万花筒 kaleidoscope2007-08-13&08-14, 北极资源, 先下手为强

A new cold war may be erupting over one of the coldest places on earth and there are billions of dollars at stake. NBC's Kerry Sanders is On The Money tonight at the North Pole.

The Arctic cap, a vast white blanket of ice the size of a continent, home to polar bears. But oil? It's a question that may have already been answered. Earlier this week, the Russian government launched two subs at the geographic¹ North Pole. In the depths of the Arctic Ocean two and a half miles down, crews symbolically² planted a Russian flag. A Kremlin spokesman said it's like planting the flag on the Moon.

When the Russians say that this is the equivalent of planting the flag on the surface of the Moon. Again, this is something to me that, that smacks³ more of a political maneuver⁴ than a substantive⁵ maneuver.

Russia claims its continental⁶ shelf reaches the North Pole. If the rest of the world were to recognize that claim, Russia would control 700,000 square miles of Arctic seabed and whatever oil and natural gas is underneath⁷.

They're really doing some research to, to map the bottom to see what is there and they will try to come up with a, a good picture for the Continental Shelf Commission. But I think others are going to, wanna see the evidence. The Canadians, the Danes, the Norwegians, the United States, all the Arctic countries will want to have a say.

With oil nearly 80 dollars a barrel, experts say although it would be harsh conditions, drilling the Arctic would still be profitable even if the price of a barrel dropped in half.

We go to some far reaches of the Earth right now to extract oil. And given where oil prices are right now, where they're expected to be and go to, this is definitely a profitable frontier that's been opened up.

American oil companies long ago laid claim to drill here. It's been a patient wait for permission. Still unresolved claims date back to an....

1 geographic   

adj.地理学的，地理的

参考例句：

• The city's success owes much to its geographic position. 这座城市的成功很大程度上归功于它的地理位置。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Environmental problems pay no heed to these geographic lines. 环境问题并不理会这些地理界限。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

2 symbolically   

ad.象征地，象征性地

参考例句：

• By wearing the ring on the third finger of the left hand, a married couple symbolically declares their eternal love for each other. 将婚戒戴在左手的第三只手指上，意味着夫妻双方象征性地宣告他们的爱情天长地久，他们定能白头偕老。
• Symbolically, he coughed to clear his throat. 周经理象征地咳一声无谓的嗽，清清嗓子。

3 smacks   

掌掴（声）( smack的名词复数 )； 海洛因； （打的）一拳； 打巴掌

参考例句：

• His politeness smacks of condescension. 他的客气带有屈尊俯就的意味。
• It was a fishing town, and the sea was dotted with smacks. 这是个渔业城镇，海面上可看到渔帆点点。

4 maneuver   

n.策略[pl.]演习；v.(巧妙)控制；用策略

参考例句：

• All the fighters landed safely on the airport after the military maneuver.在军事演习后，所有战斗机都安全降落在机场上。
• I did get her attention with this maneuver.我用这个策略确实引起了她的注意。

5 substantive   

adj.表示实在的；本质的、实质性的；独立的；n.实词，实名词；独立存在的实体

参考例句：

• They plan to meet again in Rome very soon to begin substantive negotiations.他们计划不久在罗马再次会晤以开始实质性的谈判。
• A president needs substantive advice,but he also requires emotional succor. 一个总统需要实质性的建议，但也需要感情上的支持。

6 continental   

adj.大陆的，大陆性的，欧洲大陆的

参考例句：

• A continental climate is different from an insular one.大陆性气候不同于岛屿气候。
• The most ancient parts of the continental crust are 4000 million years old.大陆地壳最古老的部分有40亿年历史。

7 underneath   

adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面

参考例句：

• Working underneath the car is always a messy job.在汽车底下工作是件脏活。
• She wore a coat with a dress underneath.她穿着一件大衣，里面套着一条连衣裙。