VOA标准英语2015--路易斯安那州使用BP赔偿资金恢复海岸生态

Louisiana Using BP Settlement Funds to Restore Coast 路易斯安那州使用BP赔偿资金恢复海岸生态

GRANDE ISLE¹, LOUISIANA—

Five years ago, technicians capped a well in the Gulf² of Mexico that had been spilling oil for 87 days, polluting beaches, estuaries³ and fishing zones along the U.S. Gulf of Mexico coastline. Earlier this month, the British company judged responsible for the disaster, BP, agreed to pay $18.7 billion to coastal⁴ states.

That money will help fund restoration projects, but full recovery could still take many more years.

Nearly 70 percent of the shrimp⁵ consumed in the United States has traditionally come from the Gulf of Mexico.  However, large areas were closed to fishing after the oil spill, and seafood⁶ distributors had to look elsewhere.

Coastal fishing zones are now open, but Dean Blanchard, owner of Blanchard Seafood, said many of his former customers never came back.

“We are probably losing, I would say, probably $20 million a year worth of sales,” he said.

Blanchard is still angry at BP and said oil companies in general are lax about maintaining equipment in the Gulf.

“We fix our stuff to get ready for next season, but they don’t fix nothin’. They just let it sit out there until it deteriorates⁷ to nothin’ and just keep the profit — keep the profit and don’t care about the environment," he said.

Port Fourchon, a short drive from Blanchard’s operation on Grande Isle, has one of the country’s largest oil and gas operation centers.

While the energy industry has had a clear impact on Louisiana's natural areas, it is the state’s most important source of jobs and income. Refineries⁸ and storage facilities line the Mississippi River in the state capital, Baton⁹ Rouge¹⁰.

Kyle Graham, executive director of the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, said that "if you look at the permits that are issued for oil and gas activity, in the near shore, the ones that the state issues, they now require mitigation activity and for all of the fill material to be beneficially utilized¹².”

He said the state’s share of the BP settlement money would allow Louisiana to address specific problems.

“As we learn more about the effects of this spill, there is money there that we would be able to utilize¹¹ to come up with a restoration action,” Graham said.

Visitors are returning to the sunny Louisiana coast to fish and swim in Gulf waters. But although they are attracted to the scenery on the Gulf Coast, there are many effects from the BP oil spill that are not so noticeable to the naked eye.

Multiple scientific studies have found oil and other chemicals on the sea floor of the Gulf and in the shells and flesh of various aquatic¹³ species.

Opinions on how serious this is vary, but Graham said a full recovery would require more studies and more work.

1 isle   

n.小岛，岛

参考例句：

• He is from the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea.他来自爱尔兰海的马恩岛。
• The boat left for the paradise isle of Bali.小船驶向天堂一般的巴厘岛。

2 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

3 estuaries   

（江河入海的）河口，河口湾( estuary的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• We also recognize the diversity and complexity of controlling in fluences in estuaries. 我们也认识到在河湾内控制影响的多样性和复杂性。
• Estuaries also contribute to economy through tourism and fishing. 河口还为人类提供了休闲和教育的场所。

4 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

5 shrimp   

n.虾，小虾；矮小的人

参考例句：

• When the shrimp farm is built it will block the stream.一旦养虾场建起来，将会截断这条河流。
• When it comes to seafood,I like shrimp the best.说到海鲜，我最喜欢虾。

6 seafood   

n.海产食品，海味，海鲜

参考例句：

• There's an excellent seafood restaurant near here.离这儿不远有家非常不错的海鲜馆。
• Shrimps are a popular type of seafood.小虾是比较普遍的一种海味。

7 deteriorates   

恶化，变坏( deteriorate的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• After a few years' planting, the quality of the potato crop deteriorates. 土豆种了几年之后就会退化。
• Virus activity deteriorates in plasma stored at room temperature. 在室温下储藏的血浆中病毒活动逐渐衰退。

8 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。

9 baton   

n.乐队用指挥杖

参考例句：

• With the baton the conductor was beating time.乐队指挥用指挥棒打拍子。
• The conductor waved his baton,and the band started up.指挥挥动指挥棒，乐队开始演奏起来。

10 rouge   

n.胭脂，口红唇膏；v.(在…上)擦口红

参考例句：

• Women put rouge on their cheeks to make their faces pretty.女人往面颊上涂胭脂，使脸更漂亮。
• She didn't need any powder or lip rouge to make her pretty.她天生漂亮，不需要任何脂粉唇膏打扮自己。

11 utilize   

vt.使用，利用

参考例句：

• The cook will utilize the leftover ham bone to make soup.厨师要用吃剩的猪腿骨做汤。
• You must utilize all available resources.你必须利用一切可以得到的资源。

12 utilized   

v.利用，使用( utilize的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• In the19th century waterpower was widely utilized to generate electricity. 在19世纪人们大规模使用水力来发电。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The empty building can be utilized for city storage. 可以利用那栋空建筑物作城市的仓库。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 aquatic   

adj.水生的，水栖的

参考例句：

• Aquatic sports include swimming and rowing.水上运动包括游泳和划船。
• We visited an aquatic city in Italy.我们在意大利访问过一个水上城市。