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A deal is a deal---except , apparently, when Entergy is involved. The company, a major energy supplier in New England, provoked justified outraged in Vermont last week when it announced it was reneging on a longstanding commitment to abide by the strict nuclear regulations.

Instead, the company has done precisely what it had long promised it would not: challenge the constitutionality of Vermont’s rules in the federal court, as part of a desperate effort to keep its Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant running. It’s a stunning move.

The conflict has been surfacing since 2002, when the corporation bought Vermont’s only nuclear power plant, an aging reactor in Vernon. As the condition of receiving state approval for the sale, the company agreed to seek permission from state regulators to operate past 2012. In 2006, the state went a step further, requiring that any extension of the plant’s license be subject to Vermont legislature’s approval. Then, too, the company went along.

Either Entergy never really intended to live by those commitments, or it simply didn’t foresee what would happen next. A string of accidents, including the partial collapse of a cooling tower in 2007 and the discovery of an underground pipe system leakage, raised serious questions about both Vermont Yankee’s safety and Entergy’s management-especially after the company made misleading statements about the pipe. Enraged by Entergy’s behavior, the Vermont Senate voted 26 to 4 last year against allowing an extension.

Now the company is suddenly claiming that 2002 agreement is invalid because of the 2006 legislation, and that only the federal government has regulatory power over nuclear issues. The legal issues in the case are obscure: whereas the Superme Court has ruled that states do have some regulatory authority over nuclear power, legal scholars say that Vormont case will ofter a precedent-setting test of how far those powers extend. Certainly, there are vaild concerns about the patchwork regulations that could result if every state sets its own rules. But the Entergy kept it word, that debate would be beside the point.

The company seems to have concluded that its reputation in Vermont is already so damaged that it has nothing left to lose by going to war with the state. But that should be consequences. Permission to run a nuclear plant is a public trust. Entergy runs 11 other reactors in the United States, including Pilgrim Nuclear station in Plymouth. Pledging to run Pilgrim safely, the company has applied for federal permission to keep it open for another 20 years. But as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) reviews the company’s application, it should keep in mind what promises from Entergy are worth.

题目

31. The phrase “reneging on” (Line3. Para.1) is closest in meaning to____.

(A) condemning

(B) reaffirming

(C) dishonoring

(D) securing

 

27. By entering into the 2002 agreement, Entergy intended to______.

(A) obtain protection from Vermont regulators.

(B) seek favor froom federal legislature.

(C) acquire an extension of its business license.

(D) get permission to purchase a power plant.

 

28. According to Paragraph 4, Entergy seems to have problems with its____.

(A) managerial practices

(B) technical innovativeness

(C) financial goals

(D) business vision

 

29. In the author’s view, the Vermont case will test_____.

(A) Entergy’s capacity to fulfill all its promise.

(B) the nature of states’ patchwork regulations.

(C) the federal authority over nuclear issues.

(D) the limits of states’ power over nuclear issues.

 

30. It can be inferred from the last paragraph that_____.

(A) Entergy’s business elsewhere might be affected.

(B) the authority of the NRC will be defied.

(C) Entergy will withdraw its Plymouth application.

(D) Vermont’s reputation might be damaged.

 

全文翻译

交易就是交易，但是除Entergy之外。这家公司是新英格兰地区的主要能源供应商，当它上周在佛蒙特州宣布否认长期遵守的严格核条约时引起了正当的愤怒。

另外，公司现在做的正是它承诺的一直你不会做的：在联邦法院挑战佛蒙特州是否符合宪法，这是它不顾一切为了保持佛蒙特州Yankee核电站运营的努力的一部分。这是一个震惊人的行动。

矛盾自2002年就浮出水面，当时公司买下了福蒙特州佛罗里达州仅有的一个古老的和反应堆。作为收到政府批准的出售的条件，公司同意2012年以后的运营许可从政府监管处获得。在2006年，政府更进一步，要求任何工厂的延期认证都受支配于佛蒙特州立法机构的批准。然后，公司也照办了。

要么Entergy从没有真正打算履行条约，要么它简单的没有预测到接下来发生的一切。一系列的事故，包括2007年部分冷却塔的倒塌和地下管道系统泄露的发现，这些提升了佛蒙特州Yankee的安全和Entergy的管理问题，尤其在关于管道事件公司做出错误的指示之后。由于佛蒙特州参议院被Entergy的行为激怒，他们去年以26比4的投票拒绝了延期。

