2006年VOA标准英语-US - Venezuela Energy Ties Endure Despite Deter

By Michael Bowman
Washington
09 October 2006

Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez before the United Nations General Assembly, Wednesday Sept. 20, 2006  
  
The war of words between Venezuela and the United States reached new heights last month, when Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez called U.S. President George Bush "the devil" and a "world dictator" in an address to the United Nations General Assembly. But, despite escalating¹ diplomatic tensions, the United States remains² Venezuela's Number-One oil customer, a commercial relationship that appears likely to endure.

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The Venezuelan president stunned³ U.N. diplomats⁴ with his September 20 address, one day after President Bush spoke⁵ from the same podium.

He said, "The devil came here yesterday. Right here. And it still smells of sulfur⁶ today. The hegemonic pretensions⁷ of the American empire are placing at risk the very survival of the human species."

U.S. legislators from both parties denounced the speech, as well as other Chavez comments, describing Mr. Bush as an alcoholic⁸ and a "sick man."

The Bush administration has had little comment. "Those are words we do not feel should be responded to, or that are worthy⁹ of being part of the discourse," said Deborah McCarthy, the U.S. State Department's special coordinator¹⁰ for Venezuela.

Hugo Chavez, a self-proclaimed socialist¹¹, is doing more than give colorful anti-American speeches. He is backing Iran's pursuit of nuclear capabilities¹², taking sides against Israel in Middle East conflicts, and purchasing billions of dollars in Russian weaponry. He has made Venezuela Cuba's closest ally, openly backed leftist candidates in nations throughout the Americas, and led a campaign to derail a U.S.-proposed hemispheric free trade zone.

Analysts¹³ say Mr. Chavez is emboldened¹⁴ by his country's status as the world's fifth biggest oil exporter, and by oil revenues that have skyrocketed in recent years.

Jose Toro Hardy¹⁵ is a former director of Venezuela's state-owned oil company.

He says, "In the last seven years, under President Chavez, Venezuela's oil revenues have been higher than the sum of all the oil revenue accrued¹⁶ during all previous governments put together."

 
A woman watches arrival of an oil tanker¹⁷ containing Venezuelan diesel¹⁸ fuel sent by President Hugo Chavez's government in Nicaragua, October 7, 2006
  
And Venezuela's biggest customer, by far, is the United States, which imports about 1.3 million barrels of Venezuelan oil per day. At a price of $60 a barrel, that adds up to annual U.S. petroleum¹⁹ purchases of more than $28 billion, about 70 percent of the Venezuelan government's total expenditures²⁰ in 2005.

Days after President Chavez' General Assembly speech, a major U.S. convenience store chain confirmed it would not renew a contract with the Venezuelan-owned retail²¹ gasoline chain, Citgo. Some Citgo stations have reported a modest drop in business since Mr. Chavez visited the United States.

If bilateral²² relations continue to deteriorate²³, would the Bush administration consider a boycott²⁴ of Venezuelan crude? The State Department's Deborah McCarthy downplays that possibility.

"The [oil] market is a private market in the United States, managed by the private sector²⁵. They make decisions, they decide [from] where they want to import," she said. "And they certainly assess risks, costs, etc."

President Chavez has accused the Bush administration of plotting to overthrow²⁶ him, and threatened to cut off oil sales to the United States.

But, such a move would be economic suicide, according to Johns Hopkins University Latin American studies Professor Riordan Roett.

"Venezuela would find out very, very quickly, it has nothing else to export; it [oil] is easiest to export to the United States," noted²⁷ Roett.

Even so, Mr. Chavez has pledged to reduce his country's dependency on U.S. petro-dollars, and shift oil exports toward China. Most analysts, including former Venezuelan petroleum director Jose Toro Hardy, are skeptical²⁸.

He says, "More than 75 percent of Venezuela's proven oil reserves are heavy crude, with high sulfur and metal content. There are very few refineries²⁹ in the world capable of processing this type of crude." He says, " As a matter of fact, in China there are none."

Nevertheless, the Bush administration has already contemplated³⁰ the possibility of a future without Venezuelan crude. In a June report, U.S. investigators³¹ concluded that, if President Chavez were to cut off oil exports, gasoline prices in the United States would spike³², but only briefly³³, until other crude suppliers made up for the gap. The report said the long-term effect on the U.S. economy would be minimal³⁴.

