2006年VOA标准英语-Indian Airport Workers Protest Modernizati

By Anjana Pasricha
New Delhi
01 February 2006
  

Communist Party of India (Marxist) politbureau member Brinda Karat, back to camera, addresses employees of the Airport Authority of India at the airport in New Delhi, 1 February, 2006  
  
Thousands of airport workers in India have begun a strike to protest the government's plans to privatize two of the country's biggest airports. Trade unions and the government's communist allies oppose the move because they fear it could lead to job losses.

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Hundreds of workers shout anti-government slogans and waved flags in noisy protests outside airports in the cities of New Delhi, Bombay, Calcutta and Bangalore.

Policemen in riot gear were deployed¹ at all major airports.

In Bombay, the protests turned violent as police used canes² to disperse³ demonstrators trying to enter an airport building.

The workers demand that the government scrap⁴ plans to hand over the Delhi and Bombay airports to two consortiums for modernization⁵. They fear the plans will jeopardize⁶ their jobs.

The revamp of the rundown airports has been long overdue⁷. Both are struggling with booming air traffic, and are running out of runways and space to handle the increased flight load that has accompanied India's economic growth.

The employees say they do not oppose plans to upgrade the airports, but say the government, which currently runs these airports, should do the work.

The strikers are supported by leftist parties that lend crucial support to the government. Brinda Karat, a senior leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) says the government is equipped to undertake the revamp on its own.

Karat says leftist parties will not compromise on the issue, and accuses the government of putting the interests of private companies over national interests.

The government wants to have private companies pay the billions of dollars in renovation⁸ costs, and then recover their investment by operating the facilities.

Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said Wednesday the government is pressing ahead with its plans.

Mr. Patel says the cabinet has approved the bids of two private groups for modernization of the New Delhi and Bombay airports.

The contract for the New Delhi airport is being given to India's GMR group, which is collaborating⁹ with German airport operator Fraport. The Bombay airport will be given to India's GVK Industries and the Airports Company of South Africa.

The role of foreign companies in the privatization also angers the leftist parties, which do not want to see national assets in foreign hands.

The government has sought to allay¹⁰ worker fears, saying all employees will be retained for at least three years after the companies take over the airport operations.

Despite the strike, most airports functioned normally. Officials say there was no disruption of flights because air traffic controllers have not joined the protests.

1 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

2 canes   

n.（某些植物，如竹或甘蔗的）茎( cane的名词复数 )；（用于制作家具等的）竹竿；竹杖

参考例句：

• Sugar canes eat sweet. 甘蔗吃起来很甜。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I saw several sugar canes, but wild, and for cultivation, imperfect. 我还看到一些甘蔗，因为是野生的，未经人工栽培，所以不太好吃。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 文学

3 disperse   

vi.使分散；使消失；vt.分散；驱散

参考例句：

• The cattle were swinging their tails to disperse the flies.那些牛甩动着尾巴驱赶苍蝇。
• The children disperse for the holidays.孩子们放假了。

4 scrap   

n.碎片；废料；v.废弃，报废

参考例句：

• A man comes round regularly collecting scrap.有个男人定时来收废品。
• Sell that car for scrap.把那辆汽车当残品卖了吧。

5 modernization   

n.现代化，现代化的事物

参考例句：

• This will help us achieve modernization.这有助于我们实现现代化。
• The Chinese people are sure to realize the modernization of their country.中国人民必将实现国家现代化。

6 jeopardize   

vt.危及，损害

参考例句：

• Overworking can jeopardize your health.工作过量可能会危及你的健康。
• If you are rude to the boss it may jeopardize your chances of success.如果你对上司无礼，那就可能断送你成功的机会。

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 renovation   

n.革新，整修

参考例句：

• The cinema will reopen next week after the renovation.电影院修缮后，将于下星期开业。
• The building has undergone major renovation.这座大楼已进行大整修。

9 collaborating   

合作( collaborate的现在分词 )； 勾结叛国

参考例句：

• Joe is collaborating on the work with a friend. 乔正与一位朋友合作做那件工作。
• He was not only learning from but also collaborating with Joseph Thomson. 他不仅是在跟约瑟福？汤姆逊学习，而且也是在和他合作。

10 allay   

v.消除，减轻(恐惧、怀疑等)

参考例句：

• The police tried to allay her fears but failed.警察力图减轻她的恐惧，但是没有收到什么效果。
• They are trying to allay public fears about the spread of the disease.他们正竭力减轻公众对这种疾病传播的恐惧。