VOA标准英语2011--US Weighs Fencing Parts of Shared Canadian Border

US Weighs Fencing Parts of Shared Canadian Border

 

The United States and Canada share the longest unfortified border in the world. In the border town of Blaine, Washington, a shallow ditch and some warning signs are all that separate U.S. territory from Canada. But that could be about to change.

A study on possible security enhancements for the Department of Homeland Security raises the idea of fencing short portions of the northern border. The environmental review, conducted by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency, also looks at other possible upgrades including putting in patrol roads, short-range radar¹, more cameras and aerial drones.

But it is the idea of a fence that's really catching² the locals' attention.

"It is a disappointing development to think that, after all these many years of being good neighbors, one side or the other might think it necessary now to build a fence," says British Columbia legislator Barry Penner, who represents a district along the border.

A ditch and short obelisks3 are all that mark the US-Canada border in northern Whatcom County in Washington state.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection planner Don Beckham says the agency has no intention of building a fence similar to the steel curtain erected⁴ along parts of the U.S. border with Mexico.

"We do discuss fencing, but it would be at very specific locations like fencing on either side of a small, remote port of entry to keep people literally⁵ from driving through a field to avoid the port of entry," Beckham says.

Beckham believes it would be unrealistic to try to deter⁶ illegal crossings by fencing the entire 6,500-kilometer-long U.S.- Canada border. His team favors a flexible approach which uses a broad array of possible security measures.

"We are looking forward five-to-seven years, understanding that the security threat is not static," he says. "It is constantly changing and Customs and Border Protection needs to change the responses to meet the threat."

Warning signs like this one are posted along the US-Canada border.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is listening to public comments and won't make any decisions until next year, at the earliest, according to Beckham.

Bellingham, Washington, resident Caroline Correa came to a public meeting with concerns about aerial drone surveillance and how border fencing might block wildlife migration⁷.

"But it seemed to be minimal⁸, if I am hearing correctly," she says. "That is a comfort level and we would have to make certain that they hold their word."

Vancouver Sun newspaper columnist⁹ Vaughn Palmer finds it ironic¹⁰ the discussion of fencing came up just as the Canadian government is deep in talks with the Obama Administration about a joint¹¹ North American security pact¹². The idea there is to tighten¹³ controls around the perimeter¹⁴ of the two countries, allowing freer mobility¹⁵ across the shared border.

"Since 9/11, that cross-border relationship has changed in any number of ways," Palmer says. "We are going to be struggling to reconcile the security concerns in the United States with the trade and tourism interests between the two countries."

But that's a delicate dance which could take a while to achieve.

1 radar   

n.雷达，无线电探测器

参考例句：

• They are following the flight of an aircraft by radar.他们正在用雷达追踪一架飞机的飞行。
• Enemy ships were detected on the radar.敌舰的影像已显现在雷达上。

2 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。

3 obelisks   

n.方尖石塔，短剑号，疑问记号( obelisk的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• One passes under pyramids and obelisks, all on a heroic scale. 试译：一个人经过规模宏大的金字塔和方尖石塔。 来自互联网
• He told me to seek them through secret obelisks. 它告诉我可以通过隐匿的方尖塔找到它们。 来自互联网

4 ERECTED   

adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立

参考例句：

• A monument to him was erected in St Paul's Cathedral. 在圣保罗大教堂为他修了一座纪念碑。
• A monument was erected to the memory of that great scientist. 树立了一块纪念碑纪念那位伟大的科学家。

5 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

6 deter   

vt.阻止，使不敢，吓住

参考例句：

• Failure did not deter us from trying it again.失败并没有能阻挡我们再次进行试验。
• Dogs can deter unwelcome intruders.狗能够阻拦不受欢迎的闯入者。

7 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。

8 minimal   

adj.尽可能少的，最小的

参考例句：

• They referred to this kind of art as minimal art.他们把这种艺术叫微型艺术。
• I stayed with friends, so my expenses were minimal.我住在朋友家，所以我的花费很小。

9 columnist   

n.专栏作家

参考例句：

• The host was interviewing a local columnist.节目主持人正在同一位当地的专栏作家交谈。
• She's a columnist for USA Today.她是《今日美国报》的专栏作家。

10 ironic   

adj.讽刺的，有讽刺意味的，出乎意料的

参考例句：

• That is a summary and ironic end.那是一个具有概括性和讽刺意味的结局。
• People used to call me Mr Popularity at high school,but they were being ironic.人们中学时常把我称作“万人迷先生”，但他们是在挖苦我。

11 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

12 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。

13 tighten   

v.(使)变紧；(使)绷紧

参考例句：

• Turn the screw to the right to tighten it.向右转动螺钉把它拧紧。
• Some countries tighten monetary policy to avoid inflation.一些国家实行紧缩银根的货币政策，以避免通货膨胀。

14 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。

15 mobility   

n.可动性，变动性，情感不定

参考例句：

• The difference in regional house prices acts as an obstacle to mobility of labour.不同地区房价的差异阻碍了劳动力的流动。
• Mobility is very important in guerrilla warfare.机动性在游击战中至关重要。