2007年VOA标准英语-US Officials Remain Confident About Sanctions A

By Sean Maroney
Washington
22 March 2007
 
watch Burns Iran Hearing

The Senate committee that oversees¹ U.S. banking² heard testimony³ yesterday about the effectiveness of U.S. sanctions on Iran.  The U.N. Security Council is expected to vote on a new resolution toughening the existing sanctions.  Meanwhile, Iranian leaders remain defiant⁴ in the face of international pressure to suspend nuclear enrichment.  VOA's Sean Maroney reports.

Iran's supreme⁵ leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warns that his country will continue to pursue its nuclear agenda outside international regulations. "Until today what we have done has been in accordance with international regulations, but if they take illegal actions, we too can take illegal actions and we will do so."

The ayatollah also warns that Iran will respond to any attack by its enemies.

Nicholas Burns

In Washington, the U.S. State Department's Nicholas Burns said the United States and its allies are walking a fine line with Iran but that the outcome should be peaceful. "I for one believe that conflict with Iran is not inevitable⁶.  It is not inevitable if we play our cards right and are smart about the application of diplomacy⁷."

Burns told members of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs that U.S. sanctions on Iran are working.  He added that other countries are also reevaluating their business practices.

Under Secretary Stuart Levey credited the Treasury⁸ Department with consulting both foreign governments and the private sector⁹ about the risks of working with Iran.  He said Iran uses invested money for ulterior purposes.

"It uses front companies to engage in what are ostensibly innocent commercial transactions but that are actually related to its WMD programs."

Burns stressed that the United States and its allies are moving against the Iranian government and not the Iranian people.  He mentioned, as an example, allowing Iranian professionals to visit the United States. "The Iranian people tend to like Americans and so we want to accentuate¹⁰ that people-to-people contact while we stiff arm, block, contain [and] oppose the policies of the Iranian government."

The U.N. Security Council is discussing this week a draft resolution that would toughen existing sanctions against Iran for its failure to suspend uranium enrichment.

The United States and its allies accuse Iran of working to develop nuclear weapons.  Tehran denies this and says its program is peaceful.

1 oversees   

v.监督，监视( oversee的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• She oversees both the research and the manufacturing departments. 她既监督研究部门又监督生产部门。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Department of Education oversees the federal programs dealing with education. 教育部监管处理教育的联邦程序。 来自互联网

2 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。

3 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

4 defiant   

adj.无礼的，挑战的

参考例句：

• With a last defiant gesture,they sang a revolutionary song as they were led away to prison.他们被带走投入监狱时，仍以最后的反抗姿态唱起了一支革命歌曲。
• He assumed a defiant attitude toward his employer.他对雇主采取挑衅的态度。

5 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

6 inevitable   

adj.不可避免的，必然发生的

参考例句：

• Mary was wearing her inevitable large hat.玛丽戴着她总是戴的那顶大帽子。
• The defeat had inevitable consequences for British policy.战败对英国政策不可避免地产生了影响。

7 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。

8 treasury   

n.宝库；国库，金库；文库

参考例句：

• The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
• This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。

9 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

10 accentuate   

v.着重，强调

参考例句：

• She has beautiful eyes, so we should accentuate them in the makeup.她眼睛很美丽，我们在化妆时应该突出她的眼睛。
• Mrs Obamas speeches rarely accentuate the positive.奥巴马夫人的演讲很少强调美国积极的一面。