VOA标准英语2008年-Bush Administration Urges Swift Congressional A

A senior U.S. State Department official Thursday urged members of Congress to approve a U.S.-India nuclear cooperation agreement before the House and Senate adjourn¹ next week ahead of November elections. But some lawmakers are concerned the accord could undermine global nonproliferation efforts. VOA's Deborah Tate reports from Capitol Hill.

The accord offers India, a declared nuclear state, access to U.S. civilian² nuclear technology while opening non-military Indian nuclear sites to international inspections³.

In testimony⁴ to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, U.S. Undersecretary of State William Burns says the agreement is key to advancing a common strategic vision with the world's largest democracy and an emerging economic power.

But some lawmakers have strong concerns about the pact⁵, chiefly that the extra fuel the accord provides could boost India's nuclear arsenal⁶ by freeing up its domestic uranium for weapons. "I am still concerned that this deal seriously undermines nonproliferation efforts, and could contribute to an arms race that would have global implications," said Senator Russ Feingold, a Wisconsin Democrat⁷.

Undersecretary Burns responded by saying that "there is no perfect guarantee, as you know. But our conviction is that by moving in this direction, we are deepening the incentive⁸ for India to focus on civilian nuclear energy and deepening its incentive to continue to move into the mainstream⁹ of the nonproliferation regime."

Senator Richard Lugar of Indiana, the top Republican on the committee, sought clarification on whether the deal would be terminated if India tested a nuclear device.

"While India maintains a sovereign right to test, we most certainly maintain a sovereign right to respond. We believe the Indian government intends to uphold the continuation of the test moratorium¹⁰ it committed to in 2005," Burns replied.

Burns recalled Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's statement in 2006 that should India test nuclear weapons, the agreement would be called off.

If the House and Senate do not approve the accord this month, lawmakers could return for a so-called lame¹¹ duck session after the November 4 elections to act on the measure. If no action is taken, the agreement would await consideration by a new Congress and president, but it is not clear whether the pact would continue to be a priority.

1 adjourn   

v.（使）休会，（使）休庭

参考例句：

• The motion to adjourn was carried.休会的提议通过了。
• I am afraid the court may not adjourn until three or even later.我担心法庭要到3点或更晚时才会休庭。

2 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

3 inspections   

n.检查( inspection的名词复数 )；检验；视察；检阅

参考例句：

• Regular inspections are carried out at the prison. 经常有人来视察这座监狱。
• Government inspections ensure a high degree of uniformity in the standard of service. 政府检查确保了在服务标准方面的高度一致。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

5 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。

6 arsenal   

n.兵工厂，军械库

参考例句：

• Even the workers at the arsenal have got a secret organization.兵工厂工人暗中也有组织。
• We must be the great arsenal of democracy.我们必须成为民主的大军火库。

7 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

8 incentive   

n.刺激；动力；鼓励；诱因；动机

参考例句：

• Money is still a major incentive in most occupations.在许多职业中，钱仍是主要的鼓励因素。
• He hasn't much incentive to work hard.他没有努力工作的动机。

9 mainstream   

n.（思想或行为的）主流；adj.主流的

参考例句：

• Their views lie outside the mainstream of current medical opinion.他们的观点不属于当今医学界观点的主流。
• Polls are still largely reflects the mainstream sentiment.民调还在很大程度上反映了社会主流情绪。

10 moratorium   

n.(行动、活动的)暂停(期)，延期偿付

参考例句：

• The government has called for a moratorium on weapons testing.政府已要求暂停武器试验。
• We recommended a moratorium on two particular kinds of experiments.我们建议暂禁两种特殊的实验。

11 lame   

adj.跛的，(辩解、论据等)无说服力的

参考例句：

• The lame man needs a stick when he walks.那跛脚男子走路时需借助拐棍。
• I don't believe his story.It'sounds a bit lame.我不信他讲的那一套。他的话听起来有些靠不住。