2007年VOA标准英语-Privately Owned Bridge Faces Public Criticism O
时间:2019-01-08 作者:英语课 分类:2007年VOA标准英语(六月)
Washington, DC
15 June 2007
Ambassador Bridge
The busiest truck border crossing in North America is the Ambassador Bridge. It connects the U.S. Midwest city of Detroit, Michigan with the Canadian city of Windsor, Ontario. U.S. Customs officials says every year three million cars, 1.7 million trucks and $80 billion worth of goods pass through this gateway 1. The Ambassador Bridge is also privately 2 owned. Since September 11, 2001, the issue of private ownership of this critical juncture 3 has come under fire from critics who want either more government control or public oversight 4. VOA's Brian Padden recently visited the site and has this report.
After September 11th, long lines and hours of delay were commonplace on the Ambassador Bridge when heightened security restrictions 5 went into place. But today, traffic is not too bad on this bridge that connects the U.S. and Canada. On a normal day, approximately 8,000 cars and 6,000 trucks cross this bridge. 25 percent of all trade between the two countries passes through this juncture. High tech devices such as radiation detectors 6, license 7 plate readers and high-speed computer databases have cut down the processing time to get through U.S. Customs.
Robert Perez, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Port Director in Detroit, says this border crossing is both secure and efficient. "From a U.S. Customs and Border Protection standpoint, we consider ourselves in the port of Detroit, and specifically here in the Ambassador Bridge, the epitome 8 of our layered enforcement practices," he said.
Still there is ongoing 9 concern about security here because the Ambassador Bridge is privately owned and not accountable to any public authority.
Critics like Marge Byington say this lack of public oversight could lead to gaps in jurisdiction 10 among the various federal, state, local and private agencies on both sides of the border responsible for security. She says a public oversight authority is needed to assure that the security agencies are working together. "I think it's best because you are dealing 11 with two sides of the river, one Canadian, one U.S.," she explains. "It's an international effort and there should be cooperation on both sides between Canada and the U.S. about how it's run and participation 12 in that process."
Marge Byington
But Marge Byington represents the Detroit River Tunnel Partnership 13, which has proposed a new tunnel project to compete with the Ambassador Bridge. The president of the company that owns the bridge told VOA his company does cooperate with all appropriate authorities. The whole situation leaves many wondering whether private entities 14 should be allowed to own critical infrastructure 15 at a time of potential terrorist threat?
Homeland security expert David Heyman says private ownership, even when it comes to bridges, is the American way. He says providing security is the responsibility of both the private and public sectors 17. "Across ports, bridges, any kind of critical infrastructure, nuclear power plants, you always have this fusion 18 of security from the government, all layers, federal, state and local," says Heyman. "You have the private sector 16 and all of those together, must come together. It is not unusual, but after 9/11 it is the norm today."
Ultimately, Heyman says, it is in the private sector interest to protect the public good.
- Hard work is the gateway to success.努力工作是通往成功之路。
- A man collected tolls at the gateway.一个人在大门口收通行费。
- Some ministers admit privately that unemployment could continue to rise.一些部长私下承认失业率可能继续升高。
- The man privately admits that his motive is profits.那人私下承认他的动机是为了牟利。
- The project is situated at the juncture of the new and old urban districts.该项目位于新老城区交界处。
- It is very difficult at this juncture to predict the company's future.此时很难预料公司的前景。
- I consider this a gross oversight on your part.我把这件事看作是你的一大疏忽。
- Your essay was not marked through an oversight on my part.由于我的疏忽你的文章没有打分。
- I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
- a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制
- The report advocated that all buildings be fitted with smoke detectors. 报告主张所有的建筑物都应安装烟火探测器。
- This is heady wine for experimenters using these neutrino detectors. 对于使用中微子探测器的实验工作者,这是令人兴奋的美酒。 来自英汉非文学 - 科技
- The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。
- The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。
- He is the epitome of goodness.他是善良的典范。
- This handbook is a neat epitome of everyday hygiene.这本手册概括了日常卫生的要点。
- The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
- The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。
- It doesn't lie within my jurisdiction to set you free.我无权将你释放。
- Changzhou is under the jurisdiction of Jiangsu Province.常州隶属江苏省。
- This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
- His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。
- Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
- The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。
- The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
- Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。
- Our newspaper and our printing business form separate corporate entities. 我们的报纸和印刷业形成相对独立的企业实体。
- The North American continent is made up of three great structural entities. 北美大陆是由三个构造单元组成的。
- We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
- We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设,发展各类群众文化。
- The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
- The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。
- Berlin was divided into four sectors after the war. 战后柏林分成了4 个区。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- Industry and agriculture are the two important sectors of the national economy. 工业和农业是国民经济的两个重要部门。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》