VOA标准英语2010年-BP Agrees to $20 Billion Fund After Me

President Barack Obama and Vice¹ President Joe Biden meet with BP executives in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, 16 Jun 2010, to discuss the BP oil spill in the Gulf² of Mexico

In a meeting on Wednesday with President Barack Obama, BP executives agreed to create a $20 billion fund to compensate³ people and businesses harmed by the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.  BP's chairman apologized for the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history, saying that BP is "fully⁴ aligned⁵" with Mr. Obama and his administration on the need to stop the leak and compensate for damages.

After weeks of criticism that he should have held a face-to-face meeting with BP officials long ago, President Obama sat down with BP board chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg, Chief Executive Officer Tony Hayward, and other officials and company lawyers.

The meeting lasted far longer than expected.  When he finally appeared before the media hours later, President Obama addressed the key outcome of the discussions.

"This $20 billion will provide substantial assurance that the claims people and businesses have will be honored.  It is also important to emphasize this is not a cap [a maximum amount of money]," said President Obama. "The people of the Gulf have my commitment that BP will meet its obligations to them."

The independently-administered fund will be overseen⁶ by Kenneth Feinberg, the attorney who oversaw⁷ a fund that paid compensation to families of victims of the 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States

Calling the talks with BP "a good start," the president said the company also agreed to set aside $100 million to compensate oil workers who are unemployed⁸ because of the government-imposed ban on new offshore⁹ drilling.

Speaking to reporters outside the White House after the president, BP Chairman Svanberg announced that the company's board decided¹⁰ that the firm will not pay dividends¹¹ for the rest of the year.

He issued an apology, saying that BP is determined¹² to regain¹³ the public's trust.

"I would like to take this opportunity to apologize to the American people on behalf of all the employees in BP, many of whom are living on the Gulf coast," said Carl-Henric Svanberg. "And I do thank you for the patience that you have [had] in this difficult time."

Svanberg declined a specific answer when asked whether BP took safety shortcuts¹⁴ that contributed to the oil spill, saying only that the company is conducting a series of investigations¹⁶.  He added that BP's board of directors will conduct its own independent investigation¹⁵ to make sure that the root causes of the disaster are understood.

Addressing the nation on Tuesday night, President Obama said the Gulf oil spill demonstrates the need for improved regulation of the petroleum¹⁷ industry.  He also made clear that he wants to mobilize the country and the U.S. Congress to commit to a new energy policy.

"For decades, we've talked and talked about the need to end America's century-long addiction¹⁸ to fossil fuels," said Mr. Obama. "And for decades, we have failed to act with the sense of urgency that this challenge requires.  Time and again, the path forward has been blocked - not only by oil industry lobbyists, but also by a lack of political courage and candor¹⁹."

With the president attempting to create political momentum²⁰ to pass energy legislation, a version of which the House of Representatives already has approved, Mr. Obama's speech sparked a new round of criticism from opposition²¹ Republicans on Capitol Hill.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell repeated criticism by members of his party that Mr. Obama is trying to use the Gulf oil disaster to advance his political agenda.

"I wish the president would have used this opportunity to focus entirely²² on stopping the spill and cleaning it up instead of using this crisis as an opportunity to push for a new national energy tax," said Mitch McConnell.

Republicans assert that energy and climate change legislation President Obama and Democratic lawmakers want amount to a tax - including a proposal for a "cap and trade" system to limit carbon emissions²³ by creating a commodity market for them. 

Democratic Senator Richard Durbin reflected feelings in Congress that BP should be prepared to pay long-term restitution²⁴ for economic and environmental damages.

"I want to make certain that BP continues in business and meets its responsibility, that it sets aside the funds necessary to protect our nation from the damage which they have caused," said Richard Durbin.

With President Obama intensifying²⁵ efforts to pass energy legislation, the White House announced a meeting next week between the president and a key group of Senate Democrats²⁶ and Republicans next week.  

The president's face-to-face meeting with BP officials came as the company announced it had set up a second containment²⁷ system to capture leaking oil.

Government scientists say as much as 60,000 barrels of oil have been leaking from the damaged well - 50 percent more than earlier estimates.

Earlier, BP pledged to increase capture rates to more than 50,000 barrels by the end of June.  But the new figures have increased concerns that the environmental damage caused by the spill will be even more severe before BP can complete relief wells in August.

