2007年VOA标准英语-US City Expected to Block Money to Firms Linked

By Brian Wagner
Miami
11 July 2007

The U.S. city of Miami Beach is to vote on whether to block public pension funds from investing in firms linked to the governments of Iran and Sudan.  In Miami, VOA's Brian Wagner reports officials are expected to approve the ban intended to pressure the countries that U.S. officials have named as state sponsors of terrorism.

Miami Beach city officials sought to become the first in Florida to implement² a state law taking aim at the governments of Iran and Sudan.  Officials say the measure hopes to channel the outrage³ over both nations' support of Islamic militants⁴ and other violent groups, and over Sudan's alleged⁵ role in violence in the western Darfur region.

Under the ban, public-pension officials will identify international companies that are involved in the military or oil sectors⁷ in Sudan, or in Iran's energy sector⁶, and cut those investments.

State Senator Ted¹ Deutch drafted the state law, and says the restrictions⁸ are intended to go beyond U.S. policies that limit the activities of American companies.

"It would focus on those foreign companies who are not subject to American sanctions, who currently have made the decision that it is more important to them to seek the extra dollar by investing in Iran and helping⁹ Iran develop nuclear weapons," he said.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (file photo)

Deutch said the ban has received strong support, especially among the area's large retiree population, which includes some Holocaust¹⁰ survivors¹¹.  Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has sparked international condemnation¹² for calling for Israel to be wiped off the map.

The Florida law is one example of how U.S. states are trying to raise pressure on Iran and Sudan, as well as other U.S.-designated state sponsors of terrorism: Cuba, North Korea, and Syria.

The director of investment research firm Divest¹³ Terror, Christopher Holt, has helped several states to draft similar policies, but he says placing restrictions on state pension systems is only the first step.  He says one proposal in the state of Louisiana would create a list of investment indices that include companies linked to state sponsors of terrorism, and make the list available to the general public.

"Once a terror-free index is formed, the possibility exists that mutual¹⁴ funds available to individual investors¹⁵ like you and me will be formed, so that you and I can invest terror-free," he said.

Holt said much of the public support for these measures comes from moral outrage over atrocities¹⁶ blamed on state sponsors of terrorism, and is not based on foreign policy decisions made in Washington.

He adds that the spending bans may have limited impact, because foreign oil companies in Europe, China and elsewhere find it profitable to deal with Iran and Sudan.

"They [companies] know exactly what they are doing," he added.  "They have made it their marketing¹⁷ plan to pursue these rogue¹⁸ nations, because they know that the U.S. companies cannot."

Holt says it is the responsibility of investors and officials in other nations to draft measures or exert pressure against business with ties to state sponsors of terrorism.

1 ted   

vt.翻晒，撒，撒开

参考例句：

• The invaders gut ted the village.侵略者把村中财物洗劫一空。
• She often teds the corn when it's sunny.天好的时候她就翻晒玉米。

2 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。

3 outrage   

n.暴行，侮辱，愤怒；vt.凌辱，激怒

参考例句：

• When he heard the news he reacted with a sense of outrage.他得悉此事时义愤填膺。
• We should never forget the outrage committed by the Japanese invaders.我们永远都不应该忘记日本侵略者犯下的暴行。

4 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

5 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

6 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。

7 sectors   

n.部门( sector的名词复数 )；领域；防御地区；扇形

参考例句：

• Berlin was divided into four sectors after the war. 战后柏林分成了4 个区。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Industry and agriculture are the two important sectors of the national economy. 工业和农业是国民经济的两个重要部门。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

8 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

9 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。

10 holocaust   

n.大破坏；大屠杀

参考例句：

• The Auschwitz concentration camp always remind the world of the holocaust.奥辛威茨集中营总是让世人想起大屠杀。
• Ahmadinejad is denying the holocaust because he's as brutal as Hitler was.内贾德否认大屠杀，因为他像希特勒一样残忍。

11 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

12 condemnation   

n.谴责; 定罪

参考例句：

• There was widespread condemnation of the invasion. 那次侵略遭到了人们普遍的谴责。
• The jury's condemnation was a shock to the suspect. 陪审团宣告有罪使嫌疑犯大为震惊。

13 divest   

v.脱去，剥除

参考例句：

• I cannot divest myself of the idea.我无法消除那个念头。
• He attempted to divest himself of all responsibilities for the decision.他力图摆脱掉作出该项决定的一切责任。

14 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

15 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

16 atrocities   

n.邪恶，暴行( atrocity的名词复数 )；滔天大罪

参考例句：

• They were guilty of the most barbarous and inhuman atrocities. 他们犯有最野蛮、最灭绝人性的残暴罪行。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The enemy's atrocities made one boil with anger. 敌人的暴行令人发指。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

17 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

18 rogue   

n.流氓；v.游手好闲

参考例句：

• The little rogue had his grandpa's glasses on.这淘气鬼带上了他祖父的眼镜。
• They defined him as a rogue.他们确定他为骗子。