现在公司突然声称2002年的协议是无效的因为2006年的法律，仅有联邦政府对核问题有监管权。在这个案件中，法律问题是模糊的：鉴于最高法院已经规定地方政府享有一些管理权力在核权力上，法律学家说法律学家将为这些权利能延伸多远提供一个先例标准。当然，这里也有合理的担忧，例如每个州都设立自己的规则将会导致胡乱拼凑的规则。但是Entergy保持它的言行，辩论将会绕过这一点。

公司似乎已经总结到：它在佛蒙特州的名声已经糟糕到什么也没剩下，所以它决定与政府抗争到底。但是这应该是有影响的。承诺运营核电站是公众信任问题。Entergy在美国运营者其他11个反应堆，包括在普利茅斯的Pilgrim Nuclear。公司承诺安全的运营Pilgrim，并且已经向联邦申请继续运营Pilgrim20年。但是作为NRC对公司申请的回复，NRC应该考虑Entergy的话价值几何。

 

 

逐句翻译

 

第一段

A deal is a deal---except , apparently, when Entergy is involved.

交易就是交易，但是除Entergy之外。

 

 

The company, a major energy supplier in New England, provoked(激起；挑衅) justified(正当的) outraged(愤怒) in Vermont last week when it announced it was reneging(否认) on a longstanding commitment(条约) to abide by the strict nuclear regulations.

这家公司是新英格兰地区的主要能源供应商，当它上周在佛蒙特州宣布否认长期遵守的严格核条约时引起了正当的愤怒。

 

 

第二段

Instead, the company has done precisely(精确地；恰恰) what it had long promised it would not: challenge the constitutionality(符合宪法；立宪) of Vermont’s rules in the federal court, as part of a desperate(不顾一切的；令人绝望的) effort(努力) to keep its Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant running.

另外，公司现在做的正是它承诺的一直你不会做的：在联邦法院挑战佛蒙特州是否符合宪法，这是它不顾一切为了保持佛蒙特州Yankee核电站运营的努力的一部分。

 

 

It’s a stunning(震耳欲聋的；使人晕倒的) move.

这是一个震惊人的行动。

 

 

第三段

The conflict has been surfacing since 2002, when the corporation(企业) bought Vermont’s only nuclear power plant, an aging reactor in Vernon.

矛盾自2002年就浮出水面，当时公司买下了福蒙特州佛罗里达州仅有的一个古老的和反应堆。

 

As the condition of receiving state approval(批准) for the sale, the company agreed to seek permission from state regulators to operate past 2012.

作为收到政府批准的出售的条件，公司同意2012年以后的运营许可从政府监管处获得。

 

 

In 2006, the state went a step further, requiring that any extension(延期，延长) of the plant’s license be subject to(受支配；从属于) Vermont legislature’s(立法机关；立法机构) approval.

在2006年，政府更进一步，要求任何工厂的延期认证都受支配于佛蒙特州立法机构的批准。

 

Then, too, the company went along.

然后，公司也照办了。

 

 

第四段

Either Entergy never really intended to(打算做……) live by those commitments(承诺；保证), or it simply didn’t foresee what would happen next.

要么Entergy从没有真正打算履行条约，要么它简单的没有预测到接下来发生的一切。

 

 

A string of accidents, including the partial collapse(倒塌，瓦解) of a cooling tower in 2007 and the discovery of an underground pipe system leakage(泄露), raised serious questions about both Vermont Yankee’s safety and Entergy’s management-especially after the company made misleading statements about the pipe.

一系列的事故，包括2007年部分冷却塔的倒塌和地下管道系统泄露的发现，这些提升了佛蒙特州Yankee的安全和Entergy的管理问题，尤其在关于管道事件公司做出错误的指示之后。

 

 

Enraged by Entergy’s behavior, the Vermont Senate(参议院) voted 26 to 4 last year against allowing an extension.

由于佛蒙特州参议院被Entergy的行为激怒，他们去年以26比4的投票拒绝了延期。

 

 

第五段

Now the company is suddenly claiming that 2002 agreement is invalid because of the 2006 legislation(立法，法律), and that only the federal government has regulatory(管理的；控制的；调整的) power over nuclear issues.

