2005年NPR美国国家公共电台四月-Energy Industry Attempts to Stall New Ant

Today is the deadline for the Environmental Protection Agency to announce a new rule designed to clean up the haze¹ that obscures views in national parks. A court-imposed deadline is part of a decade long fight over pollution, and that fight may not be over. NPR's Elizabeth Shogren reports.

KB monitors air quality for Grand Canyon² National Park in Arizona. He has a close-up view of what haze does to one of the country's scenic³ gems⁴. He recently stood on the canyon's south rim⁵ with a cell phone, and described what he saw.

Early in the morning like this can see the tempos⁶ rising up out of the canyon in the forest over on the north rim. The colors are a little bit muted by some of our haze this morning though, so they are not quite as vibrant⁷ as what they can be.

The haze that clouds the view blows in from industrial plants and urban areas, like Phoenix⁸ and Los Angeles.

As that air moves across those areas, it picks up its load of pollutants⁹ and then by the time they get to the Grand Canyon of hundreds of miles away it's mixed into a fairly uniform haze that just sort of blankets the whole area.

In fact B says some haze obscures the Grand Canyon 90 percent of the year. Some days visitors complain.

On the very haziest¹⁰ days what you see out there is bluish gray masses without really very much color or texture¹¹.

Haze cloaks many other parks too. And in 1977 Congress said the air of our parks had to be restored to natural conditions. It set a deadline of 2064. The Environmental Protection Agency has been working on one big part of the problem: its emissions¹² from older industrial facilities, power plants, smelters, and factories built before 1977. But industry groups have resisted. They already took the agency to court and blocked one cleanup plan. Now they are threatening to do that again, with the EPA rule due today. James S heads the Western Business Round Table.

If it goes forward in its current flawed condition, it will not likely stand legal challenge.

Industry groups complain that the rule will threaten new power plants and other projects. They also say it would give the federal government new power to tell states what to do.

When Washington comes and bulls its way in the west and says,"Hey we know better than you westerners, what's good for your land." Well, they can't these people's backup.

Statements like that get Chris Shaver's backup. She heads the air programs for the National Park Service, and she says the States do want EPA to act.

I don't think it's a valid¹³ criticism. The States at least in the west have had a very different role of helping¹⁴ cross these rules, and the rules I expect would give the states a great deal of authorities to implement¹⁵ them in a way that they see fit.

Shaver says the states want that flexibility¹⁶ so they can preserve the majestic¹⁷ views that bring in millions of visitors. EPA's new plan will have its biggest impact on the west. Another rule that EPA announced last month is supposed to help clear up eastern parks. At the Grand Canyon KB predicts EPA's plan will help bring back views that now only some visitors see, on a good day.

The reds and the golden tans of the cliffs are shining, and shadows are sharp and clear. When you look over the north rim, it looks like you could almost reach out and touch it. It's hard to believe that it's ten miles away.
What parks and visitors see in the future could depend on what EPA decides to do today.

Elizabeth Shogren, NPR News, Washington.

1 haze   

n.霾，烟雾；懵懂，迷糊；vi.(over)变模糊

参考例句：

• I couldn't see her through the haze of smoke.在烟雾弥漫中，我看不见她。
• He often lives in a haze of whisky.他常常是在威士忌的懵懂醉意中度过的。

2 canyon   

n.峡谷，溪谷

参考例句：

• The Grand Canyon in the USA is 1900 metres deep.美国的大峡谷1900米深。
• The canyon is famous for producing echoes.这个峡谷以回声而闻名。

3 scenic   

adj.自然景色的，景色优美的

参考例句：

• The scenic beauty of the place entranced the visitors.这里的美丽风光把游客们迷住了。
• The scenic spot is on northwestern outskirts of Beijing.这个风景区位于北京的西北远郊。

4 gems   

growth； economy； management； and customer satisfaction 增长

参考例句：

• a crown studded with gems 镶有宝石的皇冠
• The apt citations and poetic gems have adorned his speeches. 贴切的引语和珠玑般的诗句为他的演说词增添文采。

5 rim   

n.(圆物的)边，轮缘；边界

参考例句：

• The water was even with the rim of the basin.盆里的水与盆边平齐了。
• She looked at him over the rim of her glass.她的目光越过玻璃杯的边沿看着他。

6 tempos   

乐曲的速度或拍子( tempo的名词复数 )； （运动或活动的）速度，进度

参考例句：

• The tempos of income refer to real tempo, The price factor is taken out. 收入发展速度为扣除物价因素后的实际发展速度。
• Contrasting tempos and the restraining influence of synchronism serve to produce effects of scattering and tightening. 不尽相同的曲调形成调式、速度上的对比，它们由“合头”拉扯着，形成分散、聚合的效果。

7 vibrant   

adj.震颤的，响亮的，充满活力的，精力充沛的，(色彩)鲜明的

参考例句：

• He always uses vibrant colours in his paintings. 他在画中总是使用鲜明的色彩。
• She gave a vibrant performance in the leading role in the school play.她在学校表演中生气盎然地扮演了主角。

8 phoenix   

n.凤凰，长生(不死)鸟；引申为重生

参考例句：

• The airline rose like a phoenix from the ashes.这家航空公司又起死回生了。
• The phoenix worship of China is fetish worship not totem adoration.中国凤崇拜是灵物崇拜而非图腾崇拜。

9 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

10 haziest   

有薄雾的( hazy的最高级 )； 模糊的； 不清楚的； 糊涂的

参考例句：

• In the beginning, Chueh-hui had only the haziest conceptions. 但是最初他所理解的也不过是一些含糊的概念。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）
• She could retain only the haziest remembrance of what took place. 她只能依稀记得所发生的事情。

11 texture   

n.(织物)质地；(材料)构造；结构；肌理

参考例句：

• We could feel the smooth texture of silk.我们能感觉出丝绸的光滑质地。
• Her skin has a fine texture.她的皮肤细腻。

12 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。

13 valid   

adj.有确实根据的；有效的；正当的，合法的

参考例句：

• His claim to own the house is valid.他主张对此屋的所有权有效。
• Do you have valid reasons for your absence?你的缺席有正当理由吗？

14 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

15 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

16 flexibility   

n.柔韧性，弹性，（光的）折射性，灵活性

参考例句：

• Her great strength lies in her flexibility.她的优势在于她灵活变通。
• The flexibility of a man's muscles will lessen as he becomes old.人老了肌肉的柔韧性将降低。

17 majestic   

adj.雄伟的，壮丽的，庄严的，威严的，崇高的

参考例句：

• In the distance rose the majestic Alps.远处耸立着雄伟的阿尔卑斯山。
• He looks majestic in uniform.他穿上军装显得很威风。