VOA标准英语2014--抗议者试图阻止俄罗斯的北极石油装运

 

Protesters Try To Block Russian 'Arctic Oil' Shipment 抗议者试图阻止俄罗斯的北极石油装运

LONDON — Campaigners from the environmental group Greenpeace tried unsuccessfully to prevent a Russian tanker¹ from docking in the Netherlands.  They claim the vessel² is carrying the world's first shipment of oil drilled from Arctic waters.

The protest comes as many lawmakers in Europe look to diversify³ the continent's energy supplies away from Russia amid tensions with Moscow over Ukraine.

Greenpeace says the oil aboard the Mikhail Ulyanovis is from the Prirazlomnaya platform, owned by Russian state-run oil company Gazprom. Around 80 activists⁵ from the environmental group tried to prevent the tanker from docking Thursday morning.

"The only reason that the oil companies can drill for oil in the Arctic is because the ice is melting and they want to drill for more oil that's causing the melting in the first place,” said Ian Duff, head of the Arctic Campaign at Greenpeace UK. “We think this is ludicrous."

Dutch police eventually boarded the Greenpeace vessels⁶ and the tanker was able to dock.

Last September, thirty Greenpeace activists and journalists were imprisoned⁷ for two months in Russia after staging a protest at the platform.

"This tanker is carrying the first load of Arctic offshore⁸ oil drilled out by Gazprom, so it's controversial for dozens of reasons,” said Dutch activist⁴ Faiza Oulahsen, who was among those detained in Russia. “We're asking the Dutch government to take a stand and stop this tanker."

The oil shipment comes as Europe debates weaning itself off Russian energy supplies following the crisis in Ukraine.

"At least half of the (Russian) national state budget comes from sales of hydrocarbons⁹ to Europe,” said Ian Bond, director of foreign policy at the Center for European Reform. “Although in the winter it would be true that Europe would freeze before Gazprom went bankrupt, in the summer Europe has more levers."

Greenpeace says there appears to be much talk but little action.  

"We're not seeing any sort of distance being put between the big Western energy companies and Russia,” said Duff.  “In fact, the oil today is being received by Total, a company which in the past has committed not to drill in the Arctic because they think it's just too dangerous."

Both Total and Gazprom failed to respond to requests for comment on the Greenpeace protest.

1 tanker   

n.油轮

参考例句：

• The tanker took on 200,000 barrels of crude oil.油轮装载了二十万桶原油。
• Heavy seas had pounded the tanker into three parts.汹涌的巨浪把油轮撞成三载。

2 vessel   

n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管

参考例句：

• The vessel is fully loaded with cargo for Shanghai.这艘船满载货物驶往上海。
• You should put the water into a vessel.你应该把水装入容器中。

3 diversify   

v.（使）不同，（使）变得多样化

参考例句：

• Our company is trying to diversify.我们公司正力图往多样化方面发展。
• Hills and woods diversify the landscape.山陵和树木点缀景色。

4 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

5 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 vessels   

n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人

参考例句：

• The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

7 imprisoned   

下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was imprisoned for two concurrent terms of 30 months and 18 months. 他被判处30个月和18个月的监禁，合并执行。
• They were imprisoned for possession of drugs. 他们因拥有毒品而被监禁。

8 offshore   

adj.海面的，吹向海面的；adv.向海面

参考例句：

• A big program of oil exploration has begun offshore.一个大规模的石油勘探计划正在近海展开。
• A gentle current carried them slowly offshore.和缓的潮流慢慢地把他们带离了海岸。

9 hydrocarbons   

n.碳氢化合物，烃( hydrocarbon的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Hydrocarbons (HC), like carbon monoxide, represent unburned and wasted fuel. 碳氢化合物(HC)像一氧化碳一样，为未燃尽的和被浪费掉的燃料。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• With this restricted frequency range it is not applicable to hydrocarbons. 这个较紧缩的频率范围不适用于烃类。 来自辞典例句