2007年VOA标准英语-India, Russia Pledge Deeper Cooperation

By Suzanne Presto¹
New Delhi
25 January 2007

Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh talk to each other during their press conference in New Delhi, 25 January 2007

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh have signed a deal for Russia to help India build nuclear power plants.  VOA's Suzanne Presto in New Delhi reports that Mr. Putin is focusing on energy and trade on his visit to India.

Under the agreement signed Thursday, Russia will help India construct four new nuclear reactors² for peaceful purposes.

The reactors are to be built at the Kudankulan nuclear power plant in southern India's Tamil Nadu state and elsewhere.

Speaking at a news conference after a signing ceremony in New Delhi, Indian Prime Minster Manmohan Singh said energy issues are central to India's long-term partnership³ with Russia.

"Energy security is the most important of the emerging dimensions of our strategic partnership," Singh said.  "Russia's position as a global leader on energy issues is widely recognized.  We look forward to a long-term partnership with Russia in this vital field."

President Vladimir Putin stressed that the countries intend to cooperate in the peaceful uses of the atom. 

Russia and the United States are competing for stakes in India's nuclear market, as India seeks additional sources of power to support its rapidly growing economy. 

Mr. Singh thanked Russia for its help in the field of nuclear development.

"We appreciate Russia's support in lifting international restrictions⁴ on nuclear cooperation within India and assisting us in the expansion of our nuclear energy sector⁵," he said.

Mr. Putin also spoke⁶ of intensified⁷ cooperation in the fuel sector.

He applauded the joint⁸ construction of infrastructure⁹ in India and the region for the production and transportation of oil and natural gas.

In addition, the nations agreed to boost cooperation in space and technology.  Russia will allow India to use its global navigation satellite system, GLONASS.  The two governments also agreed to cooperate in aviation, and India expressed specific interest in the development of a transport plane and a new fighter jet.

On the economic front, Mr. Putin stressed that increasing trade and business contacts between the nations is of prime importance.

He says the shared goal is to broaden the field of business cooperation by seeking out new models of interaction.

India and Russia have long cooperated in defense¹⁰ issues and trade, a relationship that dates back to the days of the former Soviet¹¹ Union.

The relationship, however, has weakened in the past 16 years, after the Soviet Union broke apart and India began to look toward the United States and Europe for trade and technology.  Mr. Putin's visit is in part designed to revive ties.

Mr. Putin will conclude his two-day visit to India on Friday.  He is to be a guest of honor Friday at India's Republic Day ceremonies.

1 presto   

adv.急速地；n.急板乐段；adj.急板的

参考例句：

• With something so important,you can't just wave a wand and presto!在这么重大的问题上，你想挥动一下指挥棒，转眼就变过来,办不到！
• I just turned the piece of wire in the lock and hey presto,the door opened.我把金属丝伸到锁孔里一拧，嘿，那门就开了。

2 reactors   

起反应的人( reactor的名词复数 )； 反应装置； 原子炉； 核反应堆

参考例句：

• The TMI nuclear facility has two reactors. 三哩岛核设施有两个反应堆。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• The earliest production reactors necessarily used normal uranium as fuel. 最早为生产用的反应堆，必须使用普通铀作为燃料。

3 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

4 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

5 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。

6 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。

7 intensified   

v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Violence intensified during the night. 在夜间暴力活动加剧了。
• The drought has intensified. 旱情加剧了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

9 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。

10 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

11 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。