VOA常速英语2008年-Mexican Leftist Leader Vows to Block Energy Ref

By Greg Flakus
Houston
24 March 2008

Results of an internal party election in Mexico have raised fears of more political turmoil¹ with possible implications for the United States as well. VOA's Greg Flakus has the story from our Houston bureau.

At a time when world demand for oil is growing, Mexico's production is falling and efforts by President Felipe Calderon to reverse the trend are likely to face even stiffer opposition² as a result of an internal election within the leftist Party of the Democratic Revolution, or PRD.

Last week, Alejandro Encinas claimed victory in the election for party leader, over rival Jesus Ortega. Encinas was backed by radical³ firebrand Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, the former mayor of Mexico City who narrowly lost the presidential election in 2006 to Calderon and who continues to claim that he was deprived of victory through fraud.

Ortega, who is regarded as a moderate, might have been more willing to consider reforms proposed by President Calderon. But Professor George Grayson of the College of William and Mary, one of the top Mexico experts in the United States, says Lopez Obrador will fight any energy reform proposal.

"Lopez Obrador, who was just about on death's door politically a couple of weeks ago, now has become Mexico's Lazarus. He has risen from the dead and he is going to turn heaven and earth to make sure there is no progressive energy legislation passed," he said.

President Calderon says his proposal would only open Mexico to limited public-private partnerships⁴ so that outside companies with technological⁵ expertise⁶ can help the state-owned oil company known as Pemex develop oil deposits that are now out of its reach. Production at Mexico's main field is falling and may run out within 10 years.

Grayson says a reform that would save Mexico's energy industry from decline seems unlikely given the PRD's radical position, and there are implications for the United States as well since Mexico is the nation's fourth largest source of foreign oil.

"This should be a wake up call to the U.S," he said. "We have got to move to alternative energy sources and the fact that we are not going to be able to count on Mexico after about 10 years should give impetus⁷ to the next president to completely overhaul⁸ America's energy policy."

Grayson says the decline in Mexico's petroleum⁹ production and looming¹⁰ recession in the United States, which will also affect Mexico, could exacerbate¹¹ one of the principal areas of friction¹² between the two neighbors - immigration.

"At the same time that grassroots Americans want fewer immigrants coming into the country, Mexico is going to try to export even more of its poor people who cannot find jobs at home," he said. "So I think we are going to see greater tension between the two countries, especially at the border."

Supporters of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador say he will find a way to rebuild the state oil industry without outside help and provide a better future for the poor. They hope his consolidation¹³ of power within the PRD will help him launch another bid for the presidency¹⁴ in Mexico's 2012 election.

1 turmoil   

n.骚乱，混乱，动乱

参考例句：

• His mind was in such a turmoil that he couldn't get to sleep.内心的纷扰使他无法入睡。
• The robbery put the village in a turmoil.抢劫使全村陷入混乱。

2 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。

3 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

4 partnerships   

n.伙伴关系( partnership的名词复数 )；合伙人身份；合作关系

参考例句：

• Partnerships suffer another major disadvantage: decision-making is shared. 合伙企业的另一主要缺点是决定要由大家来作。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• It involved selling off limited partnerships. 它涉及到售出有限的合伙权。 来自辞典例句

5 technological   

adj.技术的；工艺的

参考例句：

• A successful company must keep up with the pace of technological change.一家成功的公司必须得跟上技术变革的步伐。
• Today,the pace of life is increasing with technological advancements.当今， 随着科技进步，生活节奏不断增快。

6 expertise   

n.专门知识(或技能等)，专长

参考例句：

• We were amazed at his expertise on the ski slopes.他斜坡滑雪的技能使我们赞叹不已。
• You really have the technical expertise in a new breakthrough.让你真正在专业技术上有一个全新的突破。

7 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。

8 overhaul   

v./n.大修，仔细检查

参考例句：

• Master Worker Wang is responsible for the overhaul of this grinder.王师傅主修这台磨床。
• It is generally appreciated that the rail network needs a complete overhaul.众所周知，铁路系统需要大检修。

9 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。

10 looming   

n.上现蜃景（光通过低层大气发生异常折射形成的一种海市蜃楼）v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的现在分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近

参考例句：

• The foothills were looming ahead through the haze. 丘陵地带透过薄雾朦胧地出现在眼前。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Then they looked up. Looming above them was Mount Proteome. 接着他们往上看，在其上隐约看到的是蛋白质组山。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 回顾与展望

11 exacerbate   

v.恶化，增剧，激怒，使加剧

参考例句：

• WMO says a warming climate can exacerbate air pollution.世界气象组织说，气候变暖可能会加剧空气污染。
• In fact efforts will merely exacerbate the current problem.实际上努力只会加剧当前的问题。

12 friction   

n.摩擦，摩擦力

参考例句：

• When Joan returned to work,the friction between them increased.琼回来工作后，他们之间的摩擦加剧了。
• Friction acts on moving bodies and brings them to a stop.摩擦力作用于运动着的物体，并使其停止。

13 consolidation   

n.合并,巩固

参考例句：

• The denser population necessitates closer consolidation both for internal and external action. 住得日益稠密的居民，对内和对外都不得不更紧密地团结起来。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• The state ensures the consolidation and growth of the state economy. 国家保障国营经济的巩固和发展。 来自汉英非文学 - 中国宪法

14 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。