者应该来自欧洲之外。

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, leader of Europe's biggest economy, disagrees.
欧洲的最大经济体的首脑——德国总理安吉拉．默克尔反对这一说法。

ANGELA MERKEL: "In the present situation, when we have significant problems with the euro and the IMF is very much involved there, there should be a European candidate with support from the international community."
安吉拉．默克尔：“在目前情况下，一旦欧元出现重要问题，IMF就可以大力参与，所以IMF应该有一个得到国际社会支持的欧洲候选人。

The main job of the IMF is to help make sure payments flow smoothly between nations. Sometimes this means providing loans so governments can meet debt payments.
IMF的主要工作是帮助确保各国之间的支付畅通。有时意味着要向一些国家提供贷款，让政府可以偿还债务。

The money it lends comes mostly from "quotas" -- financial promises made by its members. One hundred eighty-seven nations belong to the IMF. The lender currently has about two hundred fifty billion dollars in approved loans. Most of these loans have not yet been used, or drawn down.
借出的钱大部分来自“配额”——该机构成员国所做的财政承诺。IMF有187个成员国。贷款人如今有2500亿美元的批准贷款。其中大部分贷款还没被使用或提取。

What effect the resignation of Dominique Strauss-Kahn will have is unclear. He was praised as a skillful negotiator in dealing with Europe and the global financial crisis.
多米尼克．施特劳斯-卡恩辞职后会造成什么影响还不清楚。他在处理欧洲和全球财政危机的问题上被称为熟练的谈判专家。

STEPHANIE RICKARD: "But the actual negotiations of the loan conditions on the ground is done by technocratic economists, staff members at the IMF, and they’re going to continue to do their job."
斯蒂芬妮．理查德：“但是现场贷款条件的真正谈判是由技术经济学家——IMF的管理人员进行的，他们也将继续他们的工作。”

Stephanie Rickard is an expert on the IMF and World Bank at the London School of Economics.
斯蒂芬妮．理查德是伦敦经济学院IMF和世界银行的一名专家。

Dominique Strauss-Kahn became managing director in two thousand seven. The Frenchman widely known as DSK is a member of France's Socialist party. Before his arrest, he was considered a leading candidate for France's presidential election next year.
多米尼克．施特劳斯-卡恩在2007年成为IMF总裁。这个被广泛称为DSK的法国人是法国社会党的一名成员。在他被捕之前，他被视明年法国总统大选的一名主要候选人。