VOA慢速英语20060213b

THIS IS AMERICA - After Safest Year on Record, Coal Mining Deaths Raise ConcernsBy Jerilyn Watson

Broadcast: Monday, February 13, 2006

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VOICE ONE:

Welcome to THIS IS AMERICA in VOA Special English. I'm Steve Ember.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Barbara Klein. Coal mining is a historically dangerous job -- and it is our subject this week.

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VOICE ONE:

America produces more than half of its electric power from coal. Mineral experts say the country has the world's largest supply of coal waiting to be mined.


Coal miners at work

Coal mining in the United States is much safer than it used to be. Yet nineteen miners were killed in the first five weeks of two thousand six. That was almost as many as were killed in all of last year.

VOICE TWO:

Most of the recent deaths happened in West Virginia. Twelve men died in a mine where inspectors¹ found more than two hundred safety violations² last year. Now, more than two hundred federal safety officials are examining the mines in West Virginia. West Virginia produces more coal than any other state except Wyoming.

The recent accidents led to a federal request for all coal mines in the nation to stop work for one hour on February sixth to discuss safety. And there have been other steps. In Pennsylvania, the governor ordered the re-inspection of all seventy-seven active underground mines in his state.

VOICE ONE:

In Congress, a Senate hearing took place late last month to discuss mine safety. Senator Arlen Specter and others questioned David Dye, the acting³ assistant secretary of labor⁴ for mine safety and health.


Arlen Specter

Senator Specter, a Republican from Pennsylvania, noted⁵ a reduction in the number of federal mine inspectors as a result of budget cuts. Mister Dye said he did not think that played a part in the mine accidents.

The Mine Safety and Health Administration in the Labor Department inspects about two thousand coal mines nationwide. That is in addition to more than twelve thousand other mines.

VOICE TWO:

Members of Congress from West Virginia have proposed several measures to improve safety for coal miners. Hearings on the proposed legislation are expected to begin in early March.

West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin has already signed similar legislation for his state. Between January second and February first, West Virginia had four accidents that killed sixteen miners.

VOICE ONE:

The first was an explosion in the Sago Mine. It killed one miner immediately. Eleven others became trapped in poisoned air. Each had about one hour of emergency oxygen.

A misunderstood communication from rescue workers made the events even more terrible for the families. At first, the mining company reported that the trapped men were alive. Hours later came the crushing news, though rescuers did find a thirteenth miner alive.


Family members react to the news of only one survivor⁶ in the Sago Mine accident in West Virginia

Then, on January nineteenth, two miners were killed in a fire in another West Virginia coal mine. And separate accidents on February first claimed the lives of two other men.

The year also began with coal mine accidents in Kentucky and Utah that resulted in three deaths.

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VOICE TWO:

President Bush has nominated Richard Stickler⁷ to head the Mine Safety and Health Administration. The last chief resigned in November of two thousand four.

Mister Stickler is a former miner. Later he spent thirty years as a mining company official in Pennsylvania. He also led the Pennsylvania Bureau of Deep Mine Safety.

Senator Edward Kennedy expressed concern during a confirmation⁸ hearing. The Massachusetts Democrat⁹ questioned whether the nominee¹⁰ might be too friendly to coal companies.

Senator Mike Enzi, Republican of Wyoming, said Mister Stickler has the knowledge and experience to do a good job. Senator Enzi said he believes the Senate will confirm Mister Stickler.

VOICE ONE:

The office of Congressman¹¹ George Miller¹², a California Democrat, released a report on the Mine Safety and Health Administration. It showed that since two thousand one, the agency had withdrawn¹³ or delayed eighteen safety rules proposed under President Bill Clinton.

The agency, however, says it has increased its enforcement actions against mine operators. And it says it continues to seek ways to improve safety.

On February seventh David Dye, the acting administrator¹⁴, announced special action to make several new rules. These would require mine operators to keep additional oxygen supplies in a storage area for each miner underground.

Operators would also have to provide lifelines along all escape pathways to help guide miners out of the mine. And they would have fifteen minutes to inform the agency of an accident. Current rules say only that the agency must be told immediately.

The agency said it was acting under a rarely used process for emergency temporary rulemaking.

At the end of January, in Saskatchewan, Canada, there was a fire in a potash mine operated by an American company. Seventy-two miners all escaped the poison gas. They waited in a safety room equipped with additional oxygen. Workers rescued the last of the trapped miners after about thirty hours.

VOICE TWO:

The United States has about one hundred thousand mineral miners. Close to eighty thousand of these men and women mine coal. Today they produce more coal from surface mining than from underground mining.

