VOA常速英语2007年-US, Peru Sign Free Trade Agreement

By Scott Stearns
White House
14 December 2007

U.S. President George Bush and Peruvian President Alan Garcia have signed a free trade agreement between their countries. VOA White House Correspondent Scott Stearns reports, trade between the United States and Peru has more than doubled over the past three years to nearly $9 billion.

President Bush says the agreement creates new opportunities for both Americans and Peruvians.

"Opening up markets to U.S. goods and services with help the Peruvian consumer," he said. "By removing barriers to U.S. services and investment, the agreement will help create a secure, predictable legal framework that will help attract U.S. investors¹."

The deal eliminates duties on 80 percent of U.S. industrial and commercial goods sold in Peru as well as tariffs² on more than two-thirds of U.S. agricultural products.

Mr. Bush says it locks in access for Peruvian businesses to the world's largest market and will benefit Peruvian consumers with more choices and lower prices.

Getting the deal through Congress is the result of an arrangement with the White House earlier this year to include enforceable labor³ and environmental protections in free trade agreements.

President Bush says that approach is working. He wants Congress to approve pending⁴ deals with Colombia and Panama to show Washington is serious about expanding hemispheric trade when American influence is being challenged by Venezuela and Argentina.

"Those who espouse⁵ the language of false populism will use failure of these trade agreements as a way of showing America isn't committed to our friends in the hemisphere," he said. "It is vital that Congress send a strong message that the United States of America is committed to advancing freedom and prosperity in our neighborhood and approve these agreements with strong bipartisan majorities."

President Garcia called it a great day for democracy and social justice and a bad day for authoritarianism⁶ and those who he says are against democracy and free trade.

"This is a crucial opportunity to consolidate⁷ hemispheric relations," he said. "The ties between the U.S. and Latin America have been plagued by misunderstandings, but they are also full of great prospects⁸ for reaching democracy and consensus⁹."

President Bush also used the signing ceremony to call on Congress to approve a free trade agreement with South Korea.

1 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

2 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。

3 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。

4 pending   

prep.直到，等待…期间；adj.待定的；迫近的

参考例句：

• The lawsuit is still pending in the state court.这案子仍在州法庭等待定夺。
• He knew my examination was pending.他知道我就要考试了。

5 espouse   

v.支持，赞成，嫁娶

参考例句：

• Today,astronomers espouse the theory that comets spawn the swarms.如今，天文学家们支持彗星产生了流星团的说法。
• Some teachers enthusiastically espouse the benefits to be gained from educational software.有些教师热烈赞同可以从教学软件中得到好处的观点。

6 authoritarianism   

权力主义，独裁主义

参考例句：

• Modern authoritarianism is a vestige of traditional personal rule. 现代独裁主义则是传统的个人统治的残余。
• In its latter days it was a byword for authoritarianism, incompetence, and corruption. 在后期，它是独裁、无能和腐化的代号。

7 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。

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 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？