2006年VOA标准英语-New Iranian Threats Set Off Alarm Bells in Isra

By Robert Berger
Jerusalem
20 October 2006

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says Israel no longer has any reason to exist and will soon disappear. The latest threats are adding to Israel's already deep concerns about Iran's nuclear program.

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Mahmoud Ahmadinejad delivers speech after attending anti-Israeli rally Friday, Oct. 20, 2006  
  
Israeli officials say the saber-rattling from Iran is another warning to the international community that the Islamic regime must not be allowed to get a nuclear bomb. At a pro-Palestinian rally in Tehran, Iran's president said Israeli leaders are a "group of terrorists," and he threatened any country that supports the Jewish state.

He also said Israel is a fake regime that would soon disappear. It was a similar statement to one a year ago, when he threatened "to wipe Israel off the map."

Since then, Israel has watched the Iranian nuclear program with growing alarm. Foreign Minister Tzippe Livni says the leaders of Iran pose a threat to regional and global stability.

"They speak proudly and openly of their desire to wipe Israel off the map," she said.  "And now, by their actions, they pursue the weapons to achieve this objective, to imperil the region and to threaten the world."

So what now?

"The world faces a critical test.," she noted¹.

Israel believes the international community is moving too slowly to stop Iran, and that the U.N. must change course and quickly impose sanctions.

 
Ehud Olmert 
  
However, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert visited Russia this week to urge a tougher stand on Iran, but came away empty handed from talks with President Vladimir Putin. Russia is building Iran's first nuclear reactor² and opposes sanctions on Tehran.

So Mr. Olmert warned that Iran would have "a price to pay" if it does not back down from its nuclear ambitions. It was a broad hint that if the international community does not act, Israel might launch a pre-emptive strike against Iran's nuclear facilities on its own.

1 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

2 reactor   

n.反应器；反应堆

参考例句：

• The atomic reactor generates enormous amounts of thermal energy.原子反应堆发出大量的热能。
• Inside the reactor the large molecules are cracked into smaller molecules.在反应堆里，大分子裂变为小分子。