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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
US Will Not 'Tolerate' Disruption of Vital Oil Strait Traffic
For the second time in two days, Iran has threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian officials warned they would shut down the world’s strategic oil passageway if the West imposes sanctions on Iran's oil shipments. Now the U.S. has responded that it would answer any blockade forcefully. The controversy1 revolves2 around Iran’s nuclear capabilities3.
More than a third of the world's oil flows through this narrow passageway called the Strait of Hormuz. But now, the channel is emerging as a bargaining chip in a war of threats, increasing in intensity4. The latest, the U.S. military says it will not tolerate any Iranian disruptions of oil shipments in the Strait of Hormuz. The Bahrain-based U.S. Fifith Fleet told VOA that the navy is ready to "counter malevolent5 actions" to ensure freedom of navigation.
The threats and counterthreats come at a time when the Iranian navy is conducting war exercises in the strait and inevitably6 coming close to U.S warships7. Saeed Leilaz, a political analyst8 based in Tehran, says that magnifies the threat. "Two years ago, Iran's Supreme9 Leader had the Revolutionary Guards protect the Strait of Hormuz. But regular naval10 forces are conducting the current war games," he said.
Iran's top naval officer, Admiral Habibollah Sayyari gestures as he speaks during the Velayat-90 war game on the Sea of Oman near the Strait of Hormuz, in southern Iran, December 28, 2011. |
The threats emerged because European Union ministers are soon to decide on a boycott11 of Iranian oil, in response to the country's nuclear program. Iran says its uranium enrichment program is for civilian12 purposes.
Patrick Clawson studies Iranian issues at The Washington Institute. "Trying to close the strait of Hormuz is really a dumb thing for Iran to do. It's contrary to their interests because it would hurt their income, it would unite all of the oil importing countries in the world against them, it would bring a great many navies there to act against what Iran is doing," he said.
But given Iran's past actions, Clawson says it's a real possibility. If so, oil could possibly bypass the strait through a pipeline13 across the United Arab Emirates. But, it could take several weeks to work out any alternatives.
In the meantime, the blustering14 affects the price of oil. Prices retreated Wednesday after an initial spike15, but analysts16 say the fluid situation could cause continued instability in 2012 prices.
1 controversy | |
n.争论,辩论,争吵 | |
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2 revolves | |
v.(使)旋转( revolve的第三人称单数 );细想 | |
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3 capabilities | |
n.能力( capability的名词复数 );可能;容量;[复数]潜在能力 | |
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4 intensity | |
n.强烈,剧烈;强度;烈度 | |
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5 malevolent | |
adj.有恶意的,恶毒的 | |
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6 inevitably | |
adv.不可避免地;必然发生地 | |
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7 warships | |
军舰,战舰( warship的名词复数 ); 舰只 | |
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8 analyst | |
n.分析家,化验员;心理分析学家 | |
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9 supreme | |
adj.极度的,最重要的;至高的,最高的 | |
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10 naval | |
adj.海军的,军舰的,船的 | |
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11 boycott | |
n./v.(联合)抵制,拒绝参与 | |
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12 civilian | |
adj.平民的,民用的,民众的 | |
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13 pipeline | |
n.管道,管线 | |
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14 blustering | |
adj.狂风大作的,狂暴的v.外强中干的威吓( bluster的现在分词 );咆哮;(风)呼啸;狂吹 | |
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15 spike | |
n.长钉,钉鞋;v.以大钉钉牢,使...失效 | |
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16 analysts | |
分析家,化验员( analyst的名词复数 ) | |
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