VOA标准英语2009-Obama Proposes Auto Standards: More Fuel Economy

President Barack Obama has announced Tuesday the toughest-ever fuel efficiency and emissions¹ standards for vehicles sold in the United States. It is the first U.S. national limit on greenhouse gas emissions.
　
President Barack Obama at the White House, 18 May 2009

By the 2016 model year, cars and trucks sold in the U.S. may have to pollute less and use fuel more efficiently² than any other vehicles in history.

New standards announced by President Obama would require automakers selling vehicles in the U.S. to achieve an average fuel efficiency of about 15 kilometers per liter [6.6 liters per 100 kilometers] by the 2016 model year. "For the first time in history, we have set in motion a national policy aimed at both increasing gas mileage³ [fuel efficiency] and decreasing greenhouse gas pollution for all new trucks and cars sold in the United States of America," he said.

Details of the plan need to be worked out within the U.S. government before it can take effect.

The initiative would raise the cost of the average vehicle by as much as $1,300, but Mr. Obama says drivers would save money in the long term by buying less fuel.

"Consumers pay less for fuel, which means less money going overseas and more money to save or spend here at home. The economy as a whole runs more efficiently by using less oil and producing less pollution. And companies like those here today have new incentives⁴ to create the technologies and the jobs that will provide smarter ways to power our vehicles," he said.

The president says his initiative would save 1.8 billion barrels of oil over the lifetime of vehicles sold in the next five years, which he says would have the same effect as taking 58 million cars off the road. "Just to give you a sense of magnitude, that is more oil than we imported last year from Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Libya and Nigeria combined," he said.

The plan would end a years-long dispute involving automakers, states and the U.S. government. The agreement gives states the tougher emissions standards they wanted, while giving car companies a single national standard and more time to make the changes.

Governors Arnold Schwarzenegger of California and Jennifer Granholm of Michigan attended the announcement with Mr. Obama. Granholm has been mentioned as a possible candidate for the open seat on the U.S. Supreme⁵ Court. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs, when asked, has not denied the possibility that the president would interview her for the position during her visit.

1 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。

2 efficiently   

adv.高效率地，有能力地

参考例句：

• The worker oils the machine to operate it more efficiently.工人给机器上油以使机器运转更有效。
• Local authorities have to learn to allocate resources efficiently.地方政府必须学会有效地分配资源。

3 mileage   

n.里程，英里数；好处，利润

参考例句：

• He doesn't think there's any mileage in that type of advertising.他认为做那种广告毫无效益。
• What mileage has your car done?你的汽车跑了多少英里？

4 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

5 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。