In fact, gasoline prices in the United States rose only moderately during a 2003 strike by Venezuelan oil workers that decimated the country's crude production for a three month period.

Venezuela accounts for up to 15 percent of U.S. crude imports. 

In short, the Bush administration says Venezuelan officials are mistaken, if they believe the United States can be intimidated³⁵ by threats of an oil cut-off.

"It is clear that they [Venezuela] depend on us far more than we will ever depend on them," said the State Department's Deborah McCarthy.

Just the same, energy experts say the United States would be wise to reduce its consumption of fossil fuels.

"During the Arab oil embargo³⁶ in the '70s, we [the United States] imported 30 percent of our oil. Today, we import over 60 percent. And that dependence³⁷ is growing," commented Anne Korin, who co-directs the Institute for the Analysis of Global Security in Washington.  "And it causes us to be dependent on regimes that we do not like, that do not like us, whose values are very different from our own. And it causes us to be forced to make compromises, in terms of how we would like to deal with certain countries."

Venezuela's total oil reserves have yet to be fully³⁸ certified³⁹, but many experts believe the country could be sitting on the world's largest supply of crude. Paradoxically, Venezuelan oil production has fallen in recent years, from more than three million barrels a day to about 2.5 million. Analysts note that President Chavez fired thousands of the country's most-experienced petroleum technicians and engineers following a 2003 strike, and has reduced investment in Venezuela's oil infrastructure⁴⁰ to help fund domestic social programs.

1 escalating   

v.（使）逐步升级( escalate的现在分词 )；（使）逐步扩大；（使）更高；（使）更大

参考例句：

• The cost of living is escalating. 生活费用在迅速上涨。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The cost of living is escalating in the country. 这个国家的生活费用在上涨。 来自辞典例句

2 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

3 stunned   

adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The fall stunned me for a moment. 那一下摔得我昏迷了片刻。
• The leaders of the Kopper Company were then stunned speechless. 科伯公司的领导们当时被惊得目瞪口呆。

4 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

6 sulfur   

n.硫，硫磺（=sulphur）

参考例句：

• Sulfur emissions from steel mills become acid rain.炼钢厂排放出的硫形成了酸雨。
• Burning may produce sulfur oxides.燃烧可能会产生硫氧化物。

7 pretensions   

自称( pretension的名词复数 )； 自命不凡； 要求； 权力

参考例句：

• The play mocks the pretensions of the new middle class. 这出戏讽刺了新中产阶级的装模作样。
• The city has unrealistic pretensions to world-class status. 这个城市不切实际地标榜自己为国际都市。

8 alcoholic   

adj.（含）酒精的，由酒精引起的；n.酗酒者

参考例句：

• The alcoholic strength of brandy far exceeds that of wine.白兰地的酒精浓度远远超过葡萄酒。
• Alcoholic drinks act as a poison to a child.酒精饮料对小孩犹如毒药。

9 worthy   

adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的

参考例句：

• I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。
• There occurred nothing that was worthy to be mentioned.没有值得一提的事发生。

10 coordinator   

n.协调人

参考例句：

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, coordinates all UN emergency relief. 联合国人道主义事务协调厅在紧急救济协调员领导下，负责协调联合国的所有紧急救济工作。
• How am I supposed to find the client-relations coordinator? 我怎么才能找到客户关系协调员的办公室？

11 socialist   

n.社会主义者；adj.社会主义的

参考例句：

• China is a socialist country,and a developing country as well.中国是一个社会主义国家，也是一个发展中国家。
• His father was an ardent socialist.他父亲是一个热情的社会主义者。

12 capabilities   

n.能力( capability的名词复数 )；可能；容量；[复数]潜在能力

参考例句：

• He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities. 他有点自大，自视甚高。 来自辞典例句
• Some programmers use tabs to break complex product capabilities into smaller chunks. 一些程序员认为，标签可以将复杂的功能分为每个窗格一组简单的功能。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

13 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。

14 emboldened   

v.鼓励，使有胆量( embolden的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Emboldened by the wine, he went over to introduce himself to her. 他借酒壮胆，走上前去向她作自我介绍。
• His success emboldened him to expand his business. 他有了成就因而激发他进一步扩展业务。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 hardy   

adj.勇敢的，果断的，吃苦的；耐寒的

参考例句：

• The kind of plant is a hardy annual.这种植物是耐寒的一年生植物。
• He is a hardy person.他是一个能吃苦耐劳的人。

