VOA标准英语2013--Pakistani Handover of Gwadar Port to Beijing Draws Scrutiny

 

Pakistani Handover of Gwadar Port to Beijing Draws Scrutiny¹

The Gwadar port lies near the Strait of Hormuz, gateway² for about 20 percent of the world’s oil. Beijing provided most of the port's initial $250 million construction cost, as part of a plan to establish a trade and energy corridor from the Gulf³, through Pakistan and on to western China.

Since it was first handed over to a Singaporean operator in 2007, however, the isolated⁴ facility has been a commercial failure. Baluchistan's ongoing⁵ instability and local political opposition⁶ are largely responsible.

But Pakistani authorities blamed the Singaporean operator and decided⁷ to transfer control to a state-run Chinese company. President Asif Ali Zardari oversaw⁸ the signing ceremony in Islamabad.

“The award of this contract opens new opportunities for our people, particularly for the people of Baluchistan. It gives new impetus⁹ to Pakistan-China relations. It takes a step further our political cooperation into the realm of economic cooperation,” said Zardari.

Supporters of the deal, such as director of the privately-run Strategic Studies Institute, Fazal-ur Rehman, hope the Chinese intervention¹⁰ will speed up the critical improvements still needed at the port.

“It is still an ongoing project. It is not complete. So, by bringing in China means that we can ensure investment on the infrastructure¹¹, we can ensure investment on the up gradation and completion of the project,” said Rehman.

Many critics in Pakistan remain skeptical¹² that anyone will be able to make Gwadar economically viable¹³, given the instability and poverty of surrounding Baluchistan province. They say just building the road and rail links to the port could take years - if they are ever built at all.

Ishaq Baloch, a senior nationalist leader in Baluchistan, said federal authorities never consulted with local officials on the deal with China.

“When you will not give the sense of ownership to the native people, they will oppose the mega projects. They will oppose such economic activities if they are not getting benefit from them, and we have a very bitter experience about [previous projects run by] China [in Baluchistan]" said Baloch.

Independent analysts¹⁴, like former ambassador Arif Ayub, say Pakistani policy makers¹⁵ long have warned about the challenges of developing the Gwadar port. He said handing control to China may not yield any economic benefits.

“It is purely¹⁶ a white elephant [expensive business venture without value], which we are trying to wash our hands of [get rid of],” said Ayub.

In India, officials have called China's role in the port “a matter of concern” because of suspicions it will be used by the Chinese Navy.

“We try to maintain a balance in our country and there is a need to take steps to maintain this balance between India and China on this [Gwadar port] issue,” said Indian Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid.

Pakistan foreign ministry¹⁷ spokesman Moazam Ahmed Khan dismisses such concerns and insists the port remains¹⁸ a viable business opportunity, despite its challenges.

“I think we should only look at this venture as an economic and commercial venture solely¹⁹ focused on improving development of the area helping²⁰ Chinese good(s) reach other markets, getting China a shortest route for its energy supplies,” said Khan.

If successful, the Gwadar port could be a key piece of China's growing energy infrastructure, cutting by half the distance between China's western provinces and the sea. 

1 scrutiny   

n.详细检查，仔细观察

参考例句：

• His work looks all right,but it will not bear scrutiny.他的工作似乎很好，但是经不起仔细检查。
• Few wives in their forties can weather such a scrutiny.很少年过四十的妻子经得起这么仔细的观察。

2 gateway   

n.大门口，出入口，途径，方法

参考例句：

• Hard work is the gateway to success.努力工作是通往成功之路。
• A man collected tolls at the gateway.一个人在大门口收通行费。

3 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。

4 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

5 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

6 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。

7 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。

8 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

9 impetus   

n.推动，促进，刺激；推动力

参考例句：

• This is the primary impetus behind the economic recovery.这是促使经济复苏的主要动力。
• Her speech gave an impetus to my ideas.她的讲话激发了我的思绪。

10 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。

11 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

12 skeptical   

adj.怀疑的，多疑的

参考例句：

• Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
• Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。

13 viable   

adj.可行的，切实可行的，能活下去的

参考例句：

• The scheme is economically viable.这个计划从经济效益来看是可行的。
• The economy of the country is not viable.这个国家经济是难以维持的。

14 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。

15 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 purely   

adv.纯粹地，完全地

参考例句：

• I helped him purely and simply out of friendship.我帮他纯粹是出于友情。
• This disproves the theory that children are purely imitative.这证明认为儿童只会单纯地模仿的理论是站不住脚的。

17 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

18 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

19 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。

20 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。