VOA慢速英语2014 AS IT IS 2014-04-03 US Hopes to Improve Relations with India 美国希望改善与印度的关系

 

AS IT IS 2014-04-03 US Hopes to Improve Relations with India 美国希望改善与印度的关系

Hello, again and welcome.  I’m Jim Tedder¹ in Washington with the program that helps you learn and improve your American English.  You can also learn about our world …As It Is.  Today we hear about the relationship between India and the United States.  Are better days ahead now that an ambassador has resigned?

Then some exciting news from NASA, the U.S. space agency.  If you like airplanes, you will want to hear what they are working on.

You are listening to the Voice of America, and we are coming to you from Washington.

The resignation of the United States’ ambassador to India could lead to improved ties between the two countries.  The resignation of Ambassador Nancy Powell came as no surprise to observers in the Indian capital, New Delhi.  Ties between the countries have been tense since the arrest of an Indian diplomat² in New York.  Jonathan Evans tells us more.

Marie Harf is a spokesman for the US State Department.  On Monday, she denied that there is a connection between the diplomatic dispute and the resignation.  She told reporters in Washington that Ambassador Powell was retiring after a celebrated³ career.

“It is in no way related to any tension, any recent situations.  There’s no big behind-the-scenes story here.”

But observers in New Delhi disagree.  They say the US hopes to reset⁴ relations with India over the arrest of the Indian diplomat in New York.  Law enforcement officials required the diplomat to remove her clothing while they performed a body search.  The Indian woman was arrested on charges of underpaying her housekeeper⁵.  The diplomat has since returned to India.

Observers say the ambassador’s resignation increases the possibility for business contacts with a new Indian government.  However, the bigger barrier to better relations is the US position on Narendra Modi.  He is the prime ministerial candidate of the Bharatiya Janata Party.  Studies have shown his party could win enough votes to form a new government after the Indian elections end next month.

Narendra Modi has been banned from traveling to the US and several other Western countries.  They claim he did not do enough to stop religious riots in 2002.  More than 1,000 people died in the unrest.  Many were Muslims in Gujarat, his home state.

But several European countries opened diplomatic contacts with Mr. Modi last year. Ambassador Powell held her first meeting with him only six weeks ago.  Indian observers say the meeting took place too late to be effective.

Chintamani Mahapatra is the chairman of the Center for U.S and Latin American studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi.  He says the United States has been slow in reaching out to the BJP leader.  And he thinks some issues could have been dealt with in a better way.  For example, Mr. Modi was denied a visa in 2005.  Since then, no serious steps have been taken against him.

Ambassador Powell will leave her position by the end of May.  Observers in New Delhi hope that the new ambassador will be a strong political force, and not a career diplomat like Ms. Powell.

Chintamani Mahapatra is one of those observers.

“This gives an opportunity for the U.S. administration to start a process by appointing an important person as an ambassador who can restore the strategic partnership⁶ between the two countries and interactions will be more cordial and friendly rather than exchange of bitter words.”

I’m Jonathan Evans.

NASA Works on New Airplanes

America’s National Aeronautics⁷ and Space Administration, NASA, is known for its work in space exploration.  But aeronautics – a science that deals with airplanes and flying - is still a big part of the agency’s research.

NASA engineers are testing ideas that someday may produce lighter⁸ and quieter aircraft that produce less pollution.  For more on the story, we turn to Bob Doughty⁹.  

NASA officials would like to see better airplanes by 2030.  They want planes that burn 60 to 70 percent less fuel, pollute less and are quieter than 2005 models.  Scientists say such goals are possible if manufacturers make changes to the design of aircraft and use lightweight materials.  They also say new kinds of fuel need to be considered.

NASA engineers have been testing a new design of airplane wing.  The wing is made of a composite material that is lighter than the aluminum¹⁰ alloy¹¹ now being used.  Composite materials are made from two or more substances.

In the future, plane wings will likely be made out of materials like this.  Robert C. Scott is an aerospace¹² engineer.

“With advances in materials, advances in design and analysis capability¹³ and the need for higher efficiency, you end up with – you are driving yourself toward very lightweight designs.”

Project scientist Richard Wahls says one of those designs is the long, truss-supported wing.

“That allows you to stiffen¹⁴ the wing, keep the wing thin, grow the span to reduce, to reduce drag.”

If someone decides to build such an aircraft, he or she will be able to use the results of NASA tests.

Researchers are also testing a new way of manufacturing composite materials.  Instead of placing the fibers¹⁵ in straight lines, the material is instead placed around the points of heavy load, explains materials research engineer Karen Taminger.  She also says new structural¹⁶ designs will help manufacturers to reduce the weight of airplanes and make them more energy efficient.

Fay Collier supervises NASA’s Environmentally Responsible Aviation project.  He says researchers also want to reduce the pollution that comes out of airplane engines.

“We want to take advantage of alternative fuels and the emergence¹⁷ of alternative fuels, and we want to design advanced combustors to minimize the output of what I call oxides of nitrogen.”

American scientists wanted to learn about the smoke of an airplane that burned a mixture of petroleum¹⁸, an oil-based product, and an alternative-based fuel.  To do this, they flew a second plane right behind the first one.  Equipment on the second plane measured the percentage of pollutants¹⁹ contained in different fuel mixtures.

