VOA标准英语2009年-Oil Firms Accused of Whitewashing Burma Pi
时间：2019-02-12 作者：英语课 分类：VOA标准英语2009年(九月)
A human rights group has accused Western oil firms of whitewashing 1 abuses connected with a gas pipeline 2 in Burma. The group also says Burma's military government has siphoned billions of dollars from the project, helping 3 to keep them in power.
Workers at Total's billion-dollar gas project in southeastern Burma for the construction of a controversial natural gas pipeline from the Yadana field (1996 file)
EarthRights International says security forces for the Yadana gas pipeline running from Burma to Thailand confiscated 4 land, forced villagers into labor 5, and even murdered.
The U.S.-based rights group made the accusations 6 in two reports released to journalists in Bangkok.
The group says French oil firms Total and American Chevron 7, the main investors 8 in the pipeline, used inaccurate 9 and misleading information to give favorable assessments 10 of the project's effect on villages.
Matthew Smith is a Burma project coordinator 11 with EarthRights International. He says there is a strong case for complicity in the abuses.
"In this case, the impact assessments that were commissioned by Total ... these impact assessments [were] primarily used as a public relations tool by the companies," he said.
A spokeswoman for Total told VOA the company received the report Thursday and the allegations are being studied. She said it would be premature 12 to have an official response at this time.
Total had denied earlier reports of forced labor in the pipeline area.
Chevron did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
EarthRights International says Burma's military government has siphoned nearly $5 billion from the gas revenues and hidden them in two Singapore banks.
Smith says the laundered 13 funds are helping Burma's military rulers to avoid the effects of economic sanctions.
"As long as the military regime has easy access to these funds in Singapore, we feel like it has little incentive 14 to change," he said. "And, we are encouraging the international community to use this as a leverage 15 point to support the people of Burma."
The two banks, the Overseas Chinese Banking 16 Corporation and the DBS Group, both denied the allegations.
- Tom went on whitewashing the fence, paying no attention to Ben. 汤姆没有理睬本，继续在粉刷着篱笆。
- When whitewashing the wall, he painted with a roller in his hand. 刷墙的时候，他手里拿个辊子，挥舞着胳膊。
- The pipeline supplies Jordan with 15 per cent of its crude oil.该管道供给约旦15%的原油。
- A single pipeline serves all the houses with water.一条单管路给所有的房子供水。
- The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
- By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。
- Their land was confiscated after the war. 他们的土地在战后被没收。
- The customs officer confiscated the smuggled goods. 海关官员没收了走私品。
- We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
- He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。
- There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
- He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。
- He wore shoulderstrap rank slides with sergeant's chevrons.他佩戴标示级别的肩章，上面有中士的V形标志。
- The chevron or arrow road sign indicates a sharp bend to the left or right.V形或箭头路标表示有向左或向右的急转弯。
- a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
- a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会
- The book is both inaccurate and exaggerated.这本书不但不准确，而且夸大其词。
- She never knows the right time because her watch is inaccurate.她从来不知道准确的时间因为她的表不准。
- He was shrewd in his personal assessments. 他总能对人作出精明的评价。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- Surveys show about two-thirds use such assessments, while half employ personality tests. 调查表明，约有三分之二的公司采用了这种测评；而一半的公司则采用工作人员个人品质测试。 来自百科语句
- The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, coordinates all UN emergency relief. 联合国人道主义事务协调厅在紧急救济协调员领导下，负责协调联合国的所有紧急救济工作。
- How am I supposed to find the client-relations coordinator? 我怎么才能找到客户关系协调员的办公室？
- It is yet premature to predict the possible outcome of the dialogue.预言这次对话可能有什么结果为时尚早。
- The premature baby is doing well.那个早产的婴儿很健康。
- Send these sheets to be laundered. 把这些床单送去洗熨。 来自辞典例句
- The air seems freshly laundered. Sydney thinks of good drying weather. 空气似乎被清洗过，让悉妮想起晴朗干爽适合晒衣服的好天气。 来自互联网
- Money is still a major incentive in most occupations.在许多职业中，钱仍是主要的鼓励因素。
- He hasn't much incentive to work hard.他没有努力工作的动机。
- We'll have to use leverage to move this huge rock.我们不得不借助杠杆之力来移动这块巨石。
- He failed in the project because he could gain no leverage. 因为他没有影响力，他的计划失败了。