现在公司突然声称2002年的协议是无效的因为2006年的法律，仅有联邦政府对核问题有监管权。

 

 

The legal issues in the case are obscure(昏暗的；朦脓的): whereas(然而，鉴于；反之) the Superme Court has ruled that states do have some regulatory authority over nuclear power, legal scholars say that Vormont case will ofter a precedent(先例)-setting test of how far those powers extend.

在这个案件中，法律问题是模糊的：鉴于最高法院已经规定地方政府享有一些管理权力在核权力上，法律学家说法律学家将为这些权利能延伸多远提供一个先例标准。

 

 

Certainly, there are vaild concerns about the patchwork regulations that could result if every state sets its own rules.

当然，这里也有合理的担忧，例如每个州都设立自己的规则将会导致胡乱拼凑的规则。

 

 

But the Entergy kept it word, that debate(辩论) would be beside the point.

但是Entergy保持它的言行，辩论将会绕过这一点。

 

 

第六段

The company seems to have concluded that its reputation in Vermont is already so damaged that it has nothing left to lose by going to war with the state.

公司似乎已经总结到：它在佛蒙特州的名声已经糟糕到什么也没剩下，所以它决定与政府抗争到底。

 

 

But that should be consequences(后果；影响).

但是这应该是有影响的。

 

 

Permission to run a nuclear plant is a public trust.

承诺运营核电站是公众信任问题。

 

 

Entergy runs 11 other reactors in the United States, including Pilgrim Nuclear station in Plymouth.

Entergy在美国运营者其他11个反应堆，包括在普利茅斯的Pilgrim Nuclear。

 

 

Pledging to run Pilgrim safely, the company has applied for federal permission to keep it open for another 20 years.

公司承诺安全的运营Pilgrim，并且已经向联邦申请继续运营Pilgrim20年。

 

 

But as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) reviews the company’s application, it should keep in mind what promises from Entergy are worth.

但是作为NRC对公司申请的回复，NRC应该考虑Entergy的话价值几何。

 

 

题目翻译

31. The phrase “reneging on” (Line3. Para.1) is closest in meaning to____.

(A) condemning(谴责；处刑)

(B) reaffirming(再肯定；重申)

(C) dishonoring(拒付；不名誉；丢脸)

(D) securing(保卫)

 

26.短语“reneging on”最接近的意思是_________。

(A)谴责；处刑

(B)再肯定；重申

(C)拒付；不名誉；丢脸

(D)保卫

 

27. By entering into the 2002 agreement, Entergy intended to______.

(A) obtain protection from Vermont regulators.

(B) seek favor froom federal legislature.

(C) acquire an extension of its business license.

(D) get permission to purchase a power plant.

 

27. 为了拿到2002年的协议, Entergy计划______。

(A) 获得来自佛蒙特州的管理者的保护。

(B) 寻求来自联邦立法机构的赞同。

(C) 要求它的商业许可的延期。

(D) 得到购买发电厂的允许。

 

28. According to Paragraph 4, Entergy seems to have problems with its____.

(A) managerial practices

(B) technical innovativeness

(C) financial goals

(D) business vision

 

28. 根据第四段, Entergy似乎在____存在问题。

(A) 实际管理

(B) 技术创新

(C) 经济目标

(D) 商业版本

 

29. In the author’s view, the Vermont case will test_____.

(A) Entergy’s capacity to fulfill all its promise.

(B) the nature of states’ patchwork(拼接物)regulations.

(C) the federal authority over nuclear issues.

(D) the limits of states’ power over nuclear issues.

 

29. 作者认为，佛蒙特州的案例将测试______。

(A) Entery有能力去兑现他的诺言。

(B) 政府的拼接规则的本质。

(C) 联邦掌控核问题的权利。

(D) 政府掌控核权力的极限。

 

30. It can be inferred from the last paragraph that_____.

(A) Entergy’s business elsewhere might be affected.

(B) the authority of the NRC will be defied(违抗).

(C) Entergy will withdraw(撤退；收回) its Plymouth application.

(D) Vermont’s reputation might be damaged.

 

30. 最后一段可以推断出_____。

(A) Entergy在其他任何地方的商业可能受到影响。

(B) NRC的权利将会受到违抗。

(C) Entergy将会撤回它在普利茅斯的申请。

(D) 佛蒙特州的名声将会毁坏。