2006年VOA标准英语-Bush Hopes to Lower Gas Prices

By Scott Stearns
White House
25 April 2006 

President Bush   
  
President Bush is temporarily suspending environmental rules on gasoline and deferring¹ purchases for the nation's strategic reserves in hopes of driving down rising gasoline prices.

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President Bush says the long-term solution to America's energy needs is running automobiles² on something other than petroleum³.

But that is little help for today's motorists with crude oil prices more than $75 a barrel and industry analysts⁴ expecting gasoline prices to continue rising through the peak summer driving months in the United States.

A Washington Post / ABC News poll says 70 percent of Americans say higher gas prices are causing them financial hardship. And most are blaming President Bush, with 74 percent disapproving⁵ of how he is handling the issue.

So the president is taking a series of measures that he hopes will help lower prices while reminding Americans that the broader market forces at play are beyond his control.

"What people are seeing at their gasoline pumps reflects the global economy in which we live," he said.  "See, when demand for oil goes up in China or India, two fast growing economies, it effects the price of oil worldwide."

Speaking to alternative energy officials in Washington, President Bush said he will make sure consumers are treated fairly.

  
  
"Americans understand, by and large, that the price of crude oil is going up and that the prices are going up, but what they do not want and will not accept is manipulation of the market, and neither will I," he added.

President Bush says the Justice Department is working with states' Attorneys General to investigate allegations of price gouging⁶ at the pump.

To increase the supply of gasoline on the market, the president is deferring the federal government's purchase of petroleum for the nation's strategic reserves.  He is also temporarily suspending environmental rules governing gas blends and the pollutants⁷ their burning creates.

Opposition⁸ Democrats⁹ are hoping to capitalize on voter anxiety over high gas prices and feel the president is particularly vulnerable on this issue as both he and Vice¹⁰ President Dick Cheney worked in the oil sector¹¹.

New York Senator Chuck Schumer says the president is not doing enough.

"It is nice that the president is finally talking about gas prices, but talk is cheap," he said.  "Gas is not."

President Bush says Americans expect oil companies to reinvest record profits in expanding refining capacity or developing new technologies.

He wants Congress to repeal¹² $2 billion worth of tax breaks for oil companies during the next 10 years and expand consumer tax credits for the purchase of hybrid¹³ and clean-diesel vehicles.

President Bush also wants to expand domestic production, including what he calls environmentally friendly development in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

1 deferring   

v.拖延，延缓，推迟( defer的现在分词 )；服从某人的意愿，遵从

参考例句：

• Recently, the Supreme Court has focused on an additional reason for deferring to administrative agencies. 最近，最高法院强调了尊重行政机构的另一种理由。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• Think of it as deferring part of the compiler's job to runtime. 可以认为这是将编译器的部分工作延迟到了运行时。 来自互联网

2 automobiles   

n.汽车( automobile的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• When automobiles become popular,the use of the horse and buggy passed away. 汽车普及后，就不再使用马和马车了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Automobiles speed in an endless stream along the boulevard. 宽阔的林荫道上，汽车川流不息。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

3 petroleum   

n.原油，石油

参考例句：

• The Government of Iran advanced the price of petroleum last week.上星期伊朗政府提高了石油价格。
• The purpose of oil refinery is to refine crude petroleum.炼油厂的主要工作是提炼原油。

4 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

5 disapproving   

adj.不满的，反对的v.不赞成( disapprove的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Mother gave me a disapproving look. 母亲的眼神告诉我她是不赞成的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Her father threw a disapproving glance at her. 她父亲不满地瞥了她一眼。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 gouging   

n.刨削[槽]v.凿( gouge的现在分词 )；乱要价；（在…中）抠出…；挖出…

参考例句：

• Banks and credit-card companies have been accused of gouging their customers. 银行和信用卡公司被指控欺诈顾客。 来自辞典例句
• If back-gouging is applied, grinding to bright metal is required. 如果采用火焰气刨，则应将其打磨至可见光亮的金属表面。 来自互联网

7 pollutants   

污染物质（尤指工业废物）( pollutant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Pollutants are constantly being released into the atmosphere. 污染物质正在不断地被排放到大气中去。
• The 1987 Amendments limit 301(g) discharges to a few well-studied nonconventional pollutants. 1987年的修正案把第301条（g）的普通排放限制施加在一些认真研究过的几种非常规污染物上。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

8 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。

9 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

11 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

12 repeal   

n.废止，撤消；v.废止，撤消

参考例句：

• He plans to repeal a number of current policies.他计划废除一些当前的政策。
• He has made out a strong case for the repeal of the law.他提出强有力的理由，赞成废除该法令。

13 hybrid   

n.(动，植）杂种，混合物

参考例句：

• That is a hybrid perpetual rose.那是一株杂交的四季开花的蔷薇。
• The hybrid was tall,handsome,and intelligent.那混血儿高大、英俊、又聪明。