VOA常速英语2007年-Senate Approves US Trade Deal With Peru

By Deborah Tate
Washington
04 December 2007

The U.S. Senate has followed the lead of the House of Representatives and approved a free trade agreement with Peru, giving President Bush his first legislative¹ victory on trade since Democrats³ took control of Congress in January. VOA's Deborah Tate reports from Capitol Hill.

The Senate voted 77-18 to approve the U.S.-Peru Trade Promotion⁴ Agreement and sent it to President Bush for his signature.

The president, speaking at a White House news conference ahead of the vote, said the trade deal would be good for the United States.

"This agreement will level the playing field for American goods and services. It will create new opportunities for investment. It will strengthen our friendship with a fellow democracy," he said.

The pact⁵, which the House approved last month, removes many tariffs⁶ on U.S. farm and manufactured goods and maintains Peru's duty-free access to the U.S. market. Trade between the United States and Peru totaled nearly $9 billion last year.

"More than two-thirds of farm exports to Peru, including delicious Montana beef, I might add, and wheat, would receive immediate⁷ duty-free access to Peru under the agreement. All remaining tariffs on Montana and other U.S. agriculture goods would be eliminated in 17 years," said Senator Max Baucus, a Montana Democrat² and chairman of the Senate Finance Committee.

Prospects⁸ for congressional passage improved after the Bush administration renegotiated the deal to include stronger labor⁹ and environmental protection provisions sought by majority Democrats.

It is a point highlighted by Senator Mel Martinez, a Florida Republican. "For the first time, future administrations will have the right to take dispute action if labor or environmental issues become a problem. So this will have enforcement mechanisms¹⁰ built in," he said.

But some Democrats, including Senator Byron Dorgan of North Dakota, remain skeptical¹¹. "It is clear to me there is no interest in enforcing these labor provisions," he said.

Dorgan blamed the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement for the loss of thousands of U.S. jobs, and said the trade deal with Peru would be no different.

But the Bush administration argues free trade helps create jobs.

Now that lawmakers have acted on the trade deal with Peru, the administration hopes Congress will approve similar accords with Colombia, Panama and South Korea next year.

1 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

2 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。

3 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 promotion   

n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传

参考例句：

• The teacher conferred with the principal about Dick's promotion.教师与校长商谈了迪克的升级问题。
• The clerk was given a promotion and an increase in salary.那个职员升了级，加了薪。

5 pact   

n.合同，条约，公约，协定

参考例句：

• 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。

6 tariffs   

关税制度； 关税( tariff的名词复数 )； 关税表； （旅馆或饭店等的）收费表； 量刑标准

参考例句：

• British industry was sheltered from foreign competition by protective tariffs. 保护性关税使英国工业免受国际竞争影响。
• The new tariffs have put a stranglehold on trade. 新的关税制对开展贸易极为不利。

7 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

8 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

9 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。

10 mechanisms   

n.机械( mechanism的名词复数 )；机械装置；[生物学] 机制；机械作用

参考例句：

• The research will provide direct insight into molecular mechanisms. 这项研究将使人能够直接地了解分子的机理。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He explained how the two mechanisms worked. 他解释这两台机械装置是如何工作的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 skeptical   

adj.怀疑的，多疑的

参考例句：

• Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
• Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。