2023级《经济学人》日常阅读 阶段二 | Africa's new gold rush

Africa's new gold rush

Not so mellow yellow

gold rush: a situation in which a lot of people suddenly go to a place where gold has recently been discovered淘金热

mellow: (of colour or sound色彩或声音) soft, rich and pleasant柔和丰富的

mellow yellow 在这里指柔和的黄色；黄金往往象征着财富、奢华和贵重，它的光芒是外放的、耀眼的；

Not so mellow yellow指黄金并非柔和而是耀眼、奢华和贵重的，也意味着这场非洲淘金热利润丰厚、有利可图。

1. “IT KEEEPS getting worse and worse,” sights Camey Tagoe, an activist in Accra, the capital. “If you look at Google maps, Ghana has turned from green to brown.”“情况越来越糟，”加纳首都阿克拉的社会活动家Camey Tagoe说。"如果你看谷歌地图，加纳已经从绿色变成了棕色。"

2. Over the past month Mr Tagoe has helped organise protests across the city that call for an end to "galamsey", or wildcat gold mining. 在过去的一个月里， Tagoe 先生帮助组织了整个城市的抗议活动，呼吁结束非法采矿，即不被允许的金矿开采。

galamsey 非法采矿者：加纳的非法采矿者，通常在没有许可的情况下进行小规模的金矿开采。

wildcat vi. an exploratory oil well drilled in land not known to be an oil field盲目开采油井、矿山

3. Long a way of getting by in the west African country, it has exploded in recent years, damaging forests and polluting water. 在这个西非国家，这种做法已经盛行了很长一段时间，但近年来却爆发了，破坏了森林，污染了水源。

4. The protesters blame politicians, many of whom own mining firms, for letting the practice get out of control. Galamsey is a crucial issue ahead of elections on December 7th. 抗议者指责政客们让这种做法失去控制，其中许多人拥有矿业公司。在12月7日的选举之前，非法金矿开采是一个至关重要的问题。

1. Ghana, the largest gold producer on the continent, exemplifies Africa' s new gold rush. 加纳是非洲大陆最大的黄金生产国，是非洲新淘金热的典范。

exemplify vt. If a person or thing exemplifies something such as a situation, quality, or class of things, they are a typical example of it. 是…的典范

2. The gold price has doubled since 2019, to a record high of more than $2,700 per troy ounce (see Finance & economics section), promising higher margins for industrial miners but also encouraging more artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM). 自2019年以来，黄金价格翻了一番，达到每盎司2700美元以上的创纪录高位（见财经部分），这为工业矿商带来了更高的利润，但也鼓励了更多的手工和小规模采矿（ASM)。

margins = profit margin n. the difference between the cost of buying or producing sth and the price that it is sold for利润；利润幅度；毛利

artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM)手工和小规模采矿

3. Nearly half of the roughly 1,000 tonnes of gold produced in Africa every year is mined in this way. It is the largest source of jobs in rural Africa, save for farming, so a sustained gold boom could mean higher incomes for some very poor people. 非洲每年生产的约1000吨黄金中，有近一半是用这种方式开采的。除了农业以外，这是非洲农村地区最大的就业来源，因此，持续的黄金热潮可能意味着一些非常贫困的人的收入增加。

rural Africa 非洲大陆的农村地区，通常指那些经济相对落后、基础设施不完善、人口分布较为分散的地区

4. At the same time it could damage ecosystems and people’ s health. 与此同时，它可能会破坏生态系统和人们的健康。

5. Much ASM is legal, but a lot is untaxed and unregulated. In a report in May Swissaid, an NGO, estimated that the amount of smuggled gold more than doubled from 2012 to 2022. Once again, African states are missing out on the full benefits of a commodity boom.

