2006年VOA标准英语-International Community Faces Decision Ove

By Andre de Nesnera
Washington
07 February 2006

The International Atomic Energy Agency has voted to refer Iran's nuclear file to the United Nations Security Council. In this report from Washington, VOA Senior Correspondent André de Nesnera looks at the next steps facing the international community and discusses one option: a military strike against Iran.

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The United States and Europe believe Iran is seeking to develop nuclear weapons. But Tehran says its program is aimed at producing fuel for peaceful, civilian¹ purposes.

While experts may disagree on Iran's ultimate intentions, they agree that Tehran is setting up facilities that would allow it to eventually build nuclear weapons. They say Iran is approaching the point where it can produce - on a large scale - enriched uranium. Low enriched uranium can be used for civilian nuclear plants - but highly enriched uranium can be used for a nuclear bomb.

For the past several years, three European countries - Britain, Germany and France - have been negotiating with Iran. Their efforts were aimed at providing Iran with economic incentives² in exchange for curtailing³ its uranium enrichment activities.

The talks made little progress, and in August Iran resumed uranium conversion⁴ - that is converting uranium into gas - at its Isfahan plant. On January 10, Tehran took steps to resume enrichment activities at its plant in Natanz.

 
IAEA meeting on Iran
  
For years, the International Atomic Energy Agency has been warning Iran to end its plans to enrich uranium. But Tehran's decision to re-open the Natanz plant in early January forced the IAEA to take the next step: refer Iran's nuclear file to the U.N. Security Council.

Daryl Kimball, the head of the Arms Control Association, an independent, Washington D.C.-based research organization, says the crisis has deepened between Iran and the IAEA.

"It essentially⁵ means that they have not been able to resolve it," he said. "And I think the way this would change the debate, is that this would not be so much of a technical debate about whether Iran has met its safeguards agreements, whether it is living by the letter of the law, but it will be more of a political discussion about aims and intentions. And there will also be the backdrop of the possibility of political and economic sanctions."

It is unclear when the Security Council will actually take up the Iranian nuclear issue.

"And more importantly, even if it does take it on right now, or a few months down the road, it does not mean that there will be an actual resolution or any action taken by the United Nations Security Council," said Sammy Salama, an expert on Iran with the Monterey Institute of International Studies.

The U.S. and other members of the U.N. body said any decision by the Council should await a report by the IAEA Director to the organization's next meeting, scheduled March 6.

But Iran was quick to respond to the IAEA's referral. It said it would proceed to enrich uranium and end all surprise U.N. inspections⁶ of its nuclear facilities.

Experts agree the escalation⁷ of the crisis could increase tensions even more and inflame⁸ the rhetoric⁹ on all sides. Some Israeli and American politicians - as well as some Bush administration officials - have talked about keeping all options open - in other words reserving the right to use military force against Iran. 

Condoleezza Rice  
  
Speaking in London January 30, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice talked about the military option.

"As to military issues, we have said that it is not on the agenda, because we believe that there is a lot of life left in the diplomacy¹⁰," she said. "There is a diplomatic solution for the taking. After all, going to the Security Council is not the end of diplomacy, it is just diplomacy in a different, more robust¹¹ context. But the president of the United States doesn't take his options off the table. And frankly¹² I do not think people should want the president of the United States to take his options off the table."
 

Donald Rumsfeld  
  
For his part, Secretary of Defense¹³ Donald Rumsfeld told German newspaper Handelsblatt that the option of military strikes against Iran should be kept open.

Daryl Kimball, from the Arms Control Association, says talking about military strikes could have a negative effect.

"I think it is extremely premature¹⁴ and I think it is counterproductive for politicians in parliaments or Congress and even in the governments of Israel or the United States to be talking openly of military options, because this only feeds the security paranoia¹⁵ of those in Iran who believe that the pursuit of the nuclear weapons option is needed in order to deter¹⁶ such attacks," he said.

Many experts say the international community faces some crucial decisions in the next few weeks and months as it tries to persuade Iran to forego its uranium enrichment program. They say - whether it is diplomacy or diplomacy backed by sanctions with ultimately, the threat of military force - each option must be carefully weighed in order to minimize the chances for the crisis to spin out of control.

1 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

2 incentives   

激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 )； 刺激； 诱因； 动机

参考例句：

• tax incentives to encourage savings 鼓励储蓄的税收措施
• Furthermore, subsidies provide incentives only for investments in equipment. 更有甚者，提供津贴仅是为鼓励增添设备的投资。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

3 curtailing   

v.截断，缩短( curtail的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• They will be curtailing the discussions at two thirty. 他们将把讨论缩短至两点半。 来自互联网
• Individually, banks are acting rationally by retaining their capital and curtailing lending. 此外，银行们正在合理地保留其资本和减少贷款。 来自互联网

4 conversion   

n.转化，转换，转变

参考例句：

• He underwent quite a conversion.他彻底变了。
• Waste conversion is a part of the production process.废物处理是生产过程的一个组成部分。

5 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

6 inspections   

n.检查( inspection的名词复数 )；检验；视察；检阅

参考例句：

• Regular inspections are carried out at the prison. 经常有人来视察这座监狱。
• Government inspections ensure a high degree of uniformity in the standard of service. 政府检查确保了在服务标准方面的高度一致。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 escalation   

n.扩大，增加

参考例句：

• The threat of nuclear escalation remains. 核升级的威胁仍旧存在。 来自辞典例句
• Escalation is thus an aspect of deterrence and of crisis management. 因此逐步升级是威慑和危机处理的一个方面。 来自辞典例句

8 inflame   

v.使燃烧；使极度激动；使发炎

参考例句：

• Our lack of response seemed to inflame the colonel.由于我们没有反应,好象惹恼了那个上校。
• Chemical agents manufactured by our immune system inflame our cells and tissues,causing our nose to run and our throat to swell.我们的免疫系统产生的化学物质导致我们的细胞和组织发炎，导致我们流鼻水和我们的喉咙膨胀。

9 rhetoric   

n.修辞学，浮夸之言语

参考例句：

• Do you know something about rhetoric?你懂点修辞学吗？
• Behind all the rhetoric,his relations with the army are dangerously poised.在冠冕堂皇的言辞背后，他和军队的关系岌岌可危。

10 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。

11 robust   

adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的

参考例句：

• She is too tall and robust.她个子太高，身体太壮。
• China wants to keep growth robust to reduce poverty and avoid job losses,AP commented.美联社评论道，中国希望保持经济强势增长，以减少贫困和失业状况。

12 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

13 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

14 premature   

adj.比预期时间早的；不成熟的，仓促的

参考例句：

• It is yet premature to predict the possible outcome of the dialogue.预言这次对话可能有什么结果为时尚早。
• The premature baby is doing well.那个早产的婴儿很健康。

15 paranoia   

n.妄想狂，偏执狂；多疑症

参考例句：

• Her passion for cleanliness borders on paranoia.她的洁癖近乎偏执。
• The push for reform is also motivated by political paranoia.竞选的改革运动也受到政治偏执狂症的推动。

16 deter   

vt.阻止，使不敢，吓住

参考例句：

• Failure did not deter us from trying it again.失败并没有能阻挡我们再次进行试验。
• Dogs can deter unwelcome intruders.狗能够阻拦不受欢迎的闯入者。