2006年VOA标准英语-India, US Aim for Nuclear Energy Agreement

By Anjana Pasricha
New Delhi
27 February 2006
 

An Indian Security personnel stands guard at the Purana Qila, or Old Fort, in New Delhi, where President Bush is scheduled to deliver a speech during his visit  
  
President Bush makes his first visit to India and Pakistan later this week to build stronger ties in the subcontinent. His trip to India is expected to consolidate¹ the newly emerging friendship between the world's two largest democracies. But it is uncertain if the two countries will conclude a landmark² civilian³ nuclear energy cooperation agreement in time for Mr. Bush to sign it in the Indian capital.

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President Bush comes to India six years after a visit by his predecessor⁴ ushered⁵ a thaw⁶ in ties between two countries that were strained for decades.

Those six years have seen a sea change in bilateral⁷ relations, with the two nations now calling themselves "natural allies" and partners. 

 
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, right, talks to U.S. Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs, R. Nicholas Burns, in New Delhi, Feb. 23, 2006
  
Meeting in the Indian capital, both President Bush and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will seek to convey the message that this new friendship is now firmly entrenched⁸.

"This is in some sense a watershed," said Bharat Karnad is a security analyst⁹ at New Delhi's Center for Policy Research. "The two countries are on to a good thing, a strategic relationship that is based on a very well thought out convergence of interests."

But the emerging friendship is not without roadblocks. It is uncertain whether President Bush will sign a high-profile but controversial agreement to give nuclear-armed India access to civilian nuclear technology during his visit. The technology is aimed at helping¹⁰ India meets its rapidly increasing energy needs.

The U.S.-India deal hinges on ensuring the technology will not be used for military purposes, and the two sides are struggling to iron out differences over the plan, which requires India to separate its civilian and military nuclear facilities.

C. Raja Mohan at Jawaharlal Nehru University is one of many foreign policy analysts¹¹ who see the civilian nuclear agreement as crucial to cementing ties between the two countries.

"India is looking to finalize¹² the nuclear deal, and put aside finally the big nuclear difference that has troubled this relationship for so long," said Mohan. "Once we sort the nuclear thing out, then the door opens for a much wider, much deeper relationship."

Analysts say India, which sees itself as an emerging global power, also looks on President Bush's visit as an opportunity to raise its international profile.

As China grows stronger and the Middle East remains¹³ a troubled region, American policy makers¹⁴ see a democratic India as a strategic priority. C. Raja Mohan says there is huge potential for the two large democracies to cooperate.

"The two important issues, which President Bush himself has referred to, - one is the creation of a stable balance of power in Asia, when China is rising, when structurally¹⁵ there are a whole range of challenges in Asia, India and the U.S. need to work together," he said. "The other is the question of democracy, democratization in our region, where India and the U.S. could work together."

But the growing India-US friendship has generated misgivings¹⁶ in some quarters in New Delhi. Left-wing parties, which are crucial allies of the ruling coalition¹⁷, have repeatedly warned the government against what they call "toeing the U.S. line" and sacrificing an independent foreign policy.

India's prime minister, on the defensive¹⁸, has repeatedly stressed that his government will not compromise the country's national security to seal the nuclear deal with the United States.

Nonetheless, President Bush's visit is likely to underscore the desire in both countries to engage more closely with each other.

President Bush will meet Indian leaders in New Delhi to sign agreements on trade, agriculture and energy, and briefly¹⁹ visit the technology hub of Hyderabad in southern Andhra Pradesh state, before he embarks²⁰ on the second leg of his South Asia trip to Pakistan.

1 consolidate   

v.使加固，使加强；(把...)联为一体，合并

参考例句：

• The two banks will consolidate in July next year. 这两家银行明年7月将合并。
• The government hoped to consolidate ten states to form three new ones.政府希望把十个州合并成三个新的州。

2 landmark   

n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标

参考例句：

• 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。

3 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• 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。

4 predecessor   

n.前辈，前任

参考例句：

• It will share the fate of its predecessor.它将遭受与前者同样的命运。
• The new ambassador is more mature than his predecessor.新大使比他的前任更成熟一些。

5 ushered   

v.引，领，陪同( usher的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The secretary ushered me into his office. 秘书把我领进他的办公室。
• A round of parties ushered in the New Year. 一系列的晚会迎来了新年。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 thaw   

v.（使）融化，（使）变得友善；n.融化，缓和

参考例句：

• The snow is beginning to thaw.雪已开始融化。
• The spring thaw caused heavy flooding.春天解冻引起了洪水泛滥。

7 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。

8 entrenched   

adj.确立的，不容易改的(风俗习惯)

参考例句：

• Television seems to be firmly entrenched as the number one medium for national advertising.电视看来要在全国广告媒介中牢固地占据头等位置。
• If the enemy dares to attack us in these entrenched positions,we will make short work of them.如果敌人胆敢进攻我们固守的阵地，我们就消灭他们。

9 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• 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。

10 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

11 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• 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。

12 finalize   

v.落实，定下来

参考例句：

• Let us finalize tonight.让我们今天晚上干完
• 。At the same time,industrial designers work with engineers to finalize components and assembly.同时，工业设计师和工程师一道来完成部件和组装部分的工作。

13 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

14 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 structurally   

在结构上

参考例句：

• The house roof was (structurally) unsound. 这屋顶（结构）不牢固。
• Pinhole on shot-hole damage is never structurally significant. 针孔和蛀洞所造成的危害对结构的影响不大。

16 misgivings   

n.疑虑，担忧，害怕；疑虑，担心，恐惧( misgiving的名词复数 )；疑惧

参考例句：

• I had grave misgivings about making the trip. 对于这次旅行我有过极大的顾虑。
• Don't be overtaken by misgivings and fear. Just go full stream ahead! 不要瞻前顾后， 畏首畏尾。甩开膀子干吧！ 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

17 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

18 defensive   

adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的

参考例句：

• Their questions about the money put her on the defensive.他们问到钱的问题，使她警觉起来。
• The Government hastily organized defensive measures against the raids.政府急忙布置了防卫措施抵御空袭。

19 briefly   

adv.简单地，简短地

参考例句：

• I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
• He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。

20 embarks   

乘船( embark的第三人称单数 )； 装载； 从事

参考例句：

• Patricia is a free-spirited girl who embarks on an erotic odyssey. 翠茜亚是个任性少女、毅然踏上一次性爱之旅。
• Passenger train driver: Punctually embarks. 客车司机：准时出发。