许多ASM是合法的，但很多是免税和不受监管的。瑞士银行在5月份的一份报告中估计，从2012年到2022年，走私黄金的数量增加了一倍多。非洲国家再一次错过了大宗商品繁荣带来的全部好处。

untaxed adj. not subject to taxation 免税的

unregulated adj. not regulated; uncontrolled 无管理的

breadth of the irregularity不规律的范围，这里指淘金热不局限于哪个地区，而是涉及到多个国家。

breadth n. the distance or measurement from one side to the other; how broad or wide sth is宽度

irregularity n. something that does not happen at regular intervals不规则（或无规律）的事物

根据图表可知，上述12个国家分别是马里、加纳、津巴布韦、尼日尔、科特迪瓦、苏丹、乌干达、布基纳法索、几内亚、赞比亚，根据现实知道，其他两个国家是肯尼亚、刚果。

2. The second is that, despite the artisanal label, a lot of ASM is fairly industrial, partly because of Chinese miners and their bulldozers and excavators. In Ghana some are infamous.第二点是，尽管贴上了手工的标签，但许多ASM相当工业化，部分原因是中国矿工和他们的推机和挖掘机。在加纳，有些是臭名昭著的。

fairly adv.（before adjectives and adverbs用于形容词和副词前 ) to some extent but not very一定地；相当地

partly adv. to some extent; not completely一定程度上；部分地

bulldozers and excavators 推土机和挖掘机

infamous adj. well known for being bad or evil臭名远扬的；声名狼藉的

3. Last year Aisha Huang, dubbed the "galamsey queen", was sentenced to prison for mining without a license, among other offences.

去年，被称为"非法采矿女王"的Aisha Huang 因无证采矿等罪名被判入狱。

1. Another feature is the growth of Dubai as a refining hub. Gold exports from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) went up more than 60-fold between 2002 and 2022; gold is now the most valuable export from the UAE after hydrocarbon products. 另一个特点是迪拜作为炼油中心的发展。2002年至2022年间，阿拉伯联合酋长国（UAE）的黄金出口增长了60多倍；黄金现在是阿联酋继碳氢化合物产品之后最有价值的出口产品。

refining hub炼油中心 

United Arab Emirates (UAE)阿拉伯联合酋长国

hydrocarbon products烃类产品：由碳和氢组成的化合物，包括石油、天然气、煤炭等化石燃料及其衍生物

2. The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime, an NGO based in Geneva, argues that Dubai's “no questions asked” approach to African gold encourages illicit trade. 总部设在日内瓦的一个组织“全球打击跨国有组织犯罪倡议”认为，迪拜对待非洲黄金的“不问问题”的态度助长了非法贸易。

illicit adj. An illicit activity or substance is not allowed by law or the social customs of a country. 违法的; 不正当的

3. In 2022 around two-thirds of the African gold imported into the UAE was smuggled from African countries, according to Swissaid. (The UAE says it is not accountable for other countries’ records and that it is adopting policies to curb money-laundering using gold.)据瑞士国际银行称，2022年，进口到阿联酋的非洲黄金中，约有三分之二是从非洲国家走私来的。（阿联酋表示，它不对其他国家的记录负责，并表示它正在采取政策，遏制利用黄金洗钱。）

money-laundering Money laundering is the crime of processing stolen money through a legitimate business or sending it abroad to a foreign bank, to hide the fact that the money was illegally obtained. 洗钱

1. Thousands of miles from the souks of Dubai, the gold rush is shaking up rural economies. Malian gold mines are sucking in workers from across the Sahel and, increasingly, northern Nigeria. 在距离迪拜露天市场数千英里的地方，淘金热正在撼动农村经济。马里的金矿正从整个萨赫勒地区以及越来越多的尼日利亚北部地区吸引工人。

souk n. a market in an Arab country（阿拉伯国家的）露天市场

suck in to attract by using an inexorable force, inducement, etc 吸引，这里表示金矿一无情的手段大幅吸引工人挖矿工作，指出为金矿工作的人不计其数且一直在增加。

2. In South Africa one industrial miner recorded 241% more incidents of illegal mining on its sites in the first quarter of 2024 compared with the same period the previous year. 在南非，一家工业采矿公司在2024年第一季度记录的非法采矿事件比去年同期增加了241%。

3. Some 10m people in sub-Saharan Africa work directly in ASM, several times more than two decades ago. Gavin Hilson, an expert on ASM based at the University of Surrey, argues that it is a lifeline for those in poverty.撒哈拉以南非洲约有1000万人直接在ASM工作，是20年前的数倍。萨里大学（University of Surrey）的ASM专家加文•希尔森（Gavin Hilson）认为，这是贫困人口的生命线。

sub-Saharan  adj. from or relating to areas in Africa that are south of the Sahara Desert撒哈拉沙漠以南（非洲地区）的

