Many countries have been in this position before, exhilarated by natural-resource bonanzas, only to see the boom end in disappointment and the opportunity squandered, with little payoff in terms of a better quality of life for their people. But, whether in Libya or Ghana, political leaders today have an advantage: most are well aware of history, and want to know how to avoid the infamous natural-resource “curse.”
很多国家都有过类似的经历，因为发现自然资源而喜出望外，最终却落得失望的下场，天赐良机白白浪费，国民的生活质量却没有大的改善。但是，不论是利比亚还是加纳，今天的政治领袖们有一个优势，他们大都记得前车之鉴，都想知道如何才能避免臭名昭著的自然资源“魔咒”。