译者 3yan2yu
Least corrupt place? New Zealand. Worst? Somalia, North Korea
腐败现象最少的地方？新西兰。最差的地方？索马里，朝鲜
By Arthur Brice, CNN
亚瑟·布莱斯（Arthur Brice）撰写，CNN
December 4, 2011 -- Updated 0429 GMT (1229 HKT)
2011年12月4日 - 更新于格林尼治标准时间04:29 （香港时间12:29）
Transparency International says corruption is a hidden activity that is difficult to measure.
透明国际组织说，腐败是一个隐藏的活动，它是难以衡量的。
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
报道的概要：
Study looks at perceived corruption in countries
研究着眼于各个国家能感知到的腐败。
The United States ranks No. 24 on the least corrupt end of scale
美国排在廉洁指数排名第24，处于最廉洁的指标范围中的最后位置。
Index is based partly on business opinion surveys
指标部分地依据商业的民意调查。
(CNN) -- New Zealand is perceived as the least corrupt nation on earth, and Somalia and North Korea are seen as the most corrupt, a German watchdog organization said in a report released this week.
（CNN ） - 德国的一个监察组织在本周公布的一份报告中说，新西兰被认为是地球上最廉洁的国家，而索马里和朝鲜是最腐败的。
The United States ranked 24th least corrupt on a "corruption perceptions index," the fourth-best in the Western Hemisphere. Canada ranked 10th, the Bahamas is 21st and Chile is 22nd.
美国在“清廉指数”中排名第24，在西半球中占第4位。加拿大排名第10 ，巴哈马是21和智利是第22 。
Overall, the top spots are occupied mostly by European countries, with the exception of New Zealand, Singapore at No. 5 and Australia, which is tied for eighth with Switzerland. Other nations with top rankings are Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway and the Netherlands.
总的来看，排名在“清廉指数”前面的，除新西兰为第1，新加坡为第5，澳大利亚与瑞士并列第8以外， 主要是在欧洲国家。名列前茅的国家是丹麦、芬兰、瑞典、挪威和荷兰。
In addition to Somalia and North Korea, which are tied for last at No. 182, the bottom of the list includes Myanmar, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Sudan, Iraq, Haiti and Venezuela.
索马里和朝鲜并列最后位的第182，列在“清廉指数”表的底部，还有缅甸、阿富汗、乌兹别克斯坦、土库曼斯坦、苏丹、伊拉克、海地和委内瑞拉。
The report was prepared by the independent, nonpartisan Transparency International organization, which says it drew its conclusions based "on different assessments and business opinion surveys carried out by independent and reputable institutions."
该报告是由独立的无党派透明国际组织所准备的，该组织声称，它提出结论的基础是“出于由独立和有信誉机构所作的各种评估和商业的民意调查。”
The information used to compile the index includes "questions relating to the bribery of public officials, kickbacks in public procurement, embezzlement of public funds and questions that probe the strength and effectiveness of public-sector and anti-corruption efforts," Transparency International said.
用来编制“清廉指数”的信息包括有“对公职人员的行贿、公开采购中的回扣、挪用公款、调查公共部门和反腐工作的实力和成效等问题， ” 透明国际说。
Perceptions are used, the organization said, because corruption is a hidden activity that is difficult to measure.
凭感觉是有用的，该组织说，因为腐败是一个隐藏的活动，很难加以衡量
"Over time," the organization said in its report, "perceptions have proved to be a reliable estimate of corruption."
“随着时间的推移," 该组织在其报告中说， “感觉已被证明是对腐败的一个可靠的估计。 ”
The rankings for other Western Hemisphere countries are: Uruguay (25), Puerto Rico (39), Costa Rica (50), Cuba (61), Brazil (73), Colombia, El Salvador and Peru (tied for 80), Panama (86), Argentina and Mexico (tied for 100), Bolivia (118), Ecuador and Guatemala (tied for 120), the Dominican Republic and Honduras (tied for 129), Nicaragua (134), Paraguay (154), Venezuela (172) and Haiti (175).
其他西半球国家的排名是：乌拉圭（25） ，波多黎各（39） ，哥斯达黎加（50） ，古巴（61 ） ，巴西（73） ，哥伦比亚、萨尔瓦多和秘鲁（并列80 ） ，巴拿马（ 86） ，阿根廷和墨西哥（并列100） ，玻利维亚（118），厄瓜多尔和危地马拉（ 并列120） ，多米尼加共和国和洪都拉斯（ 并列129） ，尼加拉瓜（134） ，巴拉圭（154） ，委内瑞拉（172 ）和海地（175） 。
The index uses a scale of 0-10 to measure perceived corruption, with zero representing highly corrupt and 10 being very clean.
“清廉指数”是使用0~10的所表示的一个指标，用来衡量可感知到的腐败, 0表示高度腐败和10代表是最清廉。
New Zealand, the highest-ranked nation, has a 9.5 score. Somalia and North Korea, the lowest-ranked, have 1.0.
新西兰是排名最高的国家，有9.5分。索马里和朝鲜排名最低，只有1.0。
The United States scored 7.1, while Canada is 8.7 and Chile is 7.2. Haiti, the lowest-ranked nation in the Western Hemisphere, scored 1.8. Next-worst is Venezuela with 1.9.
美国得分为7.1，加拿大是8.7，和智利是7.2 。在西半球国家排名最低的是海地，得分1.8。其次是委内瑞拉1.9 。
In Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Turkey is ranked highest at 61 with 4.2 on the scale, and Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are lowest, tied for 177 with a 1.6 index value.
在东欧和中亚，土耳其是排名最高达第61，得分 4.2，土库曼斯坦和乌兹别克斯坦排名最低，并列为第177， 指数值1.6。
In the European Union and Western Europe, Denmark and Finland are best, tied for second with a 9.4 index value. Bulgaria is lowest at No. 86 with a 3.3 on the corruption scale.
在欧盟和西欧，丹麦和芬兰是最好的，指数为9.4值，并列第二。保加利亚是排名最低，为第86，得分是3.3。
In the Middle East and North Africa, Qatar is best at No. 22 and a 7.2 index value. Iraq is lowest, ranked No. 175 with a 1.8.
在中东和北非，卡塔尔最好排名22号，得分7.2。伊拉克是最低排在第175， 得分1.8 。
In Sub-Saharan Africa, Botswana is ranked highest at No. 32 and a 6.1 index value.
在撒哈拉以南的非洲，博茨瓦纳是排名最高，第32号和指数值6.1。
Transparency International, headquartered in Berlin, reports having 90 chapters worldwide. The organization says it works with partners in government, business and civil society to develop and implement effective measures to combat corruption.
总部设在柏林透明国际组织报告了全世界的90章节。该组织说，它参与政府、企业和民间社会制定和实施有效措施来打击腐败。
The complete report, released Thursday, can be seen at www.transparency.org.
本星期四公布的完整报告，可以参看www.transparency.org 。
from 译言-每日精品译文推荐 http://article.yeeyan.org/view/wshijf/237498
