British Vision Issue 90 英首相布朗亚洲行之印度站

Gordon Brown has arrived in India for a two-day visit, pledging to forge stronger trade links and cooperate against terrorism. But the fate of Northern Rock continues to dominate his tour. The prime minister denied he's already struck a deal with Sir Richard Branson. Our political editor Gary Gibbon reports from Delhi.

Well Gordon Brown's here in India to talk about aid, trade and counter-terrorism. He attended a women's empowerment event when he arrived here in Delhi. And a short while after that, he had this to say about how he wanted more international cooperation on counter-terrorism.

What I would like to see is greater contact between our two countries in winning the battle of hearts and minds, isolating¹ extremist ideologues who are trying to poison young people and the views that they have.

Tomorrow Gordon Brown's gonna be talking about what he calls global governance, changes to institutions like United Nations. He wants India to have a seat on the Security Council. But he wants a lot else as well. He's talking about a sort of force, a bit like the Blue Berets, the military forces that the United Nations currently deployed² to troubled countries. He wants a backup as it were a blue suit force which could include teachers, judges, doctors, people who can come in when a country is in dire³ difficulty. But there is another issue that is dogging him around here and it is in a way personified by the ever-present, Sir Richard Branson, boss of Virgin⁴. He's been following the prime minister on his tour and insisting at every turn that there are no secret negotiations⁵ going on between the two of them when it comes to the sale of Northern Rock. This is what the prime minister himself had to say about that today.

I can reassure⁶ people entirely⁷ that any negotiations about Northern Rock will be taking place in London. If a number of commercial companies are expressing interest in the future of Northern Rock, then it is right that the government explore all options available to us.

But as I said the prime minister is gonna be talking about the United Nations and other matters tomorrow when he's here in Delhi but his heart and mind are gonna be very much back in London where the Chancellor⁸ will be making a very important statement about Northern Rock. The prime minister wants people to think that he's no longer on the back foot on Northern Rock, he's taken a grip of the situation and that he is not bailing⁹ out whoever buys Northern Rock. Will it look like that? Will it sound like that? Will people think that the government is actually making a sweetener for Richard Branson or whoever buys Northern Rock? That will be the key moment tomorrow. Gordon Brown will be watching from a distance here in Delhi.

1 isolating   

adj.孤立的，绝缘的v.使隔离( isolate的现在分词 )；将…剔出（以便看清和单独处理）；使（某物质、细胞等）分离；使离析

参考例句：

• Colour filters are not very effective in isolating narrow spectral bands. 一些滤色片不能很有效地分离狭窄的光谱带。 来自辞典例句
• This became known as the streak method for isolating bacteria. 这个方法以后就称为分离细菌的划线法。 来自辞典例句

2 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

3 dire   

adj.可怕的，悲惨的，阴惨的，极端的

参考例句：

• There were dire warnings about the dangers of watching too much TV.曾经有人就看电视太多的危害性提出严重警告。
• We were indeed in dire straits.But we pulled through.那时我们的困难真是大极了，但是我们渡过了困难。

4 virgin   

n.处女，未婚女子；adj.未经使用的；未经开发的

参考例句：

• Have you ever been to a virgin forest?你去过原始森林吗？
• There are vast expanses of virgin land in the remote regions.在边远地区有大片大片未开垦的土地。

5 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

6 reassure   

v.使放心，使消除疑虑

参考例句：

• This seemed to reassure him and he continued more confidently.这似乎使他放心一点，于是他更有信心地继续说了下去。
• The airline tried to reassure the customers that the planes were safe.航空公司尽力让乘客相信飞机是安全的。

7 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

8 chancellor   

n.(英)大臣；法官；(德、奥)总理；大学校长

参考例句：

• They submitted their reports to the Chancellor yesterday.他们昨天向财政大臣递交了报告。
• He was regarded as the most successful Chancellor of modern times.他被认为是现代最成功的财政大臣。

9 bailing   

（凿井时用吊桶）排水

参考例句：

• Both fountains were going furiously and both pumps bailing with might and main. 两个人的口水只管喷泉似地朝外涌，两个抽水机全力以赴往外抽水。
• The mechanical sand-bailing technology makes sand-washing operation more efficient. 介绍了机械捞砂的结构装置及工作原理，提出了现场操作注意事项。