2007年VOA标准英语-US House of Representatives Approves Measure St

By Dan Robinson
Capitol Hill
25 September 2007

The U.S. House of Representatives has approved legislation to strengthen economic sanctions against Iran over its support for terrorist groups and refusal to halt uranium enrichment. VOA's Dan Robinson reports the measure passed with an overwhelming 397 to 16 vote, and contains stinging criticisms of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

The Iran Counterproliferation Act is aimed at tightening¹ the economic screws on Iran, through import and export sanctions, and steps to dissuade² foreign governments and companies, including subsidiaries of U.S. companies, from investing in Iran's energy sector³.

"Iran today faces a choice between a very big carrot and a very sharp stick," said Tom Lantos, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. "It is my hope that they will take the carrot, but today we are putting the stick in place."

Among other things, the legislation expresses a non-binding⁴ "sense of Congress" that the U.S. encourage other governments to direct state-owned companies and persuade private entities⁵ to stop all investment in Iran's energy sector and exports of refined petroleum⁶ products to Iran.

Other non-binding provisions include a call to prohibit Iranian state banks from using the U.S. banking⁷ system, and support for divestment by U.S. federal and state and local pension plans from companies investing more than $20 million in Iran's energy sector.

Republican Ileana Ros-Lehtinen explains some of the binding changes, which include clarifications in and broadening the scope of existing law.

"This legislation under consideration today builds upon that foundation, reiterates⁸ the application of the Iran Sanctions Act to parent companies of foreign subsidiaries that engage in activities that ISA would prohibit for U.S. entities," she said.

The measure would also prohibit U.S. nuclear cooperation agreements with countries assisting Iran's nuclear program or transferring advanced conventional weapons or missiles to Iran.

It directs the president to determine whether Iran's Revolutionary Guards should be designated a terrorist organization, and placed on a list of proliferators of weapons of mass destruction, a step the Bush administration is pursuing.

A separate sanctions-related bill the House approved in August removed legal barriers to state and local divestment from companies investing more than $20 million in Iran's energy sector, although the Senate has yet to pass its version of that legislation.

In approving the measure, the House calls Iranian President Ahmadinejad's persistent⁹ denials of the Holocaust¹⁰ a violation¹¹ of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

Lawmakers directed stinging criticisms at the Iranian leader, comparing him to 20th century tyrants¹² and dictators such as Hitler and Stalin.

"The history of the 20th century tells us that genocidal dictators say what they will do and then do what they said," said Republicans Mark Kirk.

Republican Mike Pence said,"This is a man who is on a mis-guided mission, he is a dangerous and deluded¹³ leader and we ignore his intents at our peril¹⁴.

"When Mr. Ahmadinejad says he wants to wipe Israel off the face of the earth and do all kinds of other countless¹⁵ horrific things, he means it," Democrat¹⁶ Eliot Engel said.

In noting that the latest legislation does not authorize¹⁷ use of military force against Iran, House lawmakers nonetheless describe the prospect¹⁸ of Iran achieving nuclear arms as a grave threat to the United States and its allies in the Middle East.

They say the U.S. and its allies should do everything possible in diplomatic, political and economic means, to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear arms.

1 tightening   

上紧，固定，紧密

参考例句：

• Make sure the washer is firmly seated before tightening the pipe. 旋紧水管之前，检查一下洗衣机是否已牢牢地固定在底座上了。
• It needs tightening up a little. 它还需要再收紧些。

2 dissuade   

v.劝阻，阻止

参考例句：

• You'd better dissuade him from doing that.你最好劝阻他别那样干。
• I tried to dissuade her from investing her money in stocks and shares.我曾设法劝她不要投资于股票交易。

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 binding   

有约束力的，有效的，应遵守的

参考例句：

• The contract was not signed and has no binding force. 合同没有签署因而没有约束力。
• Both sides have agreed that the arbitration will be binding. 双方都赞同仲裁具有约束力。

5 entities   

实体对像； 实体，独立存在体，实际存在物( entity的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Our newspaper and our printing business form separate corporate entities. 我们的报纸和印刷业形成相对独立的企业实体。
• The North American continent is made up of three great structural entities. 北美大陆是由三个构造单元组成的。

6 petroleum   

n.原油，石油

参考例句：

• The Government of Iran advanced the price of petroleum last week.上星期伊朗政府提高了石油价格。
• The purpose of oil refinery is to refine crude petroleum.炼油厂的主要工作是提炼原油。

7 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。

8 reiterates   

反复地说，重申( reiterate的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The Chinese government reiterates that the question of Taiwan is China's internal affair. 中国政府重申，台湾问题是中国的内政。 来自汉英非文学 - 汉英文件
• Wang Jianzhou reiterates a fact and a viewpoint in Davos. 王建宙在达沃斯重申一个事实和一个观点。

9 persistent   

adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的

参考例句：

• Albert had a persistent headache that lasted for three days.艾伯特连续头痛了三天。
• She felt embarrassed by his persistent attentions.他不时地向她大献殷勤，使她很难为情。

10 holocaust   

n.大破坏；大屠杀

参考例句：

• The Auschwitz concentration camp always remind the world of the holocaust.奥辛威茨集中营总是让世人想起大屠杀。
• Ahmadinejad is denying the holocaust because he's as brutal as Hitler was.内贾德否认大屠杀，因为他像希特勒一样残忍。

11 violation   

n.违反(行为)，违背(行为)，侵犯

参考例句：

• He roared that was a violation of the rules.他大声说，那是违反规则的。
• He was fined 200 dollars for violation of traffic regulation.他因违反交通规则被罚款200美元。

12 tyrants   

专制统治者( tyrant的名词复数 )； 暴君似的人； （古希腊的）僭主； 严酷的事物

参考例句：

• The country was ruled by a succession of tyrants. 这个国家接连遭受暴君的统治。
• The people suffered under foreign tyrants. 人民在异族暴君的统治下受苦受难。

13 deluded   

v.欺骗，哄骗( delude的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Don't be deluded into thinking that we are out of danger yet. 不要误以为我们已脱离危险。
• She deluded everyone into following her. 她骗得每个人都听信她的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 peril   

n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物

参考例句：

• The refugees were in peril of death from hunger.难民有饿死的危险。
• The embankment is in great peril.河堤岌岌可危。

15 countless   

adj.无数的，多得不计其数的

参考例句：

• In the war countless innocent people lost their lives.在这场战争中无数无辜的人丧失了性命。
• I've told you countless times.我已经告诉你无数遍了。

16 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

17 authorize   

v.授权，委任；批准，认可

参考例句：

• He said that he needed to get his supervisor to authorize my refund.他说必须让主管人员批准我的退款。
• Only the President could authorize the use of the atomic bomb.只有总统才能授权使用原子弹。

18 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

19 override   

vt.不顾，不理睬，否决；压倒，优先于

参考例句：

• The welfare of a child should always override the wishes of its parents.孩子的幸福安康应该永远比父母的愿望来得更重要。
• I'm applying in advance for the authority to override him.我提前申请当局对他进行否决。

20 administrator   

n.经营管理者，行政官员

参考例句：

• The role of administrator absorbed much of Ben's energy.行政职务耗掉本很多精力。
• He has proved himself capable as administrator.他表现出管理才能。