16 accrued   

adj.权责已发生的v.增加( accrue的过去式和过去分词 )；（通过自然增长）产生；获得；（使钱款、债务）积累

参考例句：

• The company had accrued debts of over 1000 yuan. 该公司已积欠了1000多万元的债务。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I have accrued a set of commemoration stamps. 我已收集一套纪念邮票。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 tanker   

n.油轮

参考例句：

• The tanker took on 200,000 barrels of crude oil.油轮装载了二十万桶原油。
• Heavy seas had pounded the tanker into three parts.汹涌的巨浪把油轮撞成三载。

18 diesel   

n.柴油发动机，内燃机

参考例句：

• We experimented with diesel engines to drive the pumps.我们试着用柴油机来带动水泵。
• My tractor operates on diesel oil.我的那台拖拉机用柴油开动。

19 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。

20 expenditures   

n.花费( expenditure的名词复数 )；使用；（尤指金钱的）支出额；（精力、时间、材料等的）耗费

参考例句：

• We have overspent.We'll have to let up our expenditures next month. 我们已经超支了，下个月一定得节约开支。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The pension includes an allowance of fifty pounds for traffic expenditures. 年金中包括50镑交通费补贴。 来自《简明英汉词典》

21 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

22 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。

23 deteriorate   

v.变坏；恶化；退化

参考例句：

• Do you think relations between China and Japan will continue to deteriorate?你认为中日关系会继续恶化吗？
• He held that this would only cause the situation to deteriorate further.他认为，这只会使局势更加恶化。

24 boycott   

n./v.(联合)抵制，拒绝参与

参考例句：

• We put the production under a boycott.我们联合抵制该商品。
• The boycott lasts a year until the Victoria board permitsreturn.这个抗争持续了一年直到维多利亚教育局妥协为止。

25 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。

26 overthrow   

v.推翻，打倒，颠覆；n.推翻，瓦解，颠覆

参考例句：

• After the overthrow of the government,the country was in chaos.政府被推翻后，这个国家处于混乱中。
• The overthrow of his plans left him much discouraged.他的计划的失败使得他很气馁。

27 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

28 skeptical   

adj.怀疑的，多疑的

参考例句：

• Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
• Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。

29 refineries   

精炼厂( refinery的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The efforts on closedown and suspension of small sugar refineries, small saccharin refineries and small paper mills are also being carried out in steps. 关停小糖厂、小糖精厂、小造纸厂的工作也已逐步展开。
• Hence the sitting of refineries is at a distance from population centres. 所以，炼油厂的厂址总在远离人口集中的地方。

30 contemplated   

adj. 预期的 动词contemplate的过去分词形式

参考例句：

• The doctor contemplated the difficult operation he had to perform. 医生仔细地考虑他所要做的棘手的手术。
• The government has contemplated reforming the entire tax system. 政府打算改革整个税收体制。

31 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

32 spike   

n.长钉，钉鞋；v.以大钉钉牢，使...失效

参考例句：

• The spike pierced the receipts and held them in order.那个钉子穿过那些收据并使之按顺序排列。
• They'll do anything to spike the guns of the opposition.他们会使出各种手段来挫败对手。

33 briefly   

adv.简单地，简短地

参考例句：

• I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
• He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。

34 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。

35 intimidated   

v.恐吓；威胁adj.害怕的；受到威胁的

参考例句：

• We try to make sure children don't feel intimidated on their first day at school. 我们努力确保孩子们在上学的第一天不胆怯。
• The thief intimidated the boy into not telling the police. 这个贼恫吓那男孩使他不敢向警察报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》

36 embargo   

n.禁运（令）；vt.对...实行禁运，禁止（通商）

参考例句：

• This country put an oil embargo on an enemy country.该国对敌国实行石油禁运。
• During the war,they laid an embargo on commerce with enemy countries.在战争期间，他们禁止与敌国通商。

37 dependence   

n.依靠，依赖；信任，信赖；隶属

参考例句：

• Doctors keep trying to break her dependence of the drug.医生们尽力使她戒除毒瘾。
• He was freed from financial dependence on his parents.他在经济上摆脱了对父母的依赖。

38 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

39 certified   

a.经证明合格的；具有证明文件的

参考例句：

• Doctors certified him as insane. 医生证明他精神失常。
• The planes were certified airworthy. 飞机被证明适于航行。

40 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。