2007年VOA标准英语-Bush and EU Agree Climate Change is Problem

By Leta Hong Fincher
Washington
01 May 2007
 

President Bush and European Union leaders have agreed to work together on the issue of climate change.  In a wide-ranging meeting Monday, the leaders also agreed to continue pressuring Iran to give up its nuclear enrichment program.  Leta Hong Fincher has more on the U.S.-E.U. summit.

Chancellor1 Angela Merkel (center) and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, 30 Apr 2007" hspace="2" src="/upimg/allimg/070604/0843490.jpg" width="210" vspace="2" border="0" />

U.S. President Bush (r) meets with German Chancellor Angela Merkel (center) and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, 30 Apr 2007

At a summit with European Union leaders Monday, President Bush said both sides recognize that climate change is a challenge requiring global action. "One, we recognize that we have a problem with greenhouse gases. Two, we recognize we have a problem with a dependence² on oil. Three, we recognize that we can use technologies to help solve this problem. And, four, we recognize we have an obligation to work together to promote the technologies necessary to solve the problem and encourage the developing world to use those technologies."

Mr. Bush has refused to commit the United States to limiting carbon emissions³, saying that will hurt the U.S. economy.  Still, German Chancellor Angela Merkel praised Mr. Bush for taking a major rhetorical step forward in recognizing the problem of global warming.

Ms. Merkel and the European Commission president, Jose Barroso, also stressed their unity⁴ with the United States in pressuring Iran to curb⁵ its uranium enrichment program.

President Bush says Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice might meet with her Iranian counterpart later this week in Egypt at a conference on Iraq. "Should the foreign minister of Iran bump into Condi Rice, Condi won't be rude. She's not a rude person. I'm sure she'll be polite. But she'll also be firm in reminding the representative of the Iranian government that there's a better way forward for the Iranian people than isolation⁶."

The United States and European leaders accuse Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons. Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only.

The summit also addressed the planned U.S. missile defense⁷ system in Europe. Russian President Vladimir Putin has criticized the plan as "seriously destabilizing" for his country. President Bush says he has started a dialogue with Russia to explain U.S. intentions more clearly.

"Our intention is to say to Russia that the system is something you ought to think about participating in; it's in your interests to have a system that could prevent a future Iranian regime, for example, from launching a weapon. It's in Russia's security interests," said the president. 

Russia said last week it will freeze its compliance⁸ with a post-Cold War treaty that limits the deployment⁹ of military forces in Europe.

1 chancellor   

n.(英)大臣；法官；(德、奥)总理；大学校长

参考例句：

• They submitted their reports to the Chancellor yesterday.他们昨天向财政大臣递交了报告。
• He was regarded as the most successful Chancellor of modern times.他被认为是现代最成功的财政大臣。

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 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。

4 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

5 curb   

n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制

参考例句：

• I could not curb my anger.我按捺不住我的愤怒。
• You must curb your daughter when you are in church.你在教堂时必须管住你的女儿。

6 isolation   

n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离

参考例句：

• The millionaire lived in complete isolation from the outside world.这位富翁过着与世隔绝的生活。
• He retired and lived in relative isolation.他退休后，生活比较孤寂。

7 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

8 compliance   

n.顺从；服从；附和；屈从

参考例句：

• I was surprised by his compliance with these terms.我对他竟然依从了这些条件而感到吃惊。
• She gave up the idea in compliance with his desire.她顺从他的愿望而放弃自己的主意。

9 deployment   

n. 部署,展开

参考例句：

• He has inquired out the deployment of the enemy troops. 他已查出敌军的兵力部署情况。
• Quality function deployment (QFD) is a widely used customer-driven quality, design and manufacturing management tool. 质量功能展开(quality function deployment,QFD)是一个广泛应用的顾客需求驱动的设计、制造和质量管理工具。