VOA常速英语2008年-Bush, British PM to Push for New Iran Sanctions

By Scott Stearns
Washington
17 April 2008

U.S. President Bush and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown say they are working to extend sanctions against Iran's nuclear program. VOA White House Correspondent Scott Stearns reports, the two leaders met to discuss wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as political unrest in Zimbabwe.

President Bush says Iran's leaders can not be trusted to maintain a uranium enrichment program that they say is intended only for generating electricity.

"They have proven themselves to be untrustworthy. To say that it's OK to let them learn to enrich and assume that that program that knowledge couldn't be transferred to a military program is in my judgment¹ naïve," he said.

The president and prime minister spoke² to reporters in the White House Rose Garden after private talks in the Oval Office.

The head of the U.N. nuclear agency says Iran continues to build centrifuges to enrich uranium in defiance³ of sanctions. But Mohamed El Baradei says the country's progress has been slow.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad last week announced plans to install 6,000 new centrifuges to enrich uranium. Highly-enriched uranium can be used to generate electricity or to fuel a nuclear weapon.

Prime Minister Brown says he makes no apologies for pushing to extend the three sets of sanctions the U.N. Security Council has already imposed against Iran.

"We will extend sanctions where possible on Iran. Iran is in breach⁴ of the nonproliferation treaty. Iran has not told the truth to the international community about what its plans are. And that's why I am talking to other European leaders about how we can extend European sanctions against Iran," he said.

The two leaders vowed⁵ to continue fighting Taleban militia⁶ in Afghanistan and say they are encouraged by progress on more troops for that effort following this month's NATO summit.

President Bush thanked Prime Minister Brown for the sacrifices of British troops in Iraq, particularly during the recent fighting in the southern city of Basra.

The prime minister says Iraq is now a democracy that is moving forward both economically and politically as coalition⁷ troops train Iraqi forces to handle more of their own security.

Both leaders called on Zimbabwe's electoral commission to release the results of last month's presidential election. Opposition⁸ leaders say they defeated long-time ruler Robert Mugabe. The ruling party wants a recount.

President Bush thanked Prime Minister Brown for speaking-out about Zimbabwe at the United Nations.

"You can't have elections unless you are willing to put the results out," he said. "What kind of election is it if you don't let the will of the people be known?"

Mr. Bush says more African leaders need to speak out on Zimbabwe, and the United Nations and the African Union must play an active role in resolving the electoral dispute.

Before his White House meeting, Prime Minister Brown met separately with the three U.S. Senators hoping to replace President Bush: Republican John McCain and Democrats⁹ Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama.

Mr. Brown says it is up to Americans to decide their next leader, but he has no doubt relations between the United States and United Kingdom will remain close whatever the outcome.

"What I was convinced of after talking to each of them and talking about the issues that concern them and concern the world is that the relationship between America and Britain will remain strong, will remain steadfast¹⁰, and will be one that will be able to rise to the challenges of the future," he said.

The prime minister says he looks forward to continuing a discussion with all three candidates over the next few months. Americans choose their next president in November.

1 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

2 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。

3 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。

4 breach   

n.违反，不履行；破裂；vt.冲破，攻破

参考例句：

• We won't have any breach of discipline.我们不允许任何破坏纪律的现象。
• He was sued for breach of contract.他因不履行合同而被起诉。

5 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

6 militia   

n.民兵，民兵组织

参考例句：

• First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。
• There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。

7 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

8 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

9 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 steadfast   

adj.固定的，不变的，不动摇的；忠实的；坚贞不移的

参考例句：

• Her steadfast belief never left her for one moment.她坚定的信仰从未动摇过。
• He succeeded in his studies by dint of steadfast application.由于坚持不懈的努力他获得了学业上的成功。