2007年VOA标准英语-US Congress Holds Hearing on Oil Dependence

By Leta Hong Fincher
Washington
23 March 2007
 
watch US Oil Security 

The U.S. Congress has held a hearing Thursday on how rising global demand for oil is affecting U.S. national security. Some lawmakers and energy experts say America's dependence¹ on oil imports limits the ability of the United States to meet its foreign policy goals. VOA's Leta Hong Fincher has more.

In his opening address, the Democratic Party chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Tom Lantos, warned that oil revenues are permitting producer countries such as Iran and Venezuela to pursue policies that oppose U.S. interests.

Tom Lantos

Lantos said the world's dependence on oil has "handicapped" U.S. efforts to use diplomacy² to end Iran's quest for nuclear arms. "Iran continues to cut lucrative³ deals with other countries involving its energy sector⁴, which directly benefits Tehran's quest for nuclear weapons."

The former director of the Central Intelligence Agency, John Deutch, agreed. Deutch testified that Iran may interrupt its production of 2.5 million barrels of oil per day if sanctions are imposed for its nuclear activities.

Deutch also said Venezuela's oil profits have allowed it to pursue anti-American and anti-democratic policies. Deutch is now a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He said the United States currently depends largely on oil imported from the Middle East.

But he said the world will become increasingly dependent on oil imports from Africa. "It is important that this country [the United States] encourage good governance in these countries as they produce their oil. It's very important, not only because it will improve the social and economic circumstances of the citizens of these countries, but also by providing good governance, you will have stability, which will permit oil production that will serve the world's needs."

Congressman⁵ Lantos said that China has become particularly aggressive in its pursuit of oil in western African countries such as Angola and Sudan. "To feed its growing energy needs, China scouts⁶ the globe for sources of oil and has come to rely increasingly on supplies from Africa, including Sudan. Is it any wonder that China has been a stubborn impediment to international efforts to pressure Khartoum into bringing its genocide in Darfur to an end?"

Former CIA Director Deutch said that to reduce American dependence on oil imports, the U.S. government may need to adopt politically unpopular measures such as a tax on gasoline and other petroleum⁷ products. "Adopting such a tax would provide not only a dampening of the demand for petroleum products, it would also provide a price signal for the private sector of the need to introduce new technologies that do not rely on petroleum," he said.

Deutch also said that government incentives⁸ are needed to stimulate⁹ research and development of alternatives to petroleum.

1 dependence   

n.依靠，依赖；信任，信赖；隶属

参考例句：

• Doctors keep trying to break her dependence of the drug.医生们尽力使她戒除毒瘾。
• He was freed from financial dependence on his parents.他在经济上摆脱了对父母的依赖。

2 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

3 lucrative   

adj.赚钱的，可获利的

参考例句：

• He decided to turn his hobby into a lucrative sideline.他决定把自己的爱好变成赚钱的副业。
• It was not a lucrative profession.那是一个没有多少油水的职业。

4 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。

5 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

6 scouts   

侦察员[机，舰]( scout的名词复数 )； 童子军； 搜索； 童子军成员

参考例句：

• to join the Scouts 参加童子军
• The scouts paired off and began to patrol the area. 巡逻人员两个一组，然后开始巡逻这个地区。

7 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。

8 incentives   

激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 )； 刺激； 诱因； 动机

参考例句：

• tax incentives to encourage savings 鼓励储蓄的税收措施
• Furthermore, subsidies provide incentives only for investments in equipment. 更有甚者，提供津贴仅是为鼓励增添设备的投资。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

9 stimulate   

vt.刺激，使兴奋；激励，使…振奋

参考例句：

• Your encouragement will stimulate me to further efforts.你的鼓励会激发我进一步努力。
• Success will stimulate the people for fresh efforts.成功能鼓舞人们去作新的努力。