VOA慢速英语2021 美国和伊朗将举行间接核谈判

The United States and Iran were expected to begin indirect talks Tuesday in an effort to bring the U.S. back into a 2015 nuclear deal.

The deal -- which the U.S. left in 2018 under President Donald Trump¹ -- restricts Iran's nuclear program in exchange for easing U.S. and international sanctions.

The U.S. reestablished economic sanctions after withdrawing from the agreement. Iran answered the action by violating some of the deal's restrictions³ on its nuclear program.

U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters that Special Envoy⁴ for Iran Robert Malley will lead the U.S. team during the talks, which are taking place in Vienna. The discussions will include representatives from the five world powers still in the deal -- Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia.

The goals of the talks include returning the U.S. to the deal and getting Iran in full compliance⁵ with it. The nuclear agreement is known as the Joint⁶ Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Price said the talks will be "structured around working groups" that the European Union will form with Iran and the other parties to the deal. He said negotiators would work to identify the "nuclear steps" that Iran will need to take to become compliant⁷. In addition, the talks will seek to define "sanctions relief steps" the U.S. will need to take to rejoin the deal.

Price said the U.S. would consider lifting sanctions reestablished by the Trump administration in return for "more permanent and verifiable limits" on Iran's nuclear program.

President Joe Biden came into office saying one of his first goals would be to return the U.S. to the deal and get Iran to comply with it. But Iran and the U.S. have disagreed over Iran's demand that sanctions be lifted first.

Price said Monday he sees the talks as a "healthy step forward." But he added that the U.S. side expects the negotiations⁸ to be "difficult" and does not expect "an early or immediate⁹ breakthrough."

In Tehran, government spokesman Ali Rabiei said Iran's aim remained the lifting of all sanctions that have been placed on Iran. He added that Iran was "ready to return to all our commitments immediately after the American side lifts sanctions in a complete and verifiable" way.

EU diplomats¹⁰ said the talks could continue for several days to resolve some of the easier issues before restarting next week. One official told Reuters news agency the aim is to reach some form of a deal ahead of Iran's presidential election in June.

Words in This Story

sanction – n. a restriction², usually limiting trade, that are meant to cause a country to obey international law

comply – v. to obey an order, rule or request

relief – n. help given to people in need

verify – v. to prove that something is true, or do something to discover whether it is true

breakthrough – n. an important discovery

1 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

2 restriction   

n.限制，约束

参考例句：

• The park is open to the public without restriction.这个公园对公众开放，没有任何限制。
• The 30 mph speed restriction applies in all built-up areas.每小时限速30英里适用于所有建筑物聚集区。

3 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

4 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

5 compliance   

n.顺从；服从；附和；屈从

参考例句：

• I was surprised by his compliance with these terms.我对他竟然依从了这些条件而感到吃惊。
• She gave up the idea in compliance with his desire.她顺从他的愿望而放弃自己的主意。

6 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

7 compliant   

adj.服从的，顺从的

参考例句：

• I don't respect people who are too compliant.我看不起那种唯命是从，唯唯诺诺的人。
• For years I had tried to be a compliant and dutiful wife.几年来，我努力做一名顺从和尽职尽职的妻子。

8 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

9 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

10 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》