VOA慢速英语:Corruption in Asia Slows Economic Growth

Many Thais joined protests in Bangkok last year. They urged Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to deal with growing corruption in Thailand. A 79-year old businessman noted the rising cost of doing business, including giving bribes to Thai officials.
去年许多泰国人在曼谷举行抗议，他们敦促总理英拉•西那瓦解决泰国日益严重的腐败问题。一位79岁的商人称做生意的成本在上升，包括要给泰国官员贿赂。

How much economic activity is lost to corruption can be difficult to estimate. The University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce studied the issue. The university found that over two percent of national production, or about 11 billion dollars, will likely be lost to corruption this year. It found that many business people who were questioned said they are paying more to Thai officials and politicians to win government contracts.   Political economist Pasuk Pongpaichit says there is evidence officials are making progress in controlling lower level corruption. But, she says, the slowing world economy means growing competition for profitable deals with the government.
很难估算腐败造成多少经济损失，泰国商会大学对这个问题进行了研究。他们发现今年有2%以上的国民生产可能因腐败而损失掉，相当于110亿美元。研究发现，许多接受调查的商人说，他们会向泰国官员和政客多送点贿赂来赢得政府合约。政治经济学家Pasuk Pongpaichit表示，有证据表明，有关方面在控制下层官员腐败上取得了进展。但她表示，全球经济放缓意味着对政府盈利丰厚的交易的竞争会更加激烈。

“The globalization, [the] international pressure for Thailand to become more transparent, is being felt and various government departments are responding to it. It doesn’t mean that things are going to happen very quickly.”
“我们感到全球化和国际压力使得泰国更加透明，政府各部门也在应对这个问题。但这并不意味着事情会很快好转。”

Bandid Nijathaworn is a former central bank official and president of the Thai Institute of Directors. He says corruption in Thailand appears to be more of a problem now than 10 years ago.
Bandid Nijathaworn是前央行行长，也是泰国企业董事联合会主席，他说早在10年前泰国的腐败就成问题了。

“Corruption is a global problem. You know, you see corruption appearing as headlines in many, many countries. So it has become a global issue both in national organization and individual country’s governments trying to tackle it.”
“腐败是个全球问题，很多国家的新闻头条都有腐败报道。它已经成为全国性组织和个别国家政府都试图解决的一个全球性问题。”

The American-based Center for International Policy says more than 2.7 trillion dollars in illegal funds left China between 2001 and 2010. The money escaped as a result of criminal financial deals, corruption, tax evasion or other illegal activities. For Thailand, the amount was 64 billion dollars over the same period.
总部在美国的国际政策中心称2001到2010年间，从中国流出的非法资金高达2.7万亿美元。这些资金通过非法金融交易、腐败、逃税等其他非法活动流出。对泰国来说，同期这一数字是640亿美元。

Shervin Majlessi is with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. He says given Asia’s growing influence in the world economy there is a need for more supervision.
Shervin Majlessi就职于联合国毒品与犯罪办公室，他说考虑到亚洲在全世界经济的影响力日益上升，有必要加强监管。

In 2003, the United Nations passed a Convention against Corruption. In South East Asia, Burma approved the agreement last December – the last to do so of the 10 member Association of South East Asian Nations. Observers say the fight against corruption needs to go beyond law enforcement, and include non-government and private industry groups.
2003年，联合国通过一项反腐协定。在东南亚，缅甸去年12月通过该协定，是东盟10个成员国中最后签署协定的国家。观察人士表示，反腐败斗争需要的不仅仅是执法，还要将非政府组织和私营产业集团纳入进来。