VOA标准英语10月-Rice: US-India Nuclear Deal to be Signed Soon

U.S. Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, on a visit to India, says a landmark¹ civil nuclear agreement between the United States and India will be concluded soon. However the two countries did not sign the deal during her visit. As Anjana Pasricha reports, the deal will overturn a three-decade ban on civil nuclear trade with India.
　

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice shakes hands with Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee in New Delhi, 04 Oct 2008

Secretary Rice said in New Delhi Saturday that the civil nuclear agreement between the two countries will be signed into law "very soon" by President Bush.

The landmark deal received the approval of the U.S. Congress recently, paving the way for the two countries to finalize² the agreement, and open up civil nuclear trade between them.

The pact³ was expected to be signed by the two countries during Secretary Rice's visit to the Indian capital, but that did not happen.

Secretary Rice says administrative⁴ details remain to be resolved before the signing. But she called it "a done deal."

"It is a matter of signing that agreement, and so I don't anyone to think that we have open issues. We in fact don't have open issues. These are administrative matters of signing agreements," he said.

After holding talks with her Indian counterpart, Pranab Mukherjee, Secretary Rice said the deal gives a new platform for cooperation in energy matters between the two countries.

The nuclear deal will allow American companies to sell nuclear fuel, reactors⁵ and technology to India.

She also expressed optimism about future friendship between the two countries, saying the United States enjoys one of the "broadest relations" with India. She said the nuclear deal will trigger an expansion of their ties.

Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee expressed satisfaction with the agreement, saying it will help the country's quest for development.

"It is this agreement which has opened the door for India for international nuclear commerce. What India and the United States are doing today has direct benefits to our people, and assist India's efforts to develop," he said.

India and the United States first announced their intention to pursue nuclear cooperation in 2005. The pact went ahead despite strong political opposition⁶ in India. Communist parties and the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party say it will bring the country's foreign policy too much under American influence.

India was banned from civil nuclear trade since 1974, when it first conducted nuclear tests. New Delhi has not signed the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty. Critics of the deal say giving India access to nuclear technology will undermine efforts to control the spread of nuclear weapons.

1 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。

2 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。

3 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。

4 administrative   

adj.行政的，管理的

参考例句：

• The administrative burden must be lifted from local government.必须解除地方政府的行政负担。
• He regarded all these administrative details as beneath his notice.他认为行政管理上的这些琐事都不值一顾。

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 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。