China's economic explosion is rippling out to Central Asia

中国经济急剧增长的影响波及中亚

THE Karasu Bazaar, just 200 metres from Kyrgyzstan's heavily patrolled frontier with Uzbekistan, is a bustling [1] warren[2] of trading stalls fashioned out of metal shipping containers stacked one on top of another. The wares on offer range from bicycles to television sets and cosmetics.

卡拉苏-巴扎尔是一个拥挤的集市，距离重兵巡逻的吉尔吉斯斯坦与乌孜别克斯坦边境仅200米远。那里人来人往，四处摆满了用金属集装箱堆积而成的货摊。售卖的物品有自行车，有电视机，还有化妆品。

（1）The haggling[3] is done as it has been for years—in a mixture of Russian along with Kirgiz, Uzbek, Tajik and other tongues. But these days a new language can be heard in the commercial babble[4]: Chinese.

讨价还价声经年不绝于耳，俄语、吉尔吉斯语、乌孜别克语、塔吉克语和其它语言此起彼伏。不过，近些日子你在那些嘈杂的叫卖声中能听到一种新的语言——汉语。

Although the Chinese border is 260km (163 miles) away by road, that has not been an obstacle to the Chinese traders who make up the newest and fastest-growing presence at this Central Asian trading post, outside Kyrgyzstan's second city of Osh. （2）As elsewhere, China's growing commercial force is penetrating the remote lands beyond its western border.

中国边境距离这个位于吉尔吉斯斯坦第二大城市奥什的集市有260公里（163英里）的路程，但这并不妨碍中国商人不断涌入这个中亚贸易站。跟在别的地方一样，中国日益增强的商业力量正在渗透其西部边境外那些遥远的地方。

What do Kyrgyzstanis think of the new arrivals? Most shrug their shoulders. A trader at the Karasu market is non-committal, describing the influx as “tolerable”. Asked about the quality of Chinese goods streaming in through the Irkeshtam post on the Kyrgyzstani-Chinese border, Kosmonbek Jumabaev, a chief customs inspector, is equally bland[5]. “There is demand for them in our country so I suppose these goods must be okay,” he answers.

吉尔吉斯斯坦人是怎么看待这些初来乍到者的呢？大多数人都表示与己无关。卡拉苏集市的一位商人对此态度比较暧昧，只是说中国人的涌入是“可以容忍的”。海关首席稽查员克斯蒙别科•尤马巴耶夫在被问及往来于吉中边境上伊尔克斯塔姆贸易站的中国货质量问题时，也一样表现得泰然自若。“我国有人需要这些中国货，所以我想质量一定还不错。”他回答说。

In Karasu the Chinese traders are also ambivalent. （3）They are quick to gripe about[6] the burdens they say they face in the form of red tape, harassment and bribe-taking by Kyrgyzstani police. Most complain that they earn far less than they had hoped. But still they come. According to Kyrgyzstani officials, more than 20,000 Chinese migrants now work as traders in the nation's markets. The flow of Chinese goods into Kyrgyzstan increased eight-fold between 2000 and 2005, to $866m, and continues to rise fast.

卡拉苏的中国商人心情也比较复杂。他们不久就开始抱怨在那里做生意太累，说吉尔吉斯斯坦警方办事手续繁琐，还经常骚扰他们，并收受贿赂。大多数人抱怨说，他们挣的钱比他们原先期望的要少许多。不过中国商人还是继续蜂拥而至。据吉尔吉斯斯坦官员称，目前在该国市场上经商的中国人已经超过了2万。从2000年到2005年，流入吉尔吉斯斯坦的中国货数量增加了8倍，总值达到8.66亿美元，并且还在迅速增长。

China's presence is also growing in neighbouring Kazakhstan. There more business is done on regional and global energy markets than in makeshift market stalls. But for the ambitious urban middle class Chinese is still the language to learn. China and the rest of the Central Asia Regional Economic Co-operation (CAREC) forum—an eight-member grouping that also includes Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Mongolia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan—have seen big increases in trade.

邻国哈萨克斯坦也出现了越来越多中国的身影。在那里，更多的是区域和全球能源市场方面的买卖，当街叫卖的摆摊儿生意少。不过，对于志存高远的城市中产阶级而言，汉语仍旧是必学语言。中国和中亚地区经济合作（CAREC）论坛的其它成员国已经亲眼目睹了贸易的大幅增长。该论坛由8国组成，除中国之外，尚有吉尔吉斯斯坦、哈萨克斯坦、阿塞拜疆、阿富汗、蒙古、塔吉克斯坦以及乌孜别克斯坦。

China's trade with the other members has surged from $1 billion in 1997 to $9.8 billion last year. This represents less than 1% of China's worldwide trade but is nevertheless important for the Central Asian partners. （4）China finds itself in a position of strength, and is making firm demands in return for its trade and aid.

