时间:2019-01-13 作者:英语课 分类:VOA标准英语2009年(十二月)


英语课

The new deal allows the United Arab Emirates to receive sensitive information and materials from the United States to help create the Arab world's first civilian 1 nuclear power industry.


Phillip Walter Wellman | Dubai 18 December 2009


 

Photo: VOA - P. Wellman

Rapid development in Dubai is straining the emirate's power supplies, 12 Dec 2009


The United States and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have signed a landmark 2 agreement on peaceful nuclear cooperation.


The new deal, which was finalized 3 Thursday, allows the United Arab Emirates to receive sensitive information and materials from the United States to help create the Arab world's first civilian nuclear power industry.  Emirati officials say the country needs nuclear power to keep up with rising energy demands, but critics have expressed concern over the country's close proximity 4 to Iran, which many international powers suspect of wanting to build a nuclear bomb.


At the al-Jabriah junkyard in Sharjah workers collect scrap 5 metal and throw it into compressing machines for most of the day. And they say they're lucky to be doing it. For more than two months this summer, the sheikhdom, which is one of seven that makes up the United Arab Emirates, suffered from repeated power shortages.


It was the hottest time of the year in one of the hottest places on Earth and many members of the expat-dominated community were threatening to leave if the problem persisted.


Ojas Mehta, who owns al-Jabriah, says the situation was particularly bad for businesses owners.


"When the power went off we had these machines switched off totally. We do around 1,200 tons a month and because of the power shortages we could do only 200 to 250 tons, which is like we've lost around $300,000," says Mehta.


Analysts 7 say the blackouts clearly show how rapid development has outpaced broader planning efforts throughout the country.  The Emirates has one of the highest population growth rates in the world, with an estimated 300,000 people, nearly all of them foreign workers, moving in this year alone.


The UAE Embassy in Washington expects further influxes 8 to drive demand for electricity up to around 40,000 megawatts in a decade's time. That is a nine percent annual growth rate from levels two years ago.


The country is the world's third largest oil producer, but it mainly burns gas to generate electricity. It also exports gas, but according to the embassy's calculations it will need double the amount it currently has just to meet its own consumption in ten year's time, threatening to extend the power problem from the junkyards of Sharjah to the five-star hotels and glitzy palaces that litter Dubai and Abu Dhabi.


Local energy expert Khaled al-Awadhi says that is one of the reasons why the country needs nuclear power.


"There is a problem with fuel. We expect to have gas shortages to meet the growing demand in electricity," he said. "By making more oil available and more gas available [for local consumption] two things will happen: The industries will have less gas and oil and also the international market will have less gas and oil. So the ideal solution is to go to nuclear energy. It will meet up with the growth and it will also release oil and gas to the industries."

 

A new pact 9 with the USA aims to help the UAE meet its nuclear needs.


Known as the 123 Agreement, it establishes a legal framework for the U.S. to transfer sensitive information and materials, like nuclear fuel, to the Emirates in return for a promise to abide 10 by non-proliferation agreements.


The accord was first signed back in January by the departing Bush administration and was later approved by current president Barack Obama in May.


As part of the agreement, the UAE has outlawed 11 uranium enrichment and reprocessing spent nuclear fuel for plutonium, which is used in nuclear bombs. Instead, it will import all the fuel needed for its future reactors 12. This is exactly the type of deal the international community has been trying to reach with Iran.


President of the US-UAE Business Council, Danny Sebright, says it's a revolutionary step forward.

 

"I would say that what the US-UAE agreement does and what the UAE's civilian energy program does quite frankly 13 sets a new model, sets a new example for the way nuclear energy can be done in the world in such a manner that it's all about the energy and it has nothing to do with promoting or pursuing a weapons program," said Sebright.

 

But the U.S.-UAE agreement does have its critics.


Some members of U.S. Congress have expressed concern over the UAE's trading ties with neighboring Iran. They say Emirati authorities are not taking enough steps to ensure U.S. nuclear technology does not fall into the hands of Tehran, which many international powers suspect of planning to build nuclear weapons.


Supporters of the accord say it will actually serve as a counterweight to Iran's weapons pursuit, showing the nation it too could receive help for its nuclear program if it complied with global standards. But opponents say this is a naïve assumption.


There are also members of congress who believe the UAE's human rights record should prevent it from receiving any nuclear assistance.


Earlier this year a member of Abu Dhabi's royal family was allegedly caught on videotape beating a man with a nailed plank 14, setting him on fire and running him over with his car all because he apparently 15 cheated him in a business deal.


Democratic Congressman 16 James McGovern worries this behavior is acceptable in the UAE and he says he fears the country's image of moderation and tolerance 17 could be nothing more than a façade. He says a more thorough investigation 18 of the country should have been carried out before the nuclear agreement was approved.


"If I had a magic wand and could make everything the way I wanted it to be I probably would not be in support of this deal," said McGovern. "There are people in congress who believe that this deal is actually helpful to us in terms of prohibiting technology transfers to Iran. I understand that, but look, I chair the human rights commission here in Congress and human rights to me is the central issue and I am very, very concerned that there is a culture of impunity 19 that still exists in the UAE. That some people appear to be above the law is of great concern to me and I think it should be of great concern to the United States."


The next step for the Emirates is deciding on who will build its four nuclear reactors - it's a decision that has been expected for some time now.


Several nations, including the United States, are bidding for the project, which the New York-based consultancy firm Eurasia Group estimates at being worth more than $40 billion.


Many industry sources say a consortium from France is in pole position to win the contract.


