2007年VOA标准英语-IAEA Says Iran Has Not Suspended Uranium Enrich

By Peter Heinlein
United Nations
22 February 2007

The U.N. nuclear watchdog agency says Iran has failed to suspend uranium enrichment, in defiance¹ of Security Council demands. From U.N. headquarters, VOA's Peter Heinlein reports the finding clears the way for further sanctions aimed at Iran's suspect nuclear program.

IAEA Board of Governors, Vienna, Austria

A report issued by the International Atomic Energy Agency concludes that Iran has expanded uranium enrichment since December, when the Security Council ordered a freeze on such activities. The six-page report says the Tehran government has continued construction of a nuclear reactor² that could produce material used in weapons.

Iran has repeatedly denied having any intention to build nuclear weapons, and maintains its enrichment activities are aimed at producing energy.

But the six-page report written by IAEA Director Mohamed ElBaradei says Iran's refusal to cooperate has left the agency unable to verify that its nuclear activities are for peaceful purposes. The report also says Iran has installed two uranium enrichment networks at its underground nuclear facility in Natanz, although no uranium has been fed into the system.

The Security Council initially³ imposed sanctions on Iran in late December, and gave the Tehran government two months to suspend uranium enrichment.

The Islamic republic's failure to comply exposes it to further sanctions. But the Security Council president for February, Slovakia's U.N. Ambassador Peter Burian, says there are no immediate⁴ plans to begin discussions on a follow-up resolution.

"Of course the presidency⁵ will be in contact with all 14 Security Council members, and we will find out whether there is a mood to convene⁶ consultations⁷ during our presidency or maybe a little bit later," he said. "We will be checking the mood and the interest of the members to deal with the matter."

U.N. diplomats⁸ general reacted cautiously to the IAEA conclusions. A U.S. State Department spokesman expressed disappointment over Iran's failure to comply with the previous Security Council resolution.

Russia's U.N. ambassador, Vitaly Churkin, said his country, which delayed approval of the earlier resolution through weeks of negotiations⁹, would prefer not to impose new sanctions on Iran.

"We should not lose sight of the goal," he said. "The goal is not to have a resolution or to impose sanctions. The goal is to accomplish a political outcome."

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon issued a statement in Vienna expressing "deep concern" at Iran's failure to meet the Security Council deadline for suspension of enrichment activities. The statement said Mr. Ban "once again urge(s) the Iranian government (to) fully¹⁰ comply with the demands" and engage in talks with the international community toward a peaceful resolution of the issue.

But a senior Iranian official is quoted as saying Iran cannot accept suspending uranium enrichment. Mohammad Saeedi, the deputy head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, argued that the Security Council's demand has no legal basis.

1 defiance   

n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗

参考例句：

• He climbed the ladder in defiance of the warning.他无视警告爬上了那架梯子。
• He slammed the door in a spirit of defiance.他以挑衅性的态度把门砰地一下关上。

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。

3 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

4 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。

5 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

6 convene   

v.集合，召集，召唤，聚集，集合

参考例句：

• The Diet will convene at 3p.m. tomorrow.国会将于明天下午三点钟开会。
• Senior officials convened in October 1991 in London.1991年10月，高级官员在伦敦会齐。

7 consultations   

n.磋商（会议）( consultation的名词复数 )；商讨会；协商会；查找

参考例句：

• Consultations can be arranged at other times by appointment. 磋商可以通过预约安排在其他时间。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Consultations are under way. 正在进行磋商。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

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。

10 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。