VOA慢速英语2018 沙特称如果伊朗发展核武器,沙特也将效仿（在线收听）

Report: Saudi Will Develop Nuclear Bomb if Iran Does

The crown prince of Saudi Arabia said his country will develop nuclear weapons if its rival Iran does.

沙特王储表示，如果其竞争对手伊朗发展核武器，沙特也会这么做。

Prince Mohammed bin Salman told the American television network CBS, “Saudi Arabia does not want to acquire any nuclear bomb, but without a doubt if Iran developed a nuclear bomb, we will follow suit as soon as possible.”

穆罕默德·本·萨勒曼（Mohammed bin Salman）王子对美国CBS电视网络表示，“沙特不想获得任何核弹。但是毫无疑问，如果伊朗发展核弹，我们将会尽快效仿。”

The CBS report with the prince will air on Sunday.

CBS对这位王子的报道将于周日播出。

The prince’s statement raised the chances of a nuclear arms race in the Middle East.

萨勒曼王子的声明提高了中东核军备竞赛的可能性。

Saudi Arabia, a Sunni Muslim kingdom, and Iran, a Shi’ite-majority republic, are longtime rivals. The two countries are backing opposing groups in armed conflicts in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen.

逊尼派穆斯林建立的沙特王国和以什叶派为主的伊朗共和国是一对宿敌。这两国在伊拉克、叙利亚、黎巴嫩以及也门的武装冲突中各自支持对立的派别。

Saudi Arabia has criticized the 2015 nuclear deal between world powers and Iran. The deal lifted economic sanctions on Iran in exchange for limits on its nuclear energy program.

沙特批评了世界大国与伊朗在2015年签订的核协议。该协议解除了对伊朗的经济制裁，以换取伊朗限制其核能计划。

U.S. President Donald Trump has described that agreement as a “terrible deal.” The United States will restart sanctions against the country unless Trump issues new “waivers” to suspend them on May 12.

美国总统川普称这是一项“可怕的协议。”美国将重启对伊朗的制裁，除非川普在5月12日发布新的“豁免”暂停制裁。

An American withdrawal from the nuclear deal would likely lead to the restarting of nuclear development in Iran.

美国退出核协议可能会造成伊朗重新发展核武器。

Civilian nuclear program

民用核计划

Saudi Arabia is currently developing a civilian nuclear energy program to reduce its economy’s dependence on oil.

沙特目前正在制定一项民用核能计划，以减轻该国经济对石油的依赖。

Saudi Arabia, the world’s top oil exporter, has previously said it wants nuclear technology only for peaceful uses. But it is unclear whether it also wants to enrich uranium to produce nuclear fuel. The process can also be used to produce atomic weapons.

世界头号石油出口国沙特此前曾表示只希望将核技术用于和平用途。但是目前尚不清楚该国是否也想浓缩铀以生产核燃料。这个过程也可以用于制造原子武器。

The United States, South Korea, Russia, France and China are competing for a deal to build the country’s first two nuclear reactors.

美国、韩国、俄罗斯、法国以及中国都在争取建造沙特头两座核反应堆。

American companies can only transfer nuclear technology to a country that has signed an agreement that rules out domestic uranium enrichment and the preprocessing of spent nuclear fuel. Such steps can have military uses.

美国公司只能将核技术转让给已经签署协议排除在国内进行铀浓缩和废核燃料处理的国家。

So far, Saudi Arabia has refused to sign any agreement that would take away its ability to one day enrich uranium. This has been at the center of worldwide concerns over Iran’s nuclear program, which enriches uranium domestically.

到目前为止，沙特拒绝签署任何剥夺该国有朝一日具备铀浓缩能力的协议。这一直是全球对伊朗核计划的头号担忧，伊朗的核计划在国内进行铀浓缩。

Words in This Story

rival - n. country that tries to defeat or be more successful than another

acquire - v. to get something

follow suit - v. to do the same thing

waiver - n. an official document indicating desire to give up a right or requirement

enrich uranium - v. develop higher concentration of uranium through the process of isotope separation

transfer - v. to move something from one place to another

domestic - adj. of, relating to, or made in your own country