VOA慢速英语:Conflict Presses Syrian Economy

 Eighteen months of conflict in Syria have hurt the country’s economy. But in the capital, Damascus, a certain level of normalcy exists. Prices are higher. But goods are still available.
叙利亚长达18个月的冲突影响了该国的经济，但首都大马士革仍保持一定的常态，虽然价格上涨了，但商品仍可买得到。

VOA reporter Elizabeth Arrott recently visited Damascus. Her visit took place under the guidance of a Syrian government official.
美国之音记者Elizabeth Arrott最近走访了大马士革，她是在叙利亚政府官员的指导下访问那里的。

 She says the Spice Market of Old Damascus is an unusual sight in a country affected by civil war. Syrian military forces are striking nearby towns were rebels have support. But in the center of Damascus, business is good.
她说老大马士革香料市场没有受到内战冲击，这在该国很不寻常。叙利亚军队正在打击被支持叛军的城镇，但在大马士革市中心，商业仍然兴旺。

 One man operates a business once by his father and grandfather. He sells cumin, dried peppers, pine nuts and almonds.
一名男子经营从父亲、祖父手中传下来的店铺，卖小茴香、干辣椒、松子和杏仁。

 He says work is about the same, but prices have gone up. This has affected both his customers and business. He is thankful that supplies are still arriving at his shop. But he says people are cutting back, and mainly buying only essential goods.
他说生意照旧，但价格上涨了，这使得他的顾客和店铺都受到影响。货物供应仍能保障，他对此很是感激。但他说人们开始节省消费，主要购买重要物品。

 Another shopkeeper says business has fallen.
另一位店主说生意不景气了。

 “You know we live in a very difficult atmosphere, the atmosphere of crisis.”
“要知道我们的处境很艰难，生活在危机中。”

 Afif Dala is with the Syrian Ministry of Economy and Trade. He says Western restrictions on Syria for its violent reaction to government opponents have caused problems. But the government has worked to keep business in the capital normal.
Afif Dala就职于叙利亚经贸部，他说因为叙利亚对政府反对派实施暴力，西方国家对叙利亚实行限制，这导致了问题出现。但政府努力维持首都商业正常。

“But the Syrian economy actually depends on itself. There is a self-sufficiency in the Syrian economy because the Syrian economy is very diverse."
“但叙利亚的经济主要依靠自身，由于其经济非常多元化，因此是自给自足的。”

 Syria, however, also seeks help from outside the country. Russia, China and Venezuela are major trade partners of Syria.
然而，叙利亚也向国外寻求援助。俄罗斯、中国和委内瑞拉是叙利亚的主要贸易伙伴。

“There are a lot of countries, actually, because finally the interests, the economic interests between countries are talk, not anything else. It is not a moral thing, the Syrian economy, only; also its interests.
“很多国家愿意援助叙利亚是出于经济利益考虑，而并非其他。这不涉及道德问题，仅仅是利益而已。”

But conditions in Syria are important to other countries. This is especially true when many thousands of people have been killed in violence across Syria. This has forced tens of thousands of people to cross the border to escape the conflict.
但叙利亚的局势对其他国家来说很重要，尤其是在整个叙利亚境内有数千人死于暴力之时，这迫使数万人越过边境线逃避战乱。

 This week, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticized Syria at a meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Istanbul. He said actions of Turkey’s neighbor are "hurting the heart of humanity and the whole Islamic world."
本周，土耳其总理雷杰普•塔伊普•埃尔多安在伊斯兰堡举行的伊斯兰合作组织会议上批评叙利亚。他说土耳其邻国(指叙利亚)的行为“伤害了人道主义的心灵和整个伊斯兰世界。”

 Mr. Erdogan said there are almost one hundred thousand Syrian refugees in Turkey. And he expects more will enter as they flee fighting between Syrian government and rebel forces.
埃尔多安说，土耳其境内有近10万叙利亚难民，他说，随着叙利亚政府与叛军的战斗的继续，还会有更多难民前来