4. “A mine is often the only place in Africa where you will find someone with a master’s degree from Europe and an illiterate farmer.”He adds: “They all know the market price for gold. And even if you get 50% of that, you can pay school fees.”“在非洲，矿场往往是你唯一能找到一个拥有欧洲硕士学位的人和一个目不识丁的农民的地方。”他补充道：“他们都知道黄金的市场价格。即使你得到其中的50%，你也可以支付学费。”

1. Gold-mining and farming have long been complementary, with farmers topping up incomes in a lean season at mines or raising cash by leasing land.长期以来，金矿开采和农业一直是相辅相成的，农民可以在矿山淡季增加收入，或者通过租赁土地来筹集资金。

complementary adj. Complementary things are different from each other but make a good combination. 互补的

2. Yet, in Ghana as elsewhere, there is concern that the balance has been lost. Gold is often found in soils conducive to cocoa, the country’s third-largest export after gold and oil. 然而，在加纳和其他地方一样，人们担心平衡已经失去。黄金通常存在于有利于可可生长的土壤中，可可是该国仅次于黄金和石油的第三大出口产品。

conducive adj. If one thing is conducive to another thing, it makes the other thing likely to happen. (对某事) 有助益的

conducive to 有利于，有助于：对某事物或目标有积极影响或促进作用的。

本句有一个同位语，“the country’s third - largest export after gold and oil” 是 “cocoa” 的同位语，用于对 “cocoa” 在该国出口商品中的地位进行补充说明，表明可可豆是该国继黄金和石油之后的第三大出口商品。

3. The Ghana Cocoa Board, the country’s staterun buyer, says that galamsey is one reason why thousands of hectares of forests with cocoa have disappeared in recent years.加纳的主要买家加纳可可委员会（Ghana Cocoa Board）表示，非法采矿是近年来数千公顷可可林消失的原因之一。

1. The failure of successive governments to formalise ASM has encouraged unsound mining practices. 历届政府都未能将ASM正式化，这鼓励了不健全的采矿行为。

successive adj. Successive means happening or existing one after another without a break. 连续的

unsound  adj. containing mistakes; that you cannot rely on有错误的；靠不住的

2. The Ghana Water Company, a local utility, has warned that around 60% of Ghana' s water bodies are polluted because of galamsey. 加纳自来水公司，一家当地的公用事业公司，已经警告说大约60%的加纳水体受到污染，因为不规范的采矿。

3. Paul Ossei Sampene, a pathologist, says that the heavy metals used by miners are linked to miscarriages, stillbirths and birth defects.病理学家Paul Ossei Sampene说，矿工使用的重金属与流产、死产和出生缺陷有关。

pathologist n. a doctor who studies pathology and examines dead bodies to find out the cause of death病理学医生；病理学家

miscarriage adj. the process of giving birth to a baby before it is fully developed and able to survive; an occasion when this happens流产

stillbirth n. a birth in which the baby is born dead死产

birth defects:a defect that is present at birth出生缺陷

1. Gold also funds wars. Jihadists control mines across the Sahel. In eastern Congo gold is fought over by militias and exported via Uganda or Rwanda. 黄金也为战争提供资金。圣战分子控制着萨赫勒地区的地雷。在刚果东部，黄金由民兵争夺，并经由乌干达或卢旺达出口。

Jihadists n. a Muslim who is involved in a jihad圣战者

fight over争吵，争夺：为了某个事物或目标而发生争执或争夺。

2. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), one of two main belligerents in Sudan’s civil war, are partly funded by gold. 快速支援部队（RSF）是苏丹内战的两个主要交战方之一，其部分资金来自黄金。

belligerents n. [only before noun] ( formal ) ( of a country国家 ) fighting a war参战的；交战的

3. Wagner, the Russian mercenary group that fought with the RSF, controls mines in the Central African Republic.与“无国界记者”并肩作战的俄罗斯雇佣军组织瓦格纳控制着中非共和国的矿山。

mercenary n. a soldier who will fight for any country or group that offers payment雇佣兵

