US President Wants More Offshore Drilling
布什吁国会允许开采更多近海油田

 
U.S. President George Bush is again calling on opposition Democrats in Congress to expand offshore oil drilling. High energy prices are a big part of this year's presidential campaign.

美国总统布什再次呼吁在野党民主党的国会议员允许扩大近海油田的开采。居高不下的油价已经成为今年总统竞选的一个主要议题。

When lawmakers return to work next month, President Bush says they should allow for more offshore oil drilling. In his weekly radio address, he says he has lifted executive limits on that drilling and it is time for Congress to end its offshore ban.

美国总统布什说，国会下个月复会时，议员们应该允许扩大近海油田的钻探。布什在每周例行广播讲话中说，他已经撤销了禁止开采这些油田的行政令，现在该是国会取消相关禁令的时候了。

"This exploration is now banned by a provision included in the annual interior appropriations bill," said the president. "When Congress returns they should remove this restriction so we can get these vast oil resources from the ocean floor to your gas tank."

布什说：“每年一度的内政部拨款议案中有一个条款禁止这种开采。当国会复会时，他们应该取消这个条款。这样我们就可以把大洋底下的丰富石油资源转化成你油箱里的汽油了。”

Democrats say they generally support more offshore drilling but want oil companies to start by exploring the more than 27 million hectares of land they are already leasing from the federal government.

民主党人表示，总的说来，他们支持进一步开采近海石油，他们只是希望石油公司先在它们已经从联邦政府租赁的2700万公顷的土地上进行开采。

In the Democratic radio address, New Hampshire Senate candidate Jeanne Shaheen says President Bush and his Republican party have driven America's economy into the ground.

在民主党的每周广播讲话中，来自新罕布什尔州的联邦参议员候选人沙欣说，布什和他所属的共和党把美国经济带到了谷底。

"They have protected billions in tax give-aways for big oil and tax loopholes for businesses who ship jobs overseas rather than making a serious commitment to the development of clean alternative energy that can transform our economy and create thousands of new jobs," she said.

沙欣说：“他们维护了那些大石油公司数十亿美元的税务减免优惠，保护那些把工作机会转移到海外的大公司能够享受的税法方面的空子，而不是认真致力于开发能让我们的经济好转、创造成千上万新就业机会的新的清洁替代能源。”

Public opinion polls show many voters are concerned about high energy prices, so that is a part of this year's presidential campaign.

民意调查显示，许多选民对居高不下的油价感到担忧，因此，这个问题将成为今年总统竞选的一个重要议题。

The Republican Party's national committee is running a television commercial backing the president's call for more offshore drilling. The Republican ad champions the energy policy of its presidential candidate, Arizona Senator John McCain, over the Democratic opponent, Illinois Senator Barrack Obama.

共和党全国委员会正在播放一条电视商业广告，支持总统呼吁进一步开发近海油田。共和党的广告拥护本党总统候选人、来自亚利桑那州的联邦参议员麦凯恩的能源政策，认为他的政策胜过民主党对手、来自伊利诺伊州的联邦参议员奥巴马的政策。

The Obama campaign is running a commercial that seeks to link McCain with President Bush and what Obama says is a White House that has been too close to big oil companies.

奥巴马竞选团队的广告则希望把麦凯恩和布什总统以及奥巴马所说的与大公司走得太近的白宫联系起来。

A public opinion poll by CBS News and The New York Times this past week asked voters what is the most important thing for them in deciding the next president. Forty percent said the economy and jobs. Gas prices and energy policy tied for second with the war in Iraq at 15 percent.

美国哥伦比亚广播公司CBS和《纽约时报》上个星期在进行民意调查时，问选民在决定挑选下一届总统时，他们最关注什么问题，40%的被访者回答说，经济问题和工作机会。油价和能源政策与伊拉克战争名列第二，各占15%。