本文音频及原文摘自杂志The Economist《经济学人》2016年第9期，Business版块。

Natural resources

Tensions run high at an international transparency initiative

Feb 27th 2016

THE Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative[1] (EITI) was launched in 2003 as a would-be[预期成为…的，将要成为…的] global standard for managing natural resources, promoting openness in transactions between governments and companies to curb the corruption[2] that was rampant in some places. It has since grown to include 51 countries. But its “multi-stakeholder[多方利益相关者]” model—which gives equal board representation[3] to its three constituencies[(选区的)选民;支持者;(一批)顾客]: governments, companies and civil society[4]—ensures regular bust-ups[5]. As the EITI itself has put it, the process is “by definition loud, difficult and argumentative[好辩的;辩论的;争辩的]”.

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[1]采掘业透明度行动计划

《采掘业透明度行动计划》（EITI）是英国前首相托尼·布莱尔于2002年9月推出的。目的就是要健全透明度与问责制。这是一个得到公司联盟、政府、投资商和公民社会组织支持的自愿行动。

[2]遏制腐败现象

[3]平等的董事会地位

[4]公民社会;民间团体

[5]bust-upa  ,  one which  a 

（尤指导致关系破裂的）激烈争吵

▷rampant ['ræmp(ə)nt]

(of something ) getting   and in an way（不好的事情）猖獗的，泛滥的rampant  腐败猖獗Rampant   that      nothing.通货膨胀大肆泛滥，这意味着我们增长的工资很快就一钱不值了。

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The atmosphere was particularly poisonous this week, as the clans[宗族;部族] gathered in Lima[利马(秘鲁首都)] for the EITI’s Global Conference. Most of the NGOs boycotted a meeting on board nominations[1]. They had been spreading “serious and untrue allegations[2]”, wrote Clare Short, the EITI’s outgoing[即将离职的] chairman, in a circular[通知,传单] to members. Some muttered[咕哝;喃喃自语;抱怨地说] that the whole enterprise faced a “governance crisis”.

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[1]董事提名;任命

[2]严重不实指控/主张

▷boycott ['bɒɪkɒt]

to  to  a  or take  in an  as a way of  拒绝购买（或参加）；抵制People were  to boycott the country's .人们被鼓动起来抵制那个国家的产品。The  called on   to boycott the .工会号召其成员拒绝参加会议。

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NGOs were livid[狂怒的,暴怒的] that someone they considered to be a rogue candidate for a civil-society board seat—backed by a pugnacious former British politician, Eric Joyce—had been allowed on the ballot[投票]. By not moving to strike him from the list, they huffed[吹气;发怒;恫吓], the secretariat[秘书处;书记处;秘书等职] had broken the rules, written or otherwise, thereby undermining the civil-society contingent[(代表某一组织或国家的)代表团]’s right to select its own candidates.

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▷rogue [rəʊg]

 in  that are not  or not , often in a way异常的；行为失常的；常制造麻烦的a rogue  流氓国家rogue  变态细胞▷pugnacious [pʌg'neɪʃəs]

 to  an  or , or  an or  very 爱争吵的；爱争斗的，好斗的I  him pugnacious and .我发现他咄咄逼人，傲慢无礼。

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The secretariat denies this charge of interfering[妨碍;干涉;干预] by not intervening[介入]. It is “always a punch-ball[(悬挂在空中供练习拳击用的)吊袋,拳击梨球]” when tensions rise, says an official. It circulated[传播,流传] a legal opinion to counter its critics; the NGOs issued one of their own. Recriminations[指责,反控;揭丑] continued to fly as The Economist went to press (though the offending candidate’s name was eventually withdrawn).

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The civil-society brigade[旅;大部队;队列] has its critics, too. Some think its latest fit of pique[1] is less a principled stand[2] than an attempt by a clique[结成小集团,结党;派系,朋党] of powerful NGOs, led by Publish What You Pay, to maintain a tight grip on[3] who speaks for the sandal-wearers. The campaigners “often seem happier yelling than seeking compromise”, says a board member who represents companies.

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[1]in a fit of pique 生气地,赌气地;(由于自尊心受到伤害)怄气地;不高兴地

[2]原则立场

[3]keep a tight grip on 对…实行严密的控制

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The NGOs are not alone in raising concerns over the running of the EITI, however. In December several country and company representatives signed a letter questioning the secretariat’s impartiality[公正,公平] and the “very flawed[有缺陷的;有瑕疵的]” process for electing the chairman—which, awkwardly for a transparency initiative, they viewed as lacking transparency. (A committee later rejected these complaints.)

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This infighting[暗斗;混战] is an unfortunate distraction from some genuine achievements. Thanks to the EITI, governments in Africa and other corruption-plagued[受腐败困扰的;腐败成灾的] places now disclose[公开;揭露] a lot more about their dealings in oil, gas and mining. No one doubts that its members, however querulous, have delivered more together than they could have done apart.

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▷querulous ['kwerʊləs; 'kwerjʊləs]

often ,  in a  high 爱抱怨的，爱发牢骚的He    and querulous in his  .到了晚年，他愈感不满，牢骚不断。

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But the ruffling of feathers[1] makes it harder to move forward. The task of smoothing them will now fall to the incoming chairman, Fredrik Reinfeldt. As a former Swedish prime minister and president of the European Council[2], he might just have the required diplomatic skills[3]. He certainly has his work cut out[4].

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[1]ruffle sb's feathers

to  or  someone

使（某人）心烦意乱；使（某人）生气；使（某人）恼怒She  how to ruffle his .她知道怎样去惹他发火。

[3]必要的外交技巧/手腕/艺术

[4]have work cut out

to have something very  to do

面临艰巨的任务She'll really have her work  out to  all those  by the end of the .在周末之前完成所有这些报告对她来说真是个艰巨的任务。

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以上言论不代表本人立场。

摘自《经济学人》杂志，仅外语学习之用。

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