2007年VOA标准英语-US Lawmakers Advance Legislation to Pressure Ir

By Dan Robinson
Capitol Hill
23 May 2007

Legislation that would step up pressure on Iran's government has been advanced by two committees in the U.S. House of Representatives. VOA's Dan Robinson reports from Capitol Hill.

Approved by the committees on foreign affairs and financial services, the measures aim to make it steadily¹ more uncomfortable and economically risky² for Iran's government to continue its uranium enrichment program, which the United States believes is aimed at developing nuclear weapons.

The Iran Sanctions Enabling Act would establish a U.S. government list of companies investing at least $20 million in Iran's energy sector³, and remove some legal barriers for Americans who would choose to divest⁴ from those companies.

Democratic Congressman⁵ Barney Frank chairs the House financial services committee:

"It makes it very clear that the actions taken under this bill will be actions taken by the American people, by elected state governments, by elected state officials, by individuals acting⁷ with regard to their own money," said Barney Frank. "And in addition to the real impact this could have it makes a very important political point, that the revulsion at the way in which the Iranian government has conducted itself in so many aspects is widespread throughout the United States, it transcends⁸ partisan⁹, ideological¹⁰, ethnic¹¹ and other bounds, and this bill gives voice to that.

Democratic Congressman Brad Sherman, a key critic of Iran in Congress, explains how the measure would make it easier for Americans to divest from Iran-invested companies or funds:

"It makes it clear that when states and localities divest, they are not blocking American foreign policy, conflicting with a foreign government, but rather they are furthering that policy and they are not just authorized¹² they are encouraged to divest [from] companies investing in the Iranian oil sector," said Brad Sherman.

Congressman Frank says the Bush administration has urged that in moving the legislation through Congress, its sponsors ensure that it does not jeopardize¹³ U.S. efforts to get international support for diplomatic steps to deal with Iran's nuclear program.

Meanwhile, the foreign affairs committee approved legislation called the International Nuclear Fuel for Peace and Nonproliferation Act.

The bill proposes creation of an independent international nuclear fuel bank, a step Lantos says would remove what he calls the pretext¹⁴ Iran has given to justify¹⁵ its development of uranium enrichment technology it says is for peaceful purposes, but which could be for nuclear weapons:

"It is imperative¹⁶ that we keep nuclear weapons out of the hands of Iran, and provide a source of nuclear fuel for peaceful ends, to countries that are currently flirting¹⁷ with nuclear development programs," said Tom Lantos.

Lantos says the measure would promote establishment of a multilateral system to assure countries complying with nonproliferation commitments a long-term supply of nuclear fuel, while encouraging them to end uranium enrichment or spent fuel reprocessing.

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (file photo)

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen is the ranking Republican on the panel:

"It will prove to be a significant advance in the effort to prevent the further proliferation of the capacity to product nuclear weapons," said Ileana Ros-Lehtinen.

The legislation authorizes¹⁸ $50 million to establish the international nuclear fuel bank, which would be supervised by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Congressman Lantos says his measure has the support of the Bush administration.

In another actions, the foreign affairs committee also approved two resolutions on Iran.

One calls for the Iranian government to immediately release three dual⁶ American-Iranian citizens being held for what the measure calls unjust and illegal reasons.

Another calls on the U.N. Security Council to charge Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad with violating the 1948 genocide convention, because of his calls for the destruction of Israel.

1 steadily   

adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地

参考例句：

• The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
• Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。

2 risky   

adj.有风险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险，但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
• He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。

3 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。

4 divest   

v.脱去，剥除

参考例句：

• I cannot divest myself of the idea.我无法消除那个念头。
• He attempted to divest himself of all responsibilities for the decision.他力图摆脱掉作出该项决定的一切责任。

5 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

6 dual   

adj.双的；二重的，二元的

参考例句：

• The people's Republic of China does not recognize dual nationality for any Chinese national.中华人民共和国不承认中国公民具有双重国籍。
• He has dual role as composer and conductor.他兼作曲家及指挥的双重身分。

7 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

8 transcends   

超出或超越（经验、信念、描写能力等）的范围( transcend的第三人称单数 )； 优于或胜过…

参考例句：

• The chemical dilution technique transcends most of the difficulties. 化学稀释法能克服大部分困难。
• The genius of Shakespeare transcends that of all other English poets. 莎士比亚的才华胜过所有的其他英国诗人。

9 partisan   

adj.党派性的；游击队的；n.游击队员；党徒

参考例句：

• In their anger they forget all the partisan quarrels.愤怒之中，他们忘掉一切党派之争。
• The numerous newly created partisan detachments began working slowly towards that region.许多新建的游击队都开始慢慢地向那里移动。

10 ideological   

a.意识形态的

参考例句：

• He always tries to link his study with his ideological problems. 他总是把学习和自己的思想问题联系起来。
• He helped me enormously with advice on how to do ideological work. 他告诉我怎样做思想工作，对我有很大帮助。

11 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

12 authorized   

a.委任的，许可的

参考例句：

• An administrative order is valid if authorized by a statute.如果一个行政命令得到一个法规的认可那么这个命令就是有效的。

13 jeopardize   

vt.危及，损害

参考例句：

• Overworking can jeopardize your health.工作过量可能会危及你的健康。
• If you are rude to the boss it may jeopardize your chances of success.如果你对上司无礼，那就可能断送你成功的机会。

14 pretext   

n.借口，托词

参考例句：

• He used his headache as a pretext for not going to school.他借口头疼而不去上学。
• He didn't attend that meeting under the pretext of sickness.他以生病为借口，没参加那个会议。

15 justify   

vt.证明…正当(或有理)，为…辩护

参考例句：

• He tried to justify his absence with lame excuses.他想用站不住脚的借口为自己的缺席辩解。
• Can you justify your rude behavior to me?你能向我证明你的粗野行为是有道理的吗？

16 imperative   

n.命令，需要；规则；祈使语气；adj.强制的；紧急的

参考例句：

• He always speaks in an imperative tone of voice.他老是用命令的口吻讲话。
• The events of the past few days make it imperative for her to act.过去这几天发生的事迫使她不得不立即行动。

17 flirting   

v.调情，打情骂俏( flirt的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Don't take her too seriously; she's only flirting with you. 别把她太当真，她只不过是在和你调情罢了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• 'she's always flirting with that new fellow Tseng!" “她还同新来厂里那个姓曾的吊膀子！ 来自子夜部分

18 authorizes   

授权，批准，委托( authorize的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The dictionary authorizes the two spellings 'traveler' and 'traveller'. 字典裁定traveler和traveller两种拼法都对。
• The dictionary authorizes the two spellings "honor" and "honour.". 字典裁定 honor 及 honour 两种拼法均可。