VOA标准英语2008年-Pakistan Pitches For Iran-India-Pakistan Gas Pi

Pakistan's foreign minister, on a visit to India, has urged India to move ahead with a gas pipeline¹ project that will carry gas from Iran to India via Pakistan. As Anjana Pasricha reports from New Delhi, the visit comes as both countries try to give a boost to a slow-moving peace process.
　
Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee (l) poses along with Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi before a meeting in New Delhi, India, 27 Jun 2008

During talks with his Indian counterpart in New Delhi Friday, Pakistani foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi called on India to finalize² a $7 billion gas pipeline project that is to carry gas from Iran to both Pakistan and India.

He says the project will benefit both countries and lessen³ the impact of spiraling energy prices.

"The energy prices have gone berserk and both countries are suffering on account of that this is a project that can help us mitigate⁴ our problems vis a vis energy shortages," said Qureshi. "We need energy and this is a project that is a do-able project."

Progress on the project has been delayed due to India's fears about the pipeline's security during its route through long-time rival Pakistan. The project is also opposed by the United States, which wants to isolate⁵ Iran over its disputed nuclear program.

Indian foreign minister, Pranab Mukherjee, said New Delhi hopes to resolve technical and commercial aspects of the project with Islamabad.

The Pakistani foreign minister, also called for a boost to the five-year peace process between the two countries, saying the South Asian neighbors should move from conflict management to conflict resolution.

Qureshi says there is broad political support in both countries to deepen the peace process.

"There is a virtual consensus⁶ on movement and normalization," he said. "We must seize this opportunity. We have the right environment, and we must not miss this opportunity. It will be a great loss."

Qureshi is on his first visit to India since a democratic government took power in Islamabad.

Meanwhile, the Indian foreign minister, Pranab Mukherjee, reiterated⁷ New Delhi's concerns on terrorism. India says Islamic militants⁸ infiltrate⁹ into Indian territory from Pakistan - and Mukherjee wants closer cooperation from Islamabad in combating the threat.

"Whatever be our political differences, we have to be unambiguous in addressing the terrorist threat," he said. "We hope that in future meetings concrete results, including exchange of information on terrorists and terrorist incidents, will emerge."

Both sides say a fresh round of peace talks will be held next month to discuss their dispute over Kashmir - the Himalayan region that is divided between them and claimed by both.

The peace process has lowered tensions between the rivals and made the once-volatile Kashmir border relatively¹⁰ peaceful. But there has been little progress so far on resolving their conflicting claims to the Himalayan region.

　

 

1 pipeline   

n.管道，管线

参考例句：

• The pipeline supplies Jordan with 15 per cent of its crude oil.该管道供给约旦15%的原油。
• A single pipeline serves all the houses with water.一条单管路给所有的房子供水。

2 finalize   

v.落实，定下来

参考例句：

• Let us finalize tonight.让我们今天晚上干完
• 。At the same time,industrial designers work with engineers to finalize components and assembly.同时，工业设计师和工程师一道来完成部件和组装部分的工作。

3 lessen   

vt.减少，减轻；缩小

参考例句：

• Regular exercise can help to lessen the pain.经常运动有助于减轻痛感。
• They've made great effort to lessen the noise of planes.他们尽力减小飞机的噪音。

4 mitigate   

vt.（使）减轻，（使）缓和

参考例句：

• The government is trying to mitigate the effects of inflation.政府正试图缓和通货膨胀的影响。
• Governments should endeavour to mitigate distress.政府应努力缓解贫困问题。

5 isolate   

vt.使孤立，隔离

参考例句：

• Do not isolate yourself from others.不要把自己孤立起来。
• We should never isolate ourselves from the masses.我们永远不能脱离群众。

6 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？

7 reiterated   

反复地说，重申( reiterate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• "Well, I want to know about it,'she reiterated. “嗯，我一定要知道你的休假日期，"她重复说。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Some twenty-two years later President Polk reiterated and elaborated upon these principles. 大约二十二年之后，波尔克总统重申这些原则并且刻意阐释一番。

8 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

9 infiltrate   

vt./vi.渗入，透过；浸润

参考例句：

• The teacher tried to infiltrate her ideas into the children's minds.老师设法把她的思想渗透到孩子们的心中。
• It can infiltrate as much as 100 kilometers into enemy territory at night.可以在夜间深入敌领土100千米。

10 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。