VOA标准英语2008年-US Warns Iran Time Running Out for Nuclear Deal

U.S. officials are warning Iran that time is running out for Tehran to respond to proposals by the EU and the Security Council to resolve the nuclear stand-off. Iran was given two weeks to reply before risking yet another round of sanctions. VOA's Sonja Pace reports from London.

U.S. officials say it's time Iran offers a serious response to EU and U.N. proposals.

The latest package of incentives¹ was discussed July 19 in Geneva, in a closed door meeting that represented Iran, the five permanent members of the Security Council, (the P5), Germany and the European Union. Taking part for the first time was a senior American envoy², Undersecretary of State William Burns.

Greg Schulte is the U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. in Vienna and the International Atomic Energy Agency, the IAEA. Speaking with VOA in London, Ambassador Schulte said Iran's response at that meeting turned into a "meandering³ lesson in Iranian history and culture".

"We weren't there for a lesson," he said. "The P5 was there to see if Iran was willing to negotiate seriously."

On the table were a series of proposals delivered to the Iranians by EU foreign policy chief, Javier Solana in June.

Schulte outlined some of the proposals.

"We have offered Iran's leaders a very generous package that would give them access to state of the art technology for nuclear power plants, that would give them assurances of fuel supply, that would address some of the security issues that they've raised, that would allow for cooperation in areas of common interest like fighting against narcotics," he said. "And, we've looked for a way to get them into those negotiations⁴ and we said we would be there."

A way to entice⁵ the Iranians into negotiating is the freeze-for-freeze offer, meaning Iran would freeze its uranium enrichment at current levels and the U.N. and EU would freeze their current levels of sanctions. This period would last six weeks, to build confidence and allow for more substantive⁶ negotiations to begin.

The bottom line demand remains⁷, however that Iran must actually suspend the enrichment of uranium, the nuclear fuel source that can be used for generating energy, but also for making nuclear weapons.

The United States has said it would not negotiate directly with the Iranians until they suspend uranium enrichment. So, the presence of Undersecretary Burns at the Geneva meeting was widely seen as a shift in U.S. policy.

Not so, insists Schulte.

"The reason why Undersecretary Burns went to this meeting was not a change in U.S. policy, but was rather to send a strong signal," he said. "It was to send a signal that we backed -- we supported the package that was put on the table."

Iran was given two weeks to respond to the latest proposals or face further sanctions.

The United States, the U.N. and the EU have already imposed a series of sanctions on Iran and are threatening more.

Iranian leaders continue to say they will not suspend uranium enrichment and on Wednesday President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad insisted Iran would continue its nuclear program. And yet Iran says it is ready to talk.

Many believe Iran is simply buying time, especially given the upcoming presidential election in the United States and a change in administration.

That would be a waste of time, says Schulte. "If they try to outwait us, if they try to just buy time, they're only going to buy continued sanctions and more sanctions," he said. "And, whoever goes into the White House on January 21st is not going to look favorably at an Iran that has spent six more months violating Security Council resolutions."

Iran has all along said it wants to develop nuclear power for peaceful means, to provide energy. However, many in the international community believe Iran wants to develop nuclear weapons.

 

 

1 incentives   

激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 )； 刺激； 诱因； 动机

参考例句：

• tax incentives to encourage savings 鼓励储蓄的税收措施
• Furthermore, subsidies provide incentives only for investments in equipment. 更有甚者，提供津贴仅是为鼓励增添设备的投资。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

2 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

3 meandering   

蜿蜒的河流，漫步，聊天

参考例句：

• The village seemed deserted except for small boys and a meandering donkey. 整个村子的人都像是逃光了，只留下了几个小男孩和一头正在游游荡荡的小毛驴。 来自教父部分
• We often took a walk along the meandering river after supper. 晚饭后我们常沿着那条弯弯曲曲的小河散步。

4 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

5 entice   

v.诱骗，引诱，怂恿

参考例句：

• Nothing will entice the children from television.没有任何东西能把孩子们从电视机前诱开。
• I don't see why the English should want to entice us away from our native land.我不明白，为什英国人要引诱我们离开自己的国土。

6 substantive   

adj.表示实在的；本质的、实质性的；独立的；n.实词，实名词；独立存在的实体

参考例句：

• They plan to meet again in Rome very soon to begin substantive negotiations.他们计划不久在罗马再次会晤以开始实质性的谈判。
• A president needs substantive advice,but he also requires emotional succor. 一个总统需要实质性的建议，但也需要感情上的支持。

7 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。