万花筒 Kaleidoscope2007-10-24&10-25, 海岸巡逻队紧盯北极

A town of about 4,000 inhabitants on the edge of Alaska’s North Slope, Barrow calls itself the top of the world. It’s the northernmost settlement in the United States, one of the northernmost in the world. As temperatures continue to rise in the northern reaches of the arctic, the pack ice here is open for a longer and longer period each year. With increasing ship traffic and the promise of far more, it's here in Barrow that the US Coast Guard is pushing to build its first base in the Arctic Ocean. Admiral Thad W. Allen is commandant of the Coast Guard.

All we know is we have an operating environment. So we have some responsibilities for it in this changing and it's incumbent¹ on, not only myself as the leader of the Coast Guard, but I think United States in general ought to take a look at the potential things that could happen up there, be prepared for them.

The Coast Guard says that the base would speed responses to cruise ship accidents or spills from oil tankers² which the guard believes would eventually carry shipments from Scandinavia to Asia through the Bering Strait. These arctic routes could cut 5000 miles off the shipments that currently travel through the Panama or Suez Canals. Moreover, milder conditions in the Arctic Ocean could open the door to prospecting³ for oil, gas, and mineral deposits.

And quite frankly⁴, there is a large issue here related to the private sector--- oil and gas exploration.

The United Nation’s law---the Sea Treaty says that countries can expand their territorial⁵ claims well beyond their shores. I think there's tremendous urgency to pass you know , a law that sees, sets, sets up a framework to resolve differences in opinion regarding, claims on continental⁶ shelf and so forth⁷, but it’s much broader than that.

While the US has yet to ratify⁸ the UN treaty, and any prospecting could be years away, Coast Guard officials like Admiral W.Allen feel that politics and environment aside, his agency will need to provide the same services that it performs in the Atlantic or the Pacific.

1 incumbent   

adj.成为责任的，有义务的；现任的，在职的

参考例句：

• He defeated the incumbent governor by a large plurality.他以压倒多数票击败了现任州长。
• It is incumbent upon you to warn them.你有责任警告他们。

2 tankers   

运送大量液体或气体的轮船[卡车]( tanker的名词复数 )； 油轮； 罐车； 油槽车

参考例句：

• They should stop offloading waste from oil tankers into the sea. 他们应当停止从油轮上往海里倾倒废弃物。
• The harbour admits large tankers and freighters. 这个港口容得下巨型油船和货轮。

3 prospecting   

n.探矿

参考例句：

• The prospecting team ploughed their way through the snow. 探险队排雪前进。
• The prospecting team has traversed the length and breadth of the land. 勘探队踏遍了祖国的山山水水。

4 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

5 territorial   

adj.领土的，领地的

参考例句：

• The country is fighting to preserve its territorial integrity.该国在为保持领土的完整而进行斗争。
• They were not allowed to fish in our territorial waters.不允许他们在我国领海捕鱼。

6 continental   

adj.大陆的，大陆性的，欧洲大陆的

参考例句：

• A continental climate is different from an insular one.大陆性气候不同于岛屿气候。
• The most ancient parts of the continental crust are 4000 million years old.大陆地壳最古老的部分有40亿年历史。

7 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

8 ratify   

v.批准，认可，追认

参考例句：

• The heads of two governments met to ratify the peace treaty.两国政府首脑会晤批准和平条约。
• The agreement have to be ratify by the board.该协议必须由董事会批准。