Project scientist Richard Wahls says the space agency is always looking for ways to improve aviation.

“We hope to find technologies that we can accelerate forward through the research, but other technologies, you know, they may not be possible for 20 or 30 years. They are just an idea.”

Until then, he says, there are small changes moving airplane manufacturers towards better, safer and more efficient aircraft.  I’m Bob Doughty.

 

And I’m Jim Tedder in Washington.  Are your ready for today’s history lesson?  On this date in 1783, American writer Washington Irving was born.  Two of his best known short stories are “Rip van Winkle” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” 

1 tedder   

n.（干草）翻晒者，翻晒机

参考例句：

• Jim Tedder has more. 吉姆？特德将给我们做更多的介绍。 来自互联网
• Jim Tedder tells us more. 吉姆？泰德给我们带来更详细的报道。 来自互联网

2 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

3 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

4 reset   

v.重新安排，复位；n.重新放置；重放之物

参考例句：

• As soon as you arrive at your destination,step out of the aircraft and reset your wristwatch.你一到达目的地，就走出飞机并重新设置手表时间。
• He is recovering from an operation to reset his arm.他做了一个手臂复位手术，正在恢复。

5 housekeeper   

n.管理家务的主妇，女管家

参考例句：

• A spotless stove told us that his mother is a diligent housekeeper.炉子清洁无瑕就表明他母亲是个勤劳的主妇。
• She is an economical housekeeper and feeds her family cheaply.她节约持家，一家人吃得很省。

6 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。

7 aeronautics   

n.航空术，航空学

参考例句：

• National Aeronautics and Space undertakings have made great progress.国家的航空航天事业有了很大的发展。
• He devoted every spare moment to aeronautics.他把他所有多余的时间用在航空学上。

8 lighter   

n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级

参考例句：

• The portrait was touched up so as to make it lighter.这张画经过润色，色调明朗了一些。
• The lighter works off the car battery.引燃器利用汽车蓄电池打火。

9 doughty   

adj.勇猛的，坚强的

参考例句：

• Most of successful men have the characteristics of contumacy and doughty.绝大多数成功人士都有共同的特质：脾气倔强，性格刚强。
• The doughty old man battled his illness with fierce determination.坚强的老人用巨大毅力与疾病作斗争。

10 aluminum   

n.(aluminium)铝

参考例句：

• The aluminum sheets cannot be too much thicker than 0.04 inches.铝板厚度不能超过0.04英寸。
• During the launch phase,it would ride in a protective aluminum shell.在发射阶段，它盛在一只保护的铝壳里。

11 alloy   

n.合金，(金属的)成色

参考例句：

• The company produces titanium alloy.该公司生产钛合金。
• Bronze is an alloy of copper and tin.青铜是铜和锡的合金。

12 aerospace   

adj.航空的，宇宙航行的

参考例句：

• The world's entire aerospace industry is feeling the chill winds of recession.全世界的航空航天工业都感受到了经济衰退的寒意。
• Edward Murphy was an aerospace engineer for the US Army.爱德华·墨菲是一名美军的航宇工程师。

13 capability   

n.能力；才能；(pl)可发展的能力或特性等

参考例句：

• She has the capability to become a very fine actress.她有潜力成为杰出演员。
• Organizing a whole department is beyond his capability.组织整个部门是他能力以外的事。

14 stiffen   

v.(使)硬，(使)变挺，(使)变僵硬

参考例句：

• The blood supply to the skin is reduced when muscles stiffen.当肌肉变得僵硬时，皮肤的供血量就减少了。
• I was breathing hard,and my legs were beginning to stiffen.这时我却气吁喘喘地开始感到脚有点僵硬。

15 fibers   

光纤( fiber的名词复数 )； （织物的）质地； 纤维，纤维物质

参考例句：

• Thesolution of collagen-PVA was wet spined with the sodium sulfate as coagulant and collagen-PVA composite fibers were prepared. 在此基础上，以硫酸钠为凝固剂，对胶原-PVA共混溶液进行湿法纺丝，制备了胶原-PVA复合纤维。
• Sympathetic fibers are distributed to all regions of the heart. 交感神经纤维分布于心脏的所有部分。

16 structural   

adj.构造的，组织的，建筑（用）的

参考例句：

• The storm caused no structural damage.风暴没有造成建筑结构方面的破坏。
• The North American continent is made up of three great structural entities.北美大陆是由三个构造单元组成的。

17 emergence   

n.浮现，显现，出现，（植物）突出体

参考例句：

• The last decade saw the emergence of a dynamic economy.最近10年见证了经济增长的姿态。
• Language emerges and develops with the emergence and development of society.语言是随着社会的产生而产生，随着社会的发展而发展的。

18 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。

19 pollutants   

污染物质（尤指工业废物）( pollutant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Pollutants are constantly being released into the atmosphere. 污染物质正在不断地被排放到大气中去。
• The 1987 Amendments limit 301(g) discharges to a few well-studied nonconventional pollutants. 1987年的修正案把第301条（g）的普通排放限制施加在一些认真研究过的几种非常规污染物上。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法