2007年VOA标准英语-US Lawmakers Say Trade Deal With South Korea Sh
时间:2019-01-13 作者:英语课 分类:2007年VOA标准英语(八月)
Seoul
28 August 2007
A team of U.S. lawmakers visiting South Korea says a major free-trade deal signed several months ago may have to wait until next year for passage. Other pressing business before the U.S. Congress, and some unsettled issues in the agreement, are behind the prospective 2 delay. VOA's Kurt Achin has more from Seoul.
Congresswoman Diane Watson
U.S. Congresswoman Diane Watson says ratifying 3 a major trade deal with South Korea this year is not Washington's highest priority.
"The chances of taking up the proposed trade policy might be a little slim," she said.
Watson is chairing the U.S. side of an inter-parliamentary conference between the two countries this week. Lawmakers from both countries call it an opportunity for frank dialogue about the deal, which would loosen trade barriers.
But Watson cited U.S. domestic budget items, along with security concerns connected to Iraq and Iran, as the reason for the likely delay.
President Bush and South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun signed the deal in June after months of intense negotiation 4. The deal is bitterly opposed by some Korean groups, who fear it would allow the far larger U.S. economy to swallow entire sectors 5 of South Korean production.
Two of the three biggest U.S. automobile 6 producers oppose the deal, because they say it does not sufficiently 7 cut barriers to import foreign cars into South Korea.
Watson says the agreement will not become law until Congress can assure U.S. carmakers they are not getting a bad deal.
"Cars, car sales, jobs, manufacturing, will be a number-one issue," added Watson.
There is also uneasiness in Washington about including goods made in Kaesong, a North-South Korean joint 8 venture located in the North, in the free-trade deal. Seoul wants them included, but some congressmen are concerned that the North Korean workers at the park are not being treated according to global labor 9 standards.
South Korea's ban on U.S. beef imports is another sensitive issue.
South Korea suspended those imports after a U.S. cow was found with "mad cow" disease in 2003, but resumed shipments this year. Little U.S. beef has actually made it to consumers, however, due to rejection 10 of shipments containing bits of bone, which South Korean inspectors 11 call a health hazard.
Congressman 12 Earl Pomeroy, who represents many American farmers, says the beef issue could be a deal breaker for the free trade agreement.
"The embargo 13 is an issue that needs to be resolved, I believe, before there will be much prospect 1 for having the free-trade agreement passed in Congress," said Pomeroy.
Washington says U.S. beef, with or without bones, is completely safe. The World Organization for Animal Health says U.S. producers have adequately controlled the threat of mad cow disease.
- This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
- The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。
- The story should act as a warning to other prospective buyers.这篇报道应该对其他潜在的购买者起到警示作用。
- They have all these great activities for prospective freshmen.这会举办各种各样的活动来招待未来的新人。
- They call their State Assembly a disgrace for ratifying the 35th. 他们把州议会通过的第35号修正案说成是可耻的行为。 来自辞典例句
- The Obama administration, unlike its predecessor, talks of ratifying the test-ban treaty. 该会议五年举办一次,回顾其间发生的事情。 来自互联网
- They closed the deal in sugar after a week of negotiation.经过一星期的谈判,他们的食糖生意成交了。
- The negotiation dragged on until July.谈判一直拖到7月份。
- 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》
- He is repairing the brake lever of an automobile.他正在修理汽车的刹车杆。
- The automobile slowed down to go around the curves in the road.汽车在路上转弯时放慢了速度。
- It turned out he had not insured the house sufficiently.原来他没有给房屋投足保险。
- The new policy was sufficiently elastic to accommodate both views.新政策充分灵活地适用两种观点。
- I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤,肩膀脫臼了。
- We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。
- We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
- He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后,他已经疲惫不堪了。
- He decided not to approach her for fear of rejection.他因怕遭拒绝决定不再去找她。
- The rejection plunged her into the dark depths of despair.遭到拒绝使她陷入了绝望的深渊。
- They got into the school in the guise of inspectors. 他们假装成视察员进了学校。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- Inspectors checked that there was adequate ventilation. 检查员已检查过,通风良好。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
- The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。