 

1 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

2 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

3 compensate   

vt.补偿，赔偿；酬报 vi.弥补；补偿；抵消

参考例句：

• She used her good looks to compensate her lack of intelligence. 她利用她漂亮的外表来弥补智力的不足。
• Nothing can compensate for the loss of one's health. 一个人失去了键康是不可弥补的。

4 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

5 aligned   

adj.对齐的，均衡的

参考例句：

• Make sure the shelf is aligned with the top of the cupboard.务必使搁架与橱柜顶端对齐。

6 overseen   

v.监督，监视( oversee的过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was overseen stealing the letters. 他被人撞见在偷信件。 来自辞典例句
• It will be overseen by ThomasLi, director of IBM China Research Laboratory. 该实验室由IBM中国研究院院长李实恭(ThomasLi)引导。 来自互联网

7 oversaw   

v.监督，监视( oversee的过去式 )

参考例句：

• He will go down as the president who oversaw two historic transitions. 他将作为见证了巴西两次历史性转变的总统，安然引退。 来自互联网
• Dixon oversaw the project as creative director of Design Research Studio. 狄克逊监督项目的创意总监设计研究工作室。 来自互联网

8 unemployed   

adj.失业的，没有工作的；未动用的，闲置的

参考例句：

• There are now over four million unemployed workers in this country.这个国家现有四百万失业人员。
• The unemployed hunger for jobs.失业者渴望得到工作。

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。

10 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

11 dividends   

红利( dividend的名词复数 )； 股息； 被除数； （足球彩票的）彩金

参考例句：

• Nothing pays richer dividends than magnanimity. 没有什么比宽宏大量更能得到厚报。
• Their decision five years ago to computerise the company is now paying dividends. 五年前他们作出的使公司电脑化的决定现在正产生出效益。

12 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

13 regain   

vt.重新获得，收复，恢复

参考例句：

• He is making a bid to regain his World No.1 ranking.他正为重登世界排名第一位而努力。
• The government is desperate to regain credibility with the public.政府急于重新获取公众的信任。

14 shortcuts   

n.捷径( shortcut的名词复数 )；近路；快捷办法；被切短的东西（尤指烟草）

参考例句：

• In other words, experts want shortcuts to everything. 换句话说，专家需要所有的快捷方式。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓
• Offer shortcuts from the Help menu. 在帮助菜单中提供快捷方式。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

15 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。

16 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

17 petroleum   

n.原油，石油

参考例句：

• The Government of Iran advanced the price of petroleum last week.上星期伊朗政府提高了石油价格。
• The purpose of oil refinery is to refine crude petroleum.炼油厂的主要工作是提炼原油。

18 addiction   

n.上瘾入迷，嗜好

参考例句：

• He stole money from his parents to feed his addiction.他从父母那儿偷钱以满足自己的嗜好。
• Areas of drug dealing are hellholes of addiction,poverty and murder.贩卖毒品的地区往往是吸毒上瘾、贫困和发生谋杀的地方。

19 candor   

n.坦白，率真

参考例句：

• He covered a wide range of topics with unusual candor.他极其坦率地谈了许多问题。
• He and his wife had avoided candor,and they had drained their marriage.他们夫妻间不坦率，已使婚姻奄奄一息。

20 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。

21 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

22 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

23 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。

24 restitution   

n.赔偿；恢复原状

参考例句：

• It's only fair that those who do the damage should make restitution.损坏东西的人应负责赔偿，这是再公平不过的了。
• The victims are demanding full restitution.受害人要求全额赔偿。

25 intensifying   

v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的现在分词 )；增辉

参考例句：

• The allies are intensifying their air campaign. 联军部队正加大他们的空战强度。 来自辞典例句
• The rest of the European powers were in a state of intensifying congestion. 其余的欧洲强国则处于越来越拥挤的状态。 来自英汉非文学 - 历史

26 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》

27 containment   

n.阻止，遏制；容量

参考例句：

• Your list might include such things as cost containment,quality,or customer satisfaction.你的清单上应列有诸如成本控制、产品质量、客户满意程度等内容。
• Insularity and self-containment,it is argued,go hand in hand.他们争论说，心胸狭窄和自我封闭是并存的。