VOA标准英语2008年-India Prime Minister Pitches Global Nuclear Dis

By Steve Herman
New Delhi
09 June 2008

India's prime minister wants his country to be at the forefront of the effort to achieve global nuclear disarmament. The push comes at a time Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government is trying to seal a civil nuclear fuel agreement with the United States. VOA Correspondent Steve Herman reports from New Delhi.
　

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh speaks at a international nuclear disarmament conference, 09 Jun 2008

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has opened an international nuclear disarmament conference by calling for the countries of the world to create a "timebound framework" to rid the world of atomic weapons.

India is among the world's eight declared states having nuclear arsenals¹. Speaking to the conference in New Delhi, Monday, Prime Minister Singh called for a comprehensive international pact² to rid the world of nuclear arms.

"The only effective form of nuclear disarmament and elimination³ of nuclear weapons is global disarmament," he said. "Nuclear weapons know no boundaries."

This year, India submitted a six-step plan for nuclear disarmament to the United Nations General Assembly.

India has been unwilling⁴ to sign similar treaties, arguing they are unfair because a few countries would be allowed to retain their nuclear weapons indefinitely.

India detonated its first nuclear device in 1974 and conducted five more tests in May, 1998. Its long-time rival, neighbor Pakistan, also has nuclear weapons.

The renewed de-nuclearization campaign by India comes 20 years after then-Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, speaking to a U.N. special session, called for the elimination of all nuclear weapons. The appeal received little attention.

Despite the renewed nuclear weapons disarmament call, Prime Minister Singh is emphasizing India will need to increase its nuclear power generation capacity. The country's booming economy is hampered⁵ by a serious shortfall in electrical generation.

Mr. Singh's government is attempting to win support from its leftist allies for a landmark⁶ civil nuclear agreement with the United States. The deal would end India's isolation⁷ in the world nuclear fuel market, imposed because of its nuclear weapons development outside of international frameworks.

In exchange for separating its civil and military nuclear programs, India would be able to buy critically-needed uranium and nuclear technology from the Nuclear Suppliers Group. The 45-country organization controls international trade in such materials, in an attempt to reduce nuclear proliferation.

1 arsenals   

n.兵工厂，军火库( arsenal的名词复数 )；任何事物的集成

参考例句：

• We possess-each of us-nuclear arsenals capable of annihilating humanity. 我们两国都拥有能够毁灭全人类的核武库。 来自辞典例句
• Arsenals are factories that produce weapons. 军工厂是生产武器的工厂。 来自互联网

2 pact   

n.合同，条约，公约，协定

参考例句：

• The two opposition parties made an electoral pact.那两个反对党订了一个有关选举的协定。
• The trade pact between those two countries came to an end.那两国的通商协定宣告结束。

3 elimination   

n.排除，消除，消灭

参考例句：

• Their elimination from the competition was a great surprise.他们在比赛中遭到淘汰是个很大的意外。
• I was eliminated from the 400 metres in the semi-finals.我在400米半决赛中被淘汰。

4 unwilling   

adj.不情愿的

参考例句：

• The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。
• His tightfisted employer was unwilling to give him a raise.他那吝啬的雇主不肯给他加薪。

5 hampered   

妨碍，束缚，限制( hamper的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The search was hampered by appalling weather conditions. 恶劣的天气妨碍了搜寻工作。
• So thought every harassed, hampered, respectable boy in St. Petersburg. 圣彼德堡镇的那些受折磨、受拘束的体面孩子们个个都是这么想的。

6 landmark   

n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标

参考例句：

• The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history.俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。
• The tower was once a landmark for ships.这座塔曾是船只的陆标。

7 isolation   

n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离

参考例句：

• The millionaire lived in complete isolation from the outside world.这位富翁过着与世隔绝的生活。
• He retired and lived in relative isolation.他退休后，生活比较孤寂。