VOA标准英语2012--Owner of Crippled Japanese Nuclear Plant Fights for Survival

Owner of Crippled Japanese Nuclear Plant Fights for Survival

Facing tens of billions of dollars in liabilities, clean-up costs and the eventual¹ decommissioning of its Fukushima power plant, Tokyo Electric Power Company, known as TEPCO, is in a fight for its survival.

Media reports say in exchange for providing about $10 billion in public funds, the government will take a majority stake in the company.

Japan has relied on nuclear facilities for nearly one third of its electricity, but now there is an unprecedented² debate about the future of atomic power.

It might be expected that with TEPCO's huge investments, the company would be loudly lobbying in support of nuclear power. 

But in the darkened halls of its headquarters, the utility is being very cautious.

A protester wearing a mask holds a sign at a rally, in front of the headquarters of Tokyo Electric Power Company [TEPCO], aimed at criticizing TEPCO and demanding the abolition³ of nuclear power, in Tokyo, March 3, 2012. 

In a rare broadcast interview granted to foreign media, company spokesman Yoshimi Hitosugi tells VOA that TEPCO is focused on keeping the crippled nuclear plant stable and taking care of compensation claims.

"That is what we are doing for the time being. As for the question about energy policy, at this moment, we are not in a position to say," said Hitosugi.

A recent independent investigation⁴ into the reactor⁵ meltdowns at Fukushima concluded TEPCO was "astonishingly unprepared" for the disaster. 

However, the man who was the leader of Japan's government on March 11, Naoto Kan, said the utility is not solely⁶ to blame. 

"I think in many ways the accident at the Fukushima plant was man-made. That is to say, neither my government nor previous administrations put in place proper precautions for this sort of event. So some of the responsibility lies with my administration - and also with me," said Kan.

No one yet has been charged with any crime related to the reactor meltdowns, which spread radiation over farmland, distant communities and into the sea.

Officials estimate it will take 40 years to clean up and decommission the Fukushima-1 nuclear plant. Some nearby towns may never again be habitable. 

Thousands of TEPCO staff members are now processing victim's claims, following criticism the process was too slow. 

Company spokesman Hitosugi vows⁷ that compensation will be "generous and kind" once the claims are properly sorted. 

"We'd like to extend our deep apologies to people all around the world for causing such worries. With the help of supporting companies we are working hard to maintain the reactors⁸ in a stable state for the moment," said Hitosugi. 

TEPCO is to announce soon that it needs to raise electricity rates. That extra money and a massive injection of public funds, the company contends, are necessary to continue supplying electricity to 45 million people.

1 eventual   

adj.最后的，结局的，最终的

参考例句：

• Several schools face eventual closure.几所学校面临最终关闭。
• Both parties expressed optimism about an eventual solution.双方对问题的最终解决都表示乐观。

2 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

3 abolition   

n.废除，取消

参考例句：

• They declared for the abolition of slavery.他们声明赞成废除奴隶制度。
• The abolition of the monarchy was part of their price.废除君主制是他们的其中一部分条件。

4 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。

5 reactor   

n.反应器；反应堆

参考例句：

• The atomic reactor generates enormous amounts of thermal energy.原子反应堆发出大量的热能。
• Inside the reactor the large molecules are cracked into smaller molecules.在反应堆里，大分子裂变为小分子。

6 solely   

adv.仅仅，唯一地

参考例句：

• Success should not be measured solely by educational achievement.成功与否不应只用学业成绩来衡量。
• The town depends almost solely on the tourist trade.这座城市几乎完全靠旅游业维持。

7 vows   

誓言( vow的名词复数 )； 郑重宣布，许愿

参考例句：

• Matrimonial vows are to show the faithfulness of the new couple. 婚誓体现了新婚夫妇对婚姻的忠诚。
• The nun took strait vows. 那位修女立下严格的誓愿。

8 reactors   

起反应的人( reactor的名词复数 )； 反应装置； 原子炉； 核反应堆

参考例句：

• The TMI nuclear facility has two reactors. 三哩岛核设施有两个反应堆。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• The earliest production reactors necessarily used normal uranium as fuel. 最早为生产用的反应堆，必须使用普通铀作为燃料。