The Labor Department says miners earn an average of about fifty thousand dollars a year. The pay is good, especially for poor communities. Miners say it helps them face the dangers of their work. The risks can include fires, explosions, floods and deadly gases like methane¹⁵ and carbon monoxide.

The government says more than one hundred thousand miners have been killed since early in the twentieth century. But over the years the numbers have decreased sharply. There were twenty-two deaths last year -- the fewest on record.

Each year, the United States produces more than one thousand millions tons of coal. America is the second largest producer of coal, after China. Coal mines in China are known as the world's deadliest. Chinese officials reported that accidents killed almost six thousand coal miners in two thousand five.


Rescuers carry a body from the Liuguantun Coal Mine in China's Hebei Province, on December 8

VOICE ONE:

In the United States, mine accidents and pressure from unions have influenced safety legislation over the years. The United Mine Workers union was established in eighteen ninety. Eight years later it helped establish an eight-hour workday. Protections like health insurance and retirement¹⁶ pay came later.

Mine operators often owned the communities where their workers lived. The miners could use their pay only at company stores and for company services.

VOICE TWO:

One of the worst coal mine accidents in American history took place in nineteen-oh-nine in Cherry, Illinois. The Cherry mine was considered the safest and most modern of its time. People said there could never be a fire.

But one November day there was. It trapped four hundred miners. Some were under the age of sixteen. Two hundred fifty-nine men and boys died. Some miners who escaped kept going back. Like miners all over the world, they did not want to leave others behind.

VOICE ONE:

In the end, the mine operator was punished for violating child-labor laws, not for wrongful death. The state ordered the company to pay about six hundred dollars.

Angry public reaction led to a major effort at mine safety reform. Congress passed the Organic Act of Nineteen Ten. The law established the Bureau of Mines to provide advice, training and research. But the bureau did not even have the power to inspect mines and investigate accidents. That changed in the nineteen forties and fifties.

In nineteen sixty-eight, a mine explosion at Farmington, West Virginia, led to the deaths of seventy-eight miners. The victims included an uncle of the state's current governor. Congress later passed the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of nineteen sixty-nine.

That law expanded federal power to inspect mines and report violations. It also established health and safety rules for all mines. For example, it required payment for workers with black lung disease from coal and rock dust. Later came additional legislation.

Ten years ago, the Bureau of Mines ceased to exist. Its researchers moved to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

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VOICE TWO:

Our program was written by Jerilyn Watson and produced by Caty Weaver¹⁷. I'm Barbara Klein.

VOICE ONE:

And I'm Steve Ember. Internet users can read and listen to our programs at www.unsv.com. Please join us again next week for THIS IS AMERICA in VOA Special English.

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1 inspectors   

n.检查员( inspector的名词复数 )；（英国公共汽车或火车上的）查票员；（警察）巡官；检阅官

参考例句：

• 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》

2 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

3 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

4 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• 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。

5 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

6 survivor   

n.生存者，残存者，幸存者

参考例句：

• The sole survivor of the crash was an infant.这次撞车的惟一幸存者是一个婴儿。
• There was only one survivor of the plane crash.这次飞机失事中只有一名幸存者。

7 stickler   

n.坚持细节之人

参考例句：

• She's a real stickler for etiquette,so you'd better ask her advice.她非常讲求礼节，所以你最好问她的意见。
• You will find Mrs. Carboy a stickler about trifles.您会发现卡博太太是个拘泥小节的人。

8 confirmation   

n.证实，确认，批准

参考例句：

• We are waiting for confirmation of the news.我们正在等待证实那个消息。
• We need confirmation in writing before we can send your order out.给你们发送订购的货物之前，我们需要书面确认。

9 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

10 nominee   

n.被提名者；被任命者；被推荐者

参考例句：

• His nominee for vice president was elected only after a second ballot.他提名的副总统在两轮投票后才当选。
• Mr.Francisco is standing as the official nominee for the post of District Secretary.弗朗西斯科先生是行政书记职位的正式提名人。

11 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• 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。

12 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。

13 withdrawn   

vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出

参考例句：

• Our force has been withdrawn from the danger area.我们的军队已从危险地区撤出。
• All foreign troops should be withdrawn to their own countries.一切外国军队都应撤回本国去。

14 administrator   

n.经营管理者，行政官员

参考例句：

• The role of administrator absorbed much of Ben's energy.行政职务耗掉本很多精力。
• He has proved himself capable as administrator.他表现出管理才能。

15 methane   

n.甲烷，沼气

参考例句：

• The blast was caused by pockets of methane gas that ignited.爆炸是由数袋甲烷气体着火引起的。
• Methane may have extraterrestrial significance.甲烷具有星际意义。

16 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

17 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。