从1997年到2006年，中国与其它成员国的贸易额已经从10亿美元激增到98亿美元。虽然这还不到中国全球贸易额的1％，但对它的中亚合作者而言却很重要。中国居高临下，正在提出强硬的要求以谋求其贸易和援助的回报。

For example, China recently spent about $7.7m to build an 18km stretch of road from the Chinese border towards Osh. But its gorgeous smooth surface suddenly gives way to a dilapidated[7], pot-holed obstacle course for the rest of the journey. China has offered to complete the road, but only in return for a stake in Kyrgyzstan's gold industry.

比如说，为了修建连通中国边境和奥什的一条长18公里的公路，中国最近投资了大约770万美元。但是宽阔平坦的大路还没完工就突然中止了修建，留下了一段坑坑洼洼的破路。中国已经表示愿意修完这条公路，但条件是要在吉尔吉斯斯坦黄金产业中分得一杯羹。

（5）Kyrgyzstani officials are reluctant to surrender a share in one of the nation's few moneymaking businesses. But after the heady days that led it to power amid the protests of the so-called Tulip Revolution of 2005, the government is now under pressure to show results.

吉尔吉斯斯坦盈利行业为数甚少，黄金业就是其中之一，所以该国官员们并不愿意轻易让中国人沾光。可是对于在2005年那场“郁金香革命”（Tulip Revolution）的抗议声潮中登台的政府而言，那段得意时光已经一去不复返，它现在必须做出点政绩来。

A smart new road could be just the thing, so it continues to mull[8] the offer. This poses “something of a prisoner's dilemma”, said one World Bank official attending a recent CAREC conference in Urumqi. “If they don't take it, someone else in the region will.”

一条漂亮的新路可能正好体现出吉尔吉斯斯坦政府的政绩，所以它还要再掂量掂量中国开出的条件。CAREC大会最近在乌鲁木齐召开，一名与会的世界银行官员说：“这有点像一个囚犯面临着进退两难的选择。你不接受中国给出的条件，自然有该地区的其它国家会接受。”

[QUIZ]

英译汉（将划线部分英文翻译成中文）：

[NOTES](OXFORD)

1. bustling adj. a bustling place is very busy熙熙攘攘的//

bustling with sb/sth//

--The flower market was bustling with shoppers.//

2. warren n. 1 area of land with many burrows in which rabbits live and breed 兔子繁殖场; 养兔场.

2 (fig 比喻) (usu over-populated) building or district with many narrow passages, where it is difficult to find one's way （通常为过分拥挤的）多狭窄通道易迷路的建筑或地区: lost in a warren of narrow streets 在纵横交错的狭窄街道上迷了路.

3. haggle v. v [I, Ipr] ~ (with sb) (over/about sth) argue (esp about the price, etc when agreeing upon the terms of a sale or other transaction) 争论; （尤指）讨价还价: It's not worth haggling over a few pence. 为几便士争论不休实在不值得.

4. babble n. [U]

1 (a) talk that is difficult or impossible to understand 含糊不清的话: hear the babble of many voices 听见许多人在唧唧喳喳地说话. (b) foolish talk 蠢话; 胡话.

2 gentle sound of water flowing over stones, etc （流水经过石子等的）潺潺声.

5. bland adj. 1 gentle or casual in manner; showing no strong emotions; suave 文雅的; 随和的; 不动感情; 和蔼的.

2 (sometimes derog 有时作贬义) (of food) not rich or stimulating; very mild in flavour; tasteless （指食物）不油腻的, 无刺激性的, 清淡的, 无味的: He eats only bland food because of his ulcer. 他患溃疡, 只能吃无刺激性的食物. * This cheese is rather bland. 这乾酪没什么味道.

3 without striking features; uninteresting 无显着特徵的; 引不起兴趣的: He has a bland appearance. 他外表平庸.

6. gripe about抱怨（某人[某事物]）; （惯于）发牢骚: He keeps griping about having no money. 他不断地抱怨自己没钱.

7. dilapidated adj. (of furniture, buildings, etc) falling to pieces; in a bad state of repair （指家具、建筑物等）残破的, 破烂的, 失修的: a dilapidated chair, bed, etc 破椅子、床等 * a dilapidated-looking car 破破烂烂的汽车.

8. mull v. mull sth over think about or consider sth long and carefully 思索或思考某事物: I haven't decided yet; I'm mulling it over in my mind. 我还没有决定, 一直在仔细考虑.