2007年VOA标准英语-US Calls for British Sailors' Release

By Gary Thomas
Washington
28 March 2007

The United States is calling on Iran to immediately release the 15 sailors and marines seized in the waters of the Persian Gulf¹ Friday.  But, as VOA correspondent Gary Thomas reports, the United States is trying to stay out of the diplomatic spotlight² on the issue.

Asked about the Iranian seizure³ of the British sailors, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino only said President Bush spoke⁴ with British Prime Minister Blair in a previously⁵ scheduled conference call.

"The president fully⁶ backs Tony Blair and our allies in Britain," she said.

State Department spokesman Tom Casey said the British sailors were operating legally in Iraqi waters and called on Iran to respond to Britain's call for their release.

"What's important to us is that the Iranians do the right thing here, that they heed⁷ Prime Minister Blair's call to release these sailors, and release them immediately and unconditionally," he said.

Britain says the two small Royal Navy patrol craft were in Iraqi waters when they were  seized by sailors of Iran's Revolutionary Guard.  Iran disputes that, saying the craft had entered Iranian waters.  The 15 were taken to Tehran for interrogation.

Prime Minister Blair told the House of Commons that it is now time to ratchet up the international and diplomatic pressure on Iran to secure the sailors' release.

The U.S. Navy is engaged in military exercises in Gulf waters, the largest such maneuvers⁹ since the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq.  But State Department spokesman Casey said the exercises are normal and should not be read as a signal or message to Iran.
 
"The exercises that are ongoing¹⁰ certainly pose a threat to no nation, including Iran," he said.  "And I don't believe anyone should draw a connection between those military exercises, which our naval¹¹ forces do in various parts of the world all the time, and this particular situation with the British sailors that are being held."

Some analysts¹³ believe the Iranian action was actually aimed at the United States, perhaps in response to the U.S. military maneuvers.  But Ken⁸ Katzman, an Iran analyst¹² at the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service, says the United States is clearly letting Britain take the lead on the seizure of their service members.

"The problem with that theory, though, is that they've seized British [citizens], and the U.S. doesn't seem to be making any threats on behalf of Britain.  The U.S. seems to have left this to Prime Minister Blair to solve himself," he said. "So the linkage¹⁴ between the U.S. and Britain is perhaps not as firm, perhaps, as Iran thinks it is."

Spokesman Casey also dismissed as speculation¹⁵ any talk of a swap¹⁶ of the British sailors for several Iranian men detained by U.S. forces in Iraq earlier this year.  Iran claims the men are diplomats¹⁷.

1 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

2 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

3 seizure   

n.没收；占有；抵押

参考例句：

• The seizure of contraband is made by customs.那些走私品是被海关没收的。
• The courts ordered the seizure of all her property.法院下令查封她所有的财产。

4 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

5 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

6 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。

7 heed   

v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心

参考例句：

• You must take heed of what he has told.你要注意他所告诉的事。
• For the first time he had to pay heed to his appearance.这是他第一次非得注意自己的外表不可了。

8 ken   

n.视野，知识领域

参考例句：

• Such things are beyond my ken.我可不懂这些事。
• Abstract words are beyond the ken of children.抽象的言辞超出小孩所理解的范围.

9 maneuvers   

n.策略，谋略，花招( maneuver的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He suspected at once that she had been spying upon his maneuvers. 他立刻猜想到，她已经侦察到他的行动。 来自辞典例句
• Maneuvers in Guizhou occupied the Reds for four months. 贵州境内的作战占了红军四个月的时间。 来自辞典例句

10 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

11 naval   

adj.海军的，军舰的，船的

参考例句：

• He took part in a great naval battle.他参加了一次大海战。
• The harbour is an important naval base.该港是一个重要的海军基地。

12 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

13 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

14 linkage   

n.连接；环节

参考例句：

• In their monographic treatment of linkage,they have emphasized this especially.他们在论连锁的专题文章中特别强调了这点。
• Occasionally,problems with block inheritance or linkage are encountered.有时会遇到区段遗传或连锁问题。

15 speculation   

n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机

参考例句：

• Her mind is occupied with speculation.她的头脑忙于思考。
• There is widespread speculation that he is going to resign.人们普遍推测他要辞职。

16 swap   

n.交换；vt.交换，用...作交易

参考例句：

• I will swap you my bicycle for your radio.我想拿我的自行车换你的收音机。
• This comic was a swap that I got from Nick.这本漫画书是我从尼克那里换来的。

17 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》