VOA慢速英語:Map Shows Gold is Top Conflict Mineral in Eastern Congo

From VOA Learning English, this is the Economics Report.

這里是美國之音慢速英語經濟報道。

Researchers have produced a new map of mining areas in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The map shows mines under the control of the Congolese army and armed groups. The study suggests that the top conflict mineral in the area is now gold.

研究人員制成了一幅新的剛果民主共和國礦區(qū)地圖。該地圖展示了剛果軍隊和武裝團體控制下的礦山。這項研究表明，現(xiàn)在該地區(qū)沖突最嚴重的礦產是黃金。

A Belgian group, the International Peace Information Service (IPIS), carried out the study in partnership with the DRC registry of mines. The researchers found that armed groups were involved in about 200 of the 800 mines they studied, the Congolese army was involved at 265 mines. The researchers reported that both the military and the militias are taxing mine workers illegally.

來自比利時的國際和平信息中心(簡稱IPIS)同剛果礦產登記處合作進行了這項研究。研究人員發(fā)現(xiàn)，在他們研究的800家礦山中，武裝組織涉足了大約200家礦山，剛果軍隊涉足了265家礦山。研究人員報告稱，軍隊和民兵都對礦工非法課稅。

The International Peace Information Service carried out a similar survey in 2009. Filip Hilgert was the lead researcher. He told VOA the map they made 4 years ago is no longer correct. He said many of the miners are now digging for gold, and he said the armed groups are profiting much more from gold than from other conflict minerals, such as tin, tungsten and tantalum. These minerals are often called the "three T's."

國際和平信息中心于2009年進行過一項類似調查。菲利普·希爾戈爾特(Filip Hilgert)是首席研究員。他告訴美國之音，他們4年前制作的地圖不再準確。他說，許多礦工現(xiàn)在都在挖金礦，他還說，武裝組織從黃金中牟取的暴利遠遠超出了其它沖突礦物，如錫，鎢和鉭。這些礦物通常被稱為“三大金屬礦產”(three T's)。

One reason for the change has been an increase in the price of gold. Another reason has been stronger international rules for mineral imports. The United States Congress passed legislation to fight the trade of conflict minerals. Mr Hilgert says such efforts have had a big effect on trade in the three T's, but it has not effected the gold trade.

引起這一變化的原因之一是黃金價格的上漲，另一個原因是國際上對礦產出口的規(guī)則更加嚴格。美國國會通過立法打擊沖突礦產貿易。希爾戈爾特表示，這類措施對“三大金屬礦產”已經產生了重大的影響，但它并未影響到黃金交易。

Judith Sargentini is a member of the European parliament. She has been campaigning for a European law on conflict minerals. She notes that gold like diamonds is easy to transport in small amounts, that explains why it is hard to know where it was mined.

朱迪思·薩庚蒂尼(Judith Sargentini)是歐洲議會議員。她一直爭取就沖突礦物出臺一項歐洲法律。她指出，黃金像鉆石一樣容易少量運輸，這也就解釋了為何難以弄清它采掘自何處。

The German geological institute BGR (Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe) has collected minerals from hundreds of mines in Rwanda. The collections could be used to prove whether a sample of minerals came from a conflict area. But Judith Sargentini suggests that geophysical tests will not work. She say buyers need to know about their suppliers.

德國地質研究機構德國聯(lián)邦地球科學和自然資源研究所(BGR)已經從盧旺達收集了數(shù)百種礦物，它們可以用于證實礦物樣本是否來自沖突地區(qū)。但薩庚蒂尼認為地球物理測試起不到作用。她說，買家需要了解他們的供應商。

"You cannot solve every trade in a commodity by trying to find out what the geological background of a material is. It shows that you need, first of all, a due diligence supply chain, and second of all, initiatives that lead to fairtrade gold mining," said Sargentini.

薩庚蒂尼說，“你沒法通過找出原材料的地質背景來解決一種商品的所有貿易。這說明你需要，首先，一條可靠的供應鏈，其次，各種通向黃金公平貿易的倡議。”

Due diligence in this case means knowing and being about to trust your supplier.

這種情況下的Due diligence是指了解并信任你的供應商。