VOA慢速英语2010年-Economics Report - Oil Spill Puts Fina

This is the VOA Special English Economics Report.

BP is one of the world's largest energy companies. It reported a profit of about six billion dollars in the first three months of this year. That was more than double compared to a year ago.

Now, BP faces growing political pressure over the worst oil spill in American history. Oil has been flowing from its damaged well in the Gulf¹ of Mexico for almost seven weeks.

But the company formerly² called British Petroleum³ also faces growing financial pressure. Investors⁴ fear the long-term costs for cleanup, recovery and fines. BP's market value fell more than sixty billion dollars as its share price fell by as much as a third.

On Thursday BP was finally able to cut a damaged pipe at the well using robotic vehicles. The cut was not exactly as hoped, but it was progress. Crews then turned to placing a cap over the pipe -- not to stop it, but to direct at least some of the oil to ships on the surface. The leak is about one thousand five hundred meters under the sea.

Yet it may not be fully⁵ controlled before August. Workers are drilling two relief wells in an effort to ease pressure on the damaged well.

Oil clean-up workers hired by BP on the beach in Dauphin Island, Alabama, Wednesday

The White House said President Obama is returning to the Gulf on Friday for his third visit since the disaster began. The Deepwater Horizon, an oil and gas drilling rig, exploded on April twentieth.

This week, Attorney General Eric Holder⁶ announced criminal as well as civil investigations⁷.

ERIC HOLDER: "The Department of Justice will insure the American people do not foot the bill for this disaster and that our laws will be enforced as much as possible."

By some estimates, the cost of the cleanup could reach thirty-seven billion dollars.

The owner of the rig, Swiss company Transocean, has asked to have its responsibility limited to twenty-seven million dollars. The request is based on a law from eighteen fifty-one. But the Justice Department says that is not enough.

The government could also use violations⁸ of other federal laws such as the Clean Water Act to collect money for the spill.

Oil has already reached more than one hundred kilometers of coastline in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. And it threatens the west coast of Florida.

Areas of the Gulf have been closed to fishing. But job losses in the fishing industry are not the only worry. The Atlantic hurricane season officially began Tuesday. Some people worry that officials could take their land if it becomes polluted by oil in a storm.

ONE RESIDENT: "If it gets on land, will they make us leave?”
ANOTHER RESIDENT: "If we have a hurricane and the oil washes over the land, they will condemn⁹ it. We’ll lose our homes, we’ll lose everything."

And that's the VOA Special English Economics Report, written by Mario Ritter. I'm Steve Ember.

 

1 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• 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。

2 formerly   

adv.从前，以前

参考例句：

• We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
• This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。

3 petroleum   

n.原油，石油

参考例句：

• The Government of Iran advanced the price of petroleum last week.上星期伊朗政府提高了石油价格。
• The purpose of oil refinery is to refine crude petroleum.炼油厂的主要工作是提炼原油。

4 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

5 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

6 holder   

n.持有者，占有者；(台，架等)支持物

参考例句：

• The holder of the office of chairman is reponsible for arranging meetings.担任主席职位的人负责安排会议。
• That runner is the holder of the world record for the hundred-yard dash.那位运动员是一百码赛跑世界纪录的保持者。

7 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

8 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。

9 condemn   

vt.谴责，指责；宣判(罪犯)，判刑

参考例句：

• Some praise him,whereas others condemn him.有些人赞扬他，而有些人谴责他。
• We mustn't condemn him on mere suppositions.我们不可全凭臆测来指责他。