VOA标准英语2010年-Lithuania Shuts Down Its Only Nuclear

Photo: AP
This file photo shows a technician walking along the perimeter¹ of a nuclear reactor² head at the Ignalina nuclear power plant in Visaginas, Lithuania, 15 Dec 2009

 

Lithuania's Soviet-built nuclear power plant was shut down late Thursday as part of an agreement with the European Union, ushering³ in a new era of energy uncertainty⁴ for the country.

Engineers say the closure of the Ignalina plant in the town of Visaginas happened on New Year's Eve shortly before midnight local time.

The shutdown is bad news for the recession-hit country partly because it will lose a source of cheap electricity and be forced to import more expensive energy. But the shutdown was mandated⁵ by the EU, where the Chernobyl-type facility is considered unsafe due to inherent design flaws.

Arvydas Sekmokas is Lithuania's energy minister. Despite the setback⁶, he was upbeat about the future energy needs of the small Baltic nation.

He says first, we are carrying out obligations before the European Union. Second, he says, Lithuania is taking a step forward into the electricity market - that he adds, will change the planned system of energy into a market based system. Eventually, as a result the consumers of electricity will win.

Lithuania - one of the most nuclear-energy dependent nations along with France - asked the EU to allow it to keep the plant open for another two to three years.

The EU refused but offered over $1.1 billion to help cover the costs of decommissioning the plant. 

By 2013, Lithuania wants to have a new natural-gas power plant, but experts caution that this will not be enough to meet the country's energy needs.

The closure of the country's nuclear facility comes amid a debate on how to establish a more secure energy future for the European Union, which is heavily dependent on Russian energy supplies.  

Lithuania's President Dalia Grybauskaite said recently it is important that all EU member states cooperate with each other.

"Of course what is important in this turmoil⁷ environment is that energy policy and energy common efforts for all Europe are important to avoid a crisis what we do have on the ground and to avoid the possible future crises," she said. "No matter that we do not have formally that in [EU] treaties, it is only about good political will." 

Lithuania isn't the only EU country with concerns over energy supplies.

In December, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic faced a potential halt in oil deliveries from Russia which had a pricing dispute with neighboring Ukraine.

The oil crisis was avoided after Moscow and Kyiv reached a new deal this week.

But Russia recently called into question Ukraine's ability to pay its December natural gas bill. That dispute, experts say, could cause new disruptions for the rest of Europe following similar incidents in recent years.

1 perimeter   

n.周边，周长，周界

参考例句：

• The river marks the eastern perimeter of our land.这条河标示我们的土地东面的边界。
• Drinks in hands,they wandered around the perimeter of the ball field.他们手里拿着饮料在球场周围漫不经心地遛跶。

2 reactor   

n.反应器；反应堆

参考例句：

• The atomic reactor generates enormous amounts of thermal energy.原子反应堆发出大量的热能。
• Inside the reactor the large molecules are cracked into smaller molecules.在反应堆里，大分子裂变为小分子。

3 ushering   

v.引，领，陪同( usher的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• They were right where the coach-caller was swinging open a coach-door and ushering in two ladies. "他们走到外面时，叫马车的服务员正打开车门，请两位小姐上车。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Immediately the two of them approached others, thanking them, ushering them out one by one. 他们俩马上走到其他人面前，向他们道谢，一个个送走了他们。 来自辞典例句

4 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

5 mandated   

adj. 委托统治的

参考例句：

• Mandated desegregation of public schools. 命令解除公立学校中的种族隔离
• Britain was mandated to govern the former colony of German East Africa. 英国受权代管德国在东非的前殖民地。

6 setback   

n.退步，挫折，挫败

参考例句：

• Since that time there has never been any setback in his career.从那时起他在事业上一直没有遇到周折。
• She views every minor setback as a disaster.她把每个较小的挫折都看成重大灾难。

7 turmoil   

n.骚乱，混乱，动乱

参考例句：

• His mind was in such a turmoil that he couldn't get to sleep.内心的纷扰使他无法入睡。
• The robbery put the village in a turmoil.抢劫使全村陷入混乱。