2006年VOA标准英语-Bush Says More Nuclear Power Plants Needed

By Scott Stearns
White House
18 February 2006
 
President Bush wants more nuclear power plants in the United States to help lessen¹ the nation's dependence² on foreign oil. 

President Bush   
  
President Bush says nuclear power is a big part of his alternative energy initiative because it produces large amounts of low-cost electricity without air pollution or gases thought to contribute to global warming.

Public safety concerns have limited the growth of nuclear power in the United States where there have been no new plants since the 1970s. By comparison, France has built 58 nuclear plants in the last 30 years.

President Bush wants to see construction start on new U.S. nuclear plants within the next four years.

"As America and other nations build more nuclear power plants, we must work together to address two challenges: We must dispose of nuclear waste safely, and we must keep nuclear technology and material out of the hands of terrorist networks and terrorist states," said George W. Bush.

In his weekly radio address, the president says a Global Nuclear Energy Partnership³ with nations such as France, Japan, and Russia will work to develop innovative⁴ reactors⁵ and new ways to recycle spent fuel.

That, Mr. Bush says, will produce more energy while reducing the amount of nuclear waste and eliminating nuclear byproducts that could be used to make weapons.
 

Patricia Madrid  
  
In the Democratic radio address, New Mexico attorney general Patricia Madrid criticized the president's Republican Party for a prescription⁶ drug plan that she says favors corporate⁷ campaign donors⁸ over consumers.

"In order to please the drug companies who have contributed millions to Republicans in Congress, they wrote into the Medicare plan that the federal government can not negotiate with the drug companies for lower prices," Madrid said. "Not only is this bad policy, it is just plain bad economics."

Madrid is challenging incumbent⁹ Republican Heather Wilson in this year's Congressional elections. It will be one of the most closely watched races as the seat has been held by Republicans for decades.

1 lessen   

vt.减少，减轻；缩小

参考例句：

• Regular exercise can help to lessen the pain.经常运动有助于减轻痛感。
• They've made great effort to lessen the noise of planes.他们尽力减小飞机的噪音。

2 dependence   

n.依靠，依赖；信任，信赖；隶属

参考例句：

• Doctors keep trying to break her dependence of the drug.医生们尽力使她戒除毒瘾。
• He was freed from financial dependence on his parents.他在经济上摆脱了对父母的依赖。

3 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• 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。

4 innovative   

adj.革新的，新颖的，富有革新精神的

参考例句：

• Discover an innovative way of marketing.发现一个创新的营销方式。
• He was one of the most creative and innovative engineers of his generation.他是他那代人当中最富创造性与革新精神的工程师之一。

5 reactors   

起反应的人( reactor的名词复数 )； 反应装置； 原子炉； 核反应堆

参考例句：

• 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。

6 prescription   

n.处方，开药；指示，规定

参考例句：

• The physician made a prescription against sea- sickness for him.医生给他开了个治晕船的药方。
• The drug is available on prescription only.这种药只能凭处方购买。

7 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

8 donors   

n.捐赠者( donor的名词复数 )；献血者；捐血者；器官捐献者

参考例句：

• Please email us to be removed from our active list of blood donors. 假如你想把自己的名字从献血联系人名单中删去，请给我们发电子邮件。
• About half this amount comes from individual donors and bequests. 这笔钱大约有一半来自个人捐赠及遗赠。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 incumbent   

adj.成为责任的，有义务的；现任的，在职的

参考例句：

• He defeated the incumbent governor by a large plurality.他以压倒多数票击败了现任州长。
• It is incumbent upon you to warn them.你有责任警告他们。