https://espresso.economist.com/7436b0dc99f8aed11026252aeade1a3a
-- Dec 4th 2018
Incense investment: Vatican startups
- Vatican 梵蒂冈
Ten new companies, selected from 400 applications, gather today at the Vatican to pitch to religious leaders and philanthropists.
- pitch 争取支持
- philanthropist 博爱主义者；慈善家
The “Laudato Si’ Challenge”, inspired by Pope Francis’s 2015 eponymous encyclical, aims to help startups that offer solutions to the problems generated by migration.
- eponymous 同名的
- encyclical 教皇通谕
One company, Leaf, is developing blockchain technology to connect the unbanked to the global economy through their mobile phones.
- blockchain 区块链
Chatterbox offers language lessons by refugees, while DoctHERs connects female doctors in Pakistan to “underserved communities”.
- refugees 避难者；逃亡者
- underserved 服务水平低下的；服务水平低下；服务不足
Italy’s geography has made it a first port of call for migrants making their way from north Africa to Europe.
- call for 呼吁；主张；需要；接(某人)
- make one's way 前进；行进；走去
Successive governments have failed to promote their integration in society.
- Successive 连续的；接连的；相继的
Matteo Salvini, leader of the right-wing Northern League and interior minister in Italy’s coalition government, continues to campaign vigorously against immigration.
- right-wing 右翼的；右派的
- coalition government (两党或多党）联合政府
- interior minister 内政部长；内务部长；内务大臣
- campaign against 针对……的运动
- vigorously 精神旺盛地；精力充沛地；用力地
A big test of today will be if startups can help where the state is failing.
