India’s poverty rate (an indicator that is admittedly both conceptually and practically difficult to measure) fell by half between 1981 and 2010, to just under 30% – a remarkable achievement. But faster-growing East Asia has experienced significantly greater progress, with the poverty rate falling from 77% to 14% over the same period.
不幸的是，在印度这样一个穷国，只有持续的快速增长才能持续产生发展的果实。1981—2010年间，印度的贫困率（该指标被公认只是个概念性的指标，而且极难测量）下降了一半，降到了30%以下——一个令人瞩目的成就。但增长更快的东亚的进步更大，同期贫困率从77%降到了14%。