VOA标准英语2009年-India's Climate Negotiators Regain Uni

A reported 'revolt' among members of its climate change talks' negotiating team has put the Indian government on the political defensive¹ at home

Steve Herman | New Delhi 07 December 2009

Pollution

A reported 'revolt' among members of its climate change talks' negotiating team has put the Indian government on the political defensive at home. The turmoil² comes with some members of India's delegation³ already in Denmark for the critical United Nations-sponsored summit.

The Environment Minister has told Parliament there has been no change in India's negotiating stance for the Copenhagen climate talks and that the country's 35-member team is again representing a unified⁴ position.

In the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of Parliament, Jairam Ramesh faced hostile opposition⁵ party lawmakers who accused him of yielding to international pressures, undercutting the national interest. 

"We are going to Copenhagen with the objective of not accepting any agreement that would put a constraint⁶ on expanding electricity supply to rural households, for livelihood⁷ security and for all the other economic objectives," Ramesh said. 

Domestic media reports say two Indian negotiators threatened to quit the team, jittery⁸ about possible un-reciprocated concessions⁹ at the talks.

Officials say the two team members discussed their concerns with the Environment Minister Sunday and will soon join other Indian negotiators who have already arrived in Denmark. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is also to attend.

There is strong concern in India the country's economic growth would be severely¹⁰ hampered¹¹ if agreement is reached removing distinctions between developed and developing nations in terms of carbon emissions¹² cuts.

India is strongly resisting any binding¹³ agreement on deadlines to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It points out that India's current carbon output per person is 1/20th that of the United States and India thus should not be unfairly penalized¹⁴ for problems primarily caused by rich countries since the dawn of the industrial era.

But China and India have the highest growth rates for such emissions as they fuel their booming economies and try to provide basic necessities for their billion-plus human populations.

Both countries are expected to have to rely on affordable¹⁵ means of energy production for the foreseeable future. And that development model means an increasing number of coal-fired power plants and a soaring number of conventional automobiles¹⁶ on the roads.

Beijing and New Delhi have pledged a mutual¹⁷ stance at the talks getting underway in the Danish capital, known as the 15th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (or COP 15).

In recent weeks, the United States, China and India have pledged to make varying carbon intensity¹⁸ reductions. But those pronouncements are non-binding.

India's consensus¹⁹ is seen as crucial for any credible²⁰ agreement to emerge from the 12-day summit.

The international pact²¹ now in force, known as the Kyoto Protocol²², contains legally binding targets for several dozen industrialized countries, but none for poorer nations.

1 defensive   

adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的

参考例句：

• Their questions about the money put her on the defensive.他们问到钱的问题，使她警觉起来。
• The Government hastily organized defensive measures against the raids.政府急忙布置了防卫措施抵御空袭。

2 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。

3 delegation   

n.代表团；派遣

参考例句：

• The statement of our delegation was singularly appropriate to the occasion.我们代表团的声明非常适合时宜。
• We shall inform you of the date of the delegation's arrival.我们将把代表团到达的日期通知你。

4 unified   

(unify 的过去式和过去分词)； 统一的； 统一标准的； 一元化的

参考例句：

• The teacher unified the answer of her pupil with hers. 老师核对了学生的答案。
• The First Emperor of Qin unified China in 221 B.C. 秦始皇于公元前221年统一中国。

5 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。

6 constraint   

n.(on)约束，限制；限制(或约束)性的事物

参考例句：

• The boy felt constraint in her presence.那男孩在她面前感到局促不安。
• The lack of capital is major constraint on activities in the informal sector.资本短缺也是影响非正规部门生产经营的一个重要制约因素。

7 livelihood   

n.生计，谋生之道

参考例句：

• Appropriate arrangements will be made for their work and livelihood.他们的工作和生活会得到妥善安排。
• My father gained a bare livelihood of family by his own hands.父亲靠自己的双手勉强维持家计。

8 jittery   

adj. 神经过敏的, 战战兢兢的

参考例句：

• However, nothing happened though he continued to feel jittery. 可是，自从拉上这辆车，并没有出什么错儿，虽然他心中嘀嘀咕咕的不安。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子
• The thirty-six Enterprise divebombers were being squandered in a jittery shot from the hip. 这三十六架“企业号”上的俯冲轰炸机正被孤注一掷。

9 concessions   

n.（尤指由政府或雇主给予的）特许权( concession的名词复数 )；承认；减价；（在某地的）特许经营权

参考例句：

• The firm will be forced to make concessions if it wants to avoid a strike. 要想避免罢工，公司将不得不作出一些让步。
• The concessions did little to placate the students. 让步根本未能平息学生的愤怒。

10 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

11 hampered   

妨碍，束缚，限制( hamper的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The search was hampered by appalling weather conditions. 恶劣的天气妨碍了搜寻工作。
• So thought every harassed, hampered, respectable boy in St. Petersburg. 圣彼德堡镇的那些受折磨、受拘束的体面孩子们个个都是这么想的。

12 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。

13 binding   

有约束力的，有效的，应遵守的

参考例句：

• The contract was not signed and has no binding force. 合同没有签署因而没有约束力。
• Both sides have agreed that the arbitration will be binding. 双方都赞同仲裁具有约束力。

14 penalized   

对…予以惩罚( penalize的过去式和过去分词 )； 使处于不利地位

参考例句：

• You will be penalized for poor spelling. 你拼写不好将会受到处罚。
• Team members will be penalized for lateness. 队员迟到要受处罚。

15 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。

16 automobiles   

n.汽车( automobile的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• When automobiles become popular,the use of the horse and buggy passed away. 汽车普及后，就不再使用马和马车了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Automobiles speed in an endless stream along the boulevard. 宽阔的林荫道上，汽车川流不息。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

17 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

18 intensity   

n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度

参考例句：

• I didn't realize the intensity of people's feelings on this issue.我没有意识到这一问题能引起群情激奋。
• The strike is growing in intensity.罢工日益加剧。

19 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？

20 credible   

adj.可信任的，可靠的

参考例句：

• The news report is hardly credible.这则新闻报道令人难以置信。
• Is there a credible alternative to the nuclear deterrent?是否有可以取代核威慑力量的可靠办法？

21 pact   

n.合同，条约，公约，协定

参考例句：

• The two opposition parties made an electoral pact.那两个反对党订了一个有关选举的协定。
• The trade pact between those two countries came to an end.那两国的通商协定宣告结束。

22 protocol   

n.议定书，草约，会谈记录，外交礼节

参考例句：

• We must observe the correct protocol.我们必须遵守应有的礼仪。
• The statesmen signed a protocol.那些政治家签了议定书。