VOA标准英语2008年-Oil Man T. Boone Pickens Pressures Presidential

Oil tycoon¹ T. Boone Pickens spoke² at the National Press Club in Washington Monday and called on both presidential candidates to come up with a plan to reduce U.S. dependence³ on foreign oil. Pickens has spent millions of dollars on national television ads, promoting his plan for the United States to move away from oil and toward natural gas for its transportation needs and wind power for its electricity needs. VOA Correspondent Cindy Saine reports.
　
T. Boone Pickens (file photo)

T. Boone Pickens has a sense of urgency about his plan to deal with the looming⁴ energy crisis he says the United States is facing. The Texas geologist⁵ made his fortune in the oil business. But he says he is now 80-years-old, has enough money and wants to do something for his country. Pickens is looking to the two major presidential candidates, Republican John McCain and Democrat⁶ Barack Obama, to pledge to reduce U.S. consumption of foreign oil.

"What do I want? I want both of these candidates, and we are going to press it up, you are going to see a new series of ads," said T. Boone Pickens. "I am going to press it up to them that we want a plan, an energy plan to reduce, at least reduce, our foreign oil by 30 percent in 10 years."

Pickens says the United States is sending some $700 billion a year to overseas oil producers, because U.S. demand far exceeds domestic production. Pickens painted a gloomy picture of what the transfer of wealth to foreign oil producing countries will look like in a decade if the United States continues on its present path.

"You go 10 years, you are going to be importing 75 percent of your oil," he said. "And I promise you the price will be $200 to $300 a barrel, I promise you that. And I keep my promises. I know what I am talking about. And you are going to be spending $2 trillion a year."

The "Pickens Plan" envisions power-generating wind turbines stretching along the nation's Central Plains - from Texas to the Canadian border. He says the limitless and clean power supply would free up abundant U.S. natural gas resources, which could be used to power a new generation of natural gas-powered vehicles. Pickens announced plans this year to build the world's largest wind farm in his home state of Texas.

But critics point out that the oil tycoon also has a huge financial stake in the alternative energy policies he is promoting. Some experts say that replacing gasoline with compressed natural gas for American cars and trucks - in addition to fleets of public buses - is not feasible because of the cost of making natural gas available across the nation at corner gas stations.

Pickens insisted again Monday that he is remaining neutral in this year's presidential race, after funding ads that attacked Democrat John Kerry's Vietnam War record during the 2004 presidential election.

Pickens has met with both Barack Obama and John McCain, and surprised many analysts⁷ by going to the Democratic National Convention in Denver to push his energy plan. Pickens says that this time around, he is having no trouble working with Democrats⁸. He says he is having more trouble working with some Republicans, who, he says, seem convinced they can "drill their way out" of the U.S. energy crisis by resuming offshore⁹ oil production in U.S waters.

 

1 tycoon   

n.有钱有势的企业家，大亨

参考例句：

• The tycoon is on the verge of bankruptcy.那名大亨濒临破产的边缘。
• The tycoon has many servants to minister to his needs.那位大亨有很多人服侍他。

2 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

3 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。

4 looming   

n.上现蜃景（光通过低层大气发生异常折射形成的一种海市蜃楼）v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的现在分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近

参考例句：

• The foothills were looming ahead through the haze. 丘陵地带透过薄雾朦胧地出现在眼前。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Then they looked up. Looming above them was Mount Proteome. 接着他们往上看，在其上隐约看到的是蛋白质组山。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 回顾与展望

5 geologist   

n.地质学家

参考例句：

• The geologist found many uncovered fossils in the valley.在那山谷里，地质学家发现了许多裸露的化石。
• He was a geologist,rated by his cronies as the best in the business.他是一位地质学家，被他的老朋友们看做是这门行当中最好的一位。

6 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。

7 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

8 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 offshore   

adj.海面的，吹向海面的；adv.向海面

参考例句：

• A big program of oil exploration has begun offshore.一个大规模的石油勘探计划正在近海展开。
• A gentle current carried them slowly offshore.和缓的潮流慢慢地把他们带离了海岸。