But Eurasia Group analyst 6 David Bender says it is really anybody's guess.


"The decision-making process in the UAE for this is obviously very opaque 20 and so it is difficult to say who has the edge right now. There have been people trying to speculate one way or another, were they waiting for the US to pass the agreement because they are giving it to a US company or because they are not giving it to a US company, but they wanted to show that they gave a US company a fair chance and I think you could really read it either direction." said Bender.

 

Bender says even the countries that are not chosen will still benefit from the UAE's new nuclear program. He also says it is just a glimpse of what to expect in the region.


"I think this is the beginning of a growing nuclear power industry in the Gulf 21," he said. "Saudi Arabia has suggested it will go ahead with a nuclear power program, although it is still in the very early stages, and I think we will also see countries like Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait moving in that direction as well of investigating whether it makes sense to them, and by and large for most Gulf countries I think it does make sense."


The UAE expects to have its nuclear program up and running by 2017.


 



adj.平民的,民用的,民众的
  • There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
  • He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。
n.陆标,划时代的事,地界标
  • The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history.俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。
  • The tower was once a landmark for ships.这座塔曾是船只的陆标。
vt.完成(finalize的过去式与过去分词形式)
  • The draft of this article has been finalized [done]. 这篇文章已经定稿。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • The draft was revised several times before it was finalized. 稿子几经删改才定下来。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
n.接近,邻近
  • Marriages in proximity of blood are forbidden by the law.法律规定禁止近亲结婚。
  • Their house is in close proximity to ours.他们的房子很接近我们的。
n.碎片;废料;v.废弃,报废
  • A man comes round regularly collecting scrap.有个男人定时来收废品。
  • Sell that car for scrap.把那辆汽车当残品卖了吧。
n.分析家,化验员;心理分析学家
  • What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务?
  • The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。
分析家,化验员( analyst的名词复数 )
  • City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
  • I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。
n.大量涌入( influx的名词复数 )
  • Such rapid influxes of sediment probably overwhelm the bottom dwellers in an area. 沉积物如此迅速的汇集可能把这一地区的海底生物全部淹没了。 来自辞典例句
  • Conduction,Convection and radiation can bring heat influxes. 计算过程考虑了核热沉积以及热传导、热辐射、对流引起的换热过程。 来自互联网
n.合同,条约,公约,协定
  • The two opposition parties made an electoral pact.那两个反对党订了一个有关选举的协定。
  • The trade pact between those two countries came to an end.那两国的通商协定宣告结束。
vi.遵守;坚持;vt.忍受
  • You must abide by the results of your mistakes.你必须承担你的错误所造成的后果。
  • If you join the club,you have to abide by its rules.如果你参加俱乐部,你就得遵守它的规章。
宣布…为不合法(outlaw的过去式与过去分词形式)
  • Most states have outlawed the use of marijuana. 大多数州都宣布使用大麻为非法行为。
  • I hope the sale of tobacco will be outlawed someday. 我希望有朝一日烟草制品会禁止销售。
起反应的人( reactor的名词复数 ); 反应装置; 原子炉; 核反应堆
  • The TMI nuclear facility has two reactors. 三哩岛核设施有两个反应堆。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
  • The earliest production reactors necessarily used normal uranium as fuel. 最早为生产用的反应堆,必须使用普通铀作为燃料。
adv.坦白地,直率地;坦率地说
  • To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说,我一点也不赞成这个主意。
  • Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说,我不反对改革。
n.板条,木板,政策要点,政纲条目
  • The plank was set against the wall.木板靠着墙壁。
  • They intend to win the next election on the plank of developing trade.他们想以发展贸易的纲领来赢得下次选举。
adv.显然地;表面上,似乎
  • An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽,豁然开朗。
  • He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。
n.(美)国会议员
  • 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。
n.宽容;容忍,忍受;耐药力;公差
  • Tolerance is one of his strengths.宽容是他的一个优点。
  • Human beings have limited tolerance of noise.人类对噪音的忍耐力有限。
n.调查,调查研究
  • In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
  • He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。
n.(惩罚、损失、伤害等的)免除
  • You will not escape with impunity.你不可能逃脱惩罚。
  • The impunity what compulsory insurance sets does not include escapement.交强险规定的免责范围不包括逃逸。
adj.不透光的;不反光的,不传导的;晦涩的
  • The windows are of opaque glass.这些窗户装着不透明玻璃。
  • Their intentions remained opaque.他们的意图仍然令人费解。
n.海湾;深渊,鸿沟;分歧,隔阂
  • The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
  • There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。
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Achorion lebertii
alkaline reserve
allosyndisis
already-listed
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antenna inaequalis
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atomic physicss
bar cutting machine
be one for the books
Bellegem
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biis
bilateral bearing
black mould of rice
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can feeder
chequer-work
clicketting
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environmental cracking
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froken
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general once-over tillage
get away speed
get mine
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guyette
ibm tivoli storage resource manager agent
iron stone
Kaura
krypton-85 source
large scale air separation plant
lead autunite
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nonzero algebra
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paint the town red
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parting shears
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plectranthias yamakawai
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procedure execution stack
processor consistency model
professional workstation
prohibitory injunction
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ran ragged
see something of the world
seepage deformation
separated-gang cultivator
settlement slope
sight deposit
silky pig iron
skreak
small-plate
Sooretama
soyt
standard preparation hours
stone net
tazmania
The ass waggeth his ears
tourist board
truxillic acid
unacknowledged connectionless-mode transmission
Vacutainer
ventricular escape
voluntary contribution
water extract
welding blower
woodsia alpina gray