VOA标准英语2009年-Australian Government Approves Massive Off

Australia has approved a huge natural gas project to be built on a nature reserve off its west coast. The $42 billion development will supply gas to China and India but environmentalists condemn¹ it as irresponsible.

The development on Barrow Island off the Western Australia coast will be the country's biggest resources project.

The Gorgon² plant will supply natural gas to Asia and will be run by U.S. oil company Chevron³ along with partners Royal Dutch Shell and Exxon Mobil.

The companies are expected to make a final decision on their participation⁴ in the coming months.

The developers plan to produce 15 million metric tons of liquefied natural gas each year. The project is expected to create 6,000 jobs in what will be a massive expansion of Australia's total gas production.

In Canberra, the federal government approved the plan subject to a range of conditions on protecting local wildlife, especially the endangered flat back turtle. The developers have said they will adhere to the conditions.
　
Peter Garrett

Wildlife conservationists say the Barrow Island site is home to endangered animals and that the plant should be built instead on the mainland.

Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett dismisses that argument. He says that ecological⁵ concerns have been thoroughly⁶ investigated.

"I'm not required to consider alternative sites in relation to the proposal in front of me, what I am required to do is make a very clear assessment⁷ as to whether or not there will be impacts on matters of national environment significance, confined in this instance to listed and threatened species and in particular to the flat back turtle," Garrett said. "I've considered it very carefully; I don't believe that there'll be unacceptable impacts."

Environmentalists hold grave fears for a number of rare and endemic species, including the Barrow Island mouse and the flat back turtle.

The Greens leader, Senator Bob Brown, says the government has again put economic interests ahead of wildlife.

"The company itself had options on the mainland, but of course, the mighty⁸ dollar here, which the Rudd government puts in front of the environment every time, has had sway," Brown said.

Multibillion dollar sales of liquefied natural gas to China could ease Australia's rather fraught⁹ relationship with Beijing.

Canberra's dealings with its biggest export customer have been battered¹⁰ by the recent arrest in China of an Australian Rio Tinto mining executive for commercial espionage¹¹. An Australian visa granted to an exiled leader of China's restive¹² Uighur minority also soured diplomatic exchanges between the two governments.

1 condemn   

vt.谴责，指责；宣判(罪犯)，判刑

参考例句：

• Some praise him,whereas others condemn him.有些人赞扬他，而有些人谴责他。
• We mustn't condemn him on mere suppositions.我们不可全凭臆测来指责他。

2 gorgon   

n.丑陋女人，蛇发女怪

参考例句：

• They would not be devoured by this gorgon of the East.他们不愿被这个东部的女妖怪吃掉。
• The Gorgon,Miss Springer,the games mistress came back to gave me a raspberry.那个女妖魔，体育教师斯普林杰小姐，又回来把我教训一通。

3 chevron   

n.V形臂章；V形图案

参考例句：

• He wore shoulderstrap rank slides with sergeant's chevrons.他佩戴标示级别的肩章，上面有中士的V形标志。
• The chevron or arrow road sign indicates a sharp bend to the left or right.V形或箭头路标表示有向左或向右的急转弯。

4 participation   

n.参与，参加，分享

参考例句：

• Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
• The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。

5 ecological   

adj.生态的，生态学的

参考例句：

• The region has been declared an ecological disaster zone.这个地区已经宣布为生态灾难区。
• Each animal has its ecological niche.每种动物都有自己的生态位.

6 thoroughly   

adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地

参考例句：

• The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。
• The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。

7 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

8 mighty   

adj.强有力的；巨大的

参考例句：

• A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
• The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。

9 fraught   

adj.充满…的，伴有(危险等)的；忧虑的

参考例句：

• The coming months will be fraught with fateful decisions.未来数月将充满重大的决定。
• There's no need to look so fraught!用不着那么愁眉苦脸的！

10 battered   

adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损

参考例句：

• He drove up in a battered old car.他开着一辆又老又破的旧车。
• The world was brutally battered but it survived.这个世界遭受了惨重的创伤,但它还是生存下来了。

11 espionage   

n.间谍行为，谍报活动

参考例句：

• The authorities have arrested several people suspected of espionage.官方已经逮捕了几个涉嫌从事间谍活动的人。
• Neither was there any hint of espionage in Hanley's early life.汉利的早期生活也毫无进行间谍活动的迹象。

12 restive   

adj.不安宁的，不安静的

参考例句：

• The government has done nothing to ease restrictions and manufacturers are growing restive.政府未采取任何措施放松出口限制,因此国内制造商变得焦虑不安。
• The audience grew restive.观众变得不耐烦了。