VOA标准英语2010-US Government to Step Up Mine Safety Enfo

Family members hold picture of miners killed in US mining explosion at congressional hearing, 27 Apr 2010

The U.S. government is vowing¹ to step up mine safety enforcement in the wake of the worst U.S. coal mine disaster in a generation.  The Senate committee that oversees² workplace safety is also looking at ways to strengthen existing laws to protect miners.

The faces of the fallen looked out at the Senate hearing  room -- the images of coal miners killed on the job.

Family members held up the photos at the behest of the committee chair. "Hold up those pictures so we can see who those people are...these real human beings...hold them up...hold them up for us," said Senator Tom Harkin, the son of a miner.  He said each death was one too many.

"Too many employers cut corners on safety.  Too many workers pay the price with their lives," he said.

Twenty-nine died on April 5 in an explosion at the Upper Big Branch mine in West Virginia, which is owned by the Massey Energy Company. Harkin, an Iowa Democrat³, said the mine was allowed to remain in operation despite a massive number of safety citations⁴. "This facility had a record of numerous and serious safety violations⁵ including 515 violations last year alone," he said.

The head of the government's mine safety agency acknowledged enforcement of existing laws has not been tough enough.  Joe Main, the Director of the Mine Safety and Health Administration, said coal companies are able to drag out the process with endless appeals. "Looking in the past, I think there has a weakness in the enforcement of the law and it has a lot to do with the way the law has been interpreted, to be honest," he said.

Main said the government is now willing to go directly to court to shut down mines when necessary, and he called on Congress to enact⁶ tougher enforcement measures.

Cecil Roberts, the president of the United Mine Workers union, said such action is overdue⁷. "How is it that a company can be allowed in this day and age to put people in this kind of a position.  Congress should stand up and take a position that we are not going to tolerate this!," he said.

Roberts said one of the young miners killed at Upper Big Branch left a message behind for his family one day when he went off to work.  He  quoted part of the letter at the hearing. "If I die in this coal mine please tell everyone that I love them. That's the kind of letter people use to write when they went off to Vietnam in my era," he said.

Massey Energy Company did not send a representative to the hearing, saying it was not a formal investigation⁸ into the cause of the explosion.  At a news conference Monday in West Virginia, Massey chief executive Dan Blankenship said the company has launched its own inquiry⁹. "It is critical that we find out the facts so that all of Massey and the industry's coal miners can work without fear of another explosion," he said.

The National Mining Association refused to single out Massey during the hearing, saying only that the mining industry wants to improve its safety record across the board.  Association spokesman Bruce Watzman told the panel no new regulations are needed.
 

1 vowing   

起誓，发誓（vow的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild its collapsed bridge. 布什总统承诺将帮助明尼阿波利斯重建坍塌的大桥。
• President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild this collapse bridge. 布什总统发誓要帮助明尼阿波利斯重建起这座坍塌的桥梁。

2 oversees   

v.监督，监视( oversee的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• She oversees both the research and the manufacturing departments. 她既监督研究部门又监督生产部门。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Department of Education oversees the federal programs dealing with education. 教育部监管处理教育的联邦程序。 来自互联网

3 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。

4 citations   

n.引用( citation的名词复数 )；引证；引文；表扬

参考例句：

• The apt citations and poetic gems have adorned his speeches. 贴切的引语和珠玑般的诗句为他的演说词增添文采。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Some dictionary writers use citations to show what words mean. 有些辞典的编纂者用引文作例证以解释词义。 来自辞典例句

5 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

6 enact   

vt.制定(法律)；上演，扮演

参考例句：

• The U.S. Congress has exclusive authority to enact federal legislation.美国国会是唯一有权颁布联邦法律的。
• For example,a country can enact laws and economic policies to attract foreign investment fairly quickly.例如一个国家可以很快颁布吸引外资的法令和经济政策。

7 overdue   

adj.过期的，到期未付的；早该有的，迟到的

参考例句：

• The plane is overdue and has been delayed by the bad weather.飞机晚点了，被坏天气耽搁了。
• The landlady is angry because the rent is overdue.女房东生气了，因为房租过期未付。

8 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

9 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。