The board of the World Bank has chosen an American academic, Jim Yong Kim, as its new president despite an unprecedented challenge from a non-American candidate. Doctor Kim is an expert on health issues in the developing world. Andrew Walker reports from Washington.
尽管将非美国人作为候选人是一个前所未有的挑战,世行董事会已选举一位韩籍美国学者金永吉作为新任行长。金博士在发展中国家是健康事务的专家。
Jim Yong Kim was a surprise choice when President Obama nominated him. His predecessors were all American, but they were either political figures or financiers. He is neither. What he does have is a knowledge of health problems, and that is an important part of the bank's work. For the first time there were other candidates, and they offered wider experience of economic development, which is the bank's main business. The American nominee can, however, expect support from Europe as a long-standing deal gives the bank to an American and the top job at the IMF to a European.
总统奥巴马提名金永吉,出乎人们的意料。金的前任都是美国人,且要么是政客要么是金融家。而金不是,他就是研究健康问题的学者,健康问题当然是世行工作的一个重要部分。这也是首次还有其他有丰富发展经济经验的候选人,发展经济是世行的主要工作。但是金有望得到欧洲的支持,因为长期以来的作法是:世行行长一职属于美国人,而IMF行长任命欧洲人。