1. Politicians have little incentive to curb mining. Members of Ghana’s ruling party have financial interests in the sector. 政客们没有什么动力去限制采矿。加纳执政党的成员在该行业有经济利益。

ruling party 执政党：指在某个国家或地区中，掌握政权并执掌政府的政党

financial interests  a good result or an advantage for sb/sth好处；利益；经济利益

2. Officials benefit from charging vast sums for licenses. Last year "Gold Mafia", a TV documentary by Al-Jazeera, a Qatari channel, scared Zimbabwe’s ruling party enough for a bigwig to threaten to disconnect the satellite dishes of locals watching it. 官员们从收取巨额执照费中获益。去年，卡塔尔半岛电视台的一部电视纪录片《黄金黑手党》吓坏了津巴布韦的执政党，以至于一位大人物威胁要切断当地人观看该纪录片的卫星天线。

vast sums巨额资金：指非常庞大的金钱数目，通常用于描述大规模的投资、支出或财富。

Al-Jazeera n. 卡塔尔半岛电视台

bigwig n. an important person要人；大人物

3. In Lesotho political parties have links with gangs that control access to abandoned mines in neighbouring South Africa.在莱索托，政党与控制邻国南非废弃矿山通道的帮派有联系。

gang n. an organized group of criminals一帮，一伙（罪犯）

1. There have been various international efforts to make supply chains more transparent and encourage due diligence by buyers. 国际上已经做出了各种努力，以提高供应链的透明度，并鼓励买家进行尽职调查。

transparent adj. If an object or substance is transparent, you can see through it. 透明的

due diligence 尽职调查：在商业交易之前对公司或组织进行的研究和分析工作，以确保做出明智的决策。

2. Plenty of laws ostensibly regulate ASM. But in practice the mix of a light, meltable metal with a record price, willing buyers and weak African states means it has been hard to stop smuggling. 许多法律表面上是对ASM进行监管的。但实际上，这种轻质、可熔金属的价格创下历史新高，加上买家意愿强烈，再加上实力薄弱的非洲国家，意味着很难阻止走私。

ostensibly adv. seeming or stated to be real or true, when this is perhaps not the case表面地

3. While there is money to be made, there will be grey markets in the yellow metal.虽然可以赚到钱，但这种黄色金属也会有灰色市场。

grey markets: Grey-market goods are bought unofficially and then sold to customers at lower prices than usual. 灰市 (经非正式渠道购卖商品再以低于市价的价格售出)

    Africa's New Gold Rush: A Double-Edged SwordAfrica's new gold rush, led by Ghana, shows a booming gold price. It benefits miners but harms the environment and health. Smuggling is rampant, with Dubai's role noted. The rush shakes rural economies, yet disrupts the balance with farming. It also funds wars and faces political challenges. Despite efforts, grey markets persist due to various factors.

    The continuous rise in international gold prices has spurred Africa's new gold rush. High prices mean greater potential profits, attracting more people into the gold mining business. This rush has complex impacts. In Africa, it can provide job opportunities and income for locals, yet it also brings environmental degradation and social problems. 

    Globally, the increased supply from Africa may affect the gold market. In the short term, it might help meet the demand due to high prices. However, the unregulated nature of much of the African gold mining, including smuggling, could create uncertainties. If not properly managed, it may lead to market fluctuations and affect future gold prices. 

    Overall, while the gold rush offers certain benefits, it also poses challenges that need to be addressed for a stable global gold market.

[2]拓展资料

http://www.doubao.com

http://www.kimi.com

http://www.360doc.com/content/23/0326/01/71944949_1073623160.shtml

http://m.mofcom.gov.cn/article/i/jyjl/k/202012/20201203024688.shtml

https://www.toutiao.com/article/6362267957757739522/?upstream_biz=doubao&source=m_redirect&wid=1731771037196

[3]单词释义参考《牛津高阶英汉双解词典》《柯林斯英汉双解大词典》《韦氏大学英语词典》

注：本篇外刊仅用来学习使用，无任何商业用途！