2006年VOA标准英语-Japan Takes Diplomatic Role in Iran Nuclea

By Steve Herman
Tokyo
17 January 2006

 
Taro¹ Aso
  
Japan says it hopes to use a long-standing relationship with Iran to help avert² a crisis over Tehran's nuclear ambitions. The announcement came after key members of the United Nations Security Council failed to agree on a response to Iran's resumption of uranium enrichment.

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Japan is hoping one-on-one diplomacy³ can lead to a breakthrough that has eluded⁴ other nations concerning Iran's insistence⁵ on proceeding⁶ with its nuclear research.

Foreign Ministry⁷ spokesman, Tomohiko Taniguchi, told reporters Tuesday that the Japanese government has been sending a message to Tehran about the issue.

"The Japanese government has been closely in touch with Iran, and told them a number of times that you should stop doing the kind of things that you want to do, namely, to resume the process of enriching uranium," he said.

Government sources here, who did not want to be identified, told VOA News that Foreign Minister Taro Aso is planning to call his counterpart in Tehran within the next couple of days. Japanese officials regard Iran's foreign minister, Manouchehr Mottaki, as a relative moderate and a known quantity. He served as ambassador to Japan in the mid-1990s, and was friendly with then-prime minister Ryutaro Hashimoto.

Iran insists it is only interested in developing a civil nuclear energy program, but the United States and the European Union fear it is seeking to build nuclear weapons.

Iran and Japan have extensive trade ties. Iran provides Japan with nearly 20 percent of its crude oil, and Japan is one of Iran's top commercial partners.

But Foreign Ministry spokesman Taniguchi says despite that economic relationship, Japan's patience will not last if Iran insists on going ahead with its nuclear program.

"If things continue to go as they have in terms of the resumption of their attempt to enrich uranium, the Japanese government views the situation that bringing the issue to the U.N. Security Council is inevitable," added Taniguchi.

His comments came after Britain, France and Germany, along with the United States, China, and Russia, held an emergency meeting in London Monday to discuss the Iranian issue. But diplomats⁸ said Tuesday there was no agreement on whether to refer the matter to the Security Council for possible sanctions.

Britain, France and Germany on Monday did say they would press for an emergency meeting of the U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency on February 2.

However, Russia and China, which also have close commercial ties with Iran, have so far resisted attempts to involve the United Nations.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan on Tuesday indicated that Beijing is in favor of continued negotiations⁹ with Iran, rather than sanctions.

Kong says China hopes all parties concerned will do their utmost to resume negotiations.

1 taro   

n.芋，芋头

参考例句：

• Main grain crop has taro,corn,banana to wait.主要粮食作物有芋头、玉米、芭蕉等。
• You celebrate your birthday with taro,red bean and butter.用红豆、芋头和黄油给自己过生日。

2 avert   

v.防止，避免；转移(目光、注意力等)

参考例句：

• He managed to avert suspicion.他设法避嫌。
• I would do what I could to avert it.我会尽力去避免发生这种情况。

3 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

4 eluded   

v.（尤指机敏地）避开( elude的过去式和过去分词 )；逃避；躲避；使达不到

参考例句：

• The sly fox nimbly eluded the dogs. 那只狡猾的狐狸灵活地躲避开那群狗。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The criminal eluded the police. 那个罪犯甩掉了警察的追捕。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

5 insistence   

n.坚持；强调；坚决主张

参考例句：

• They were united in their insistence that she should go to college.他们一致坚持她应上大学。
• His insistence upon strict obedience is correct.他坚持绝对服从是对的。

6 proceeding   

n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报

参考例句：

• This train is now proceeding from Paris to London.这次列车从巴黎开往伦敦。
• The work is proceeding briskly.工作很有生气地进展着。

7 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

8 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》

9 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。