VOA标准英语2008年-Israel says Diplomacy with Iran Does Not Work

Israel says Iran's refusal to stop enriching uranium shows the futility¹ of diplomacy² to prevent Tehran from building a nuclear weapon. VOA's Michael Bowman reports, Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni spoke³ on U.S. television.

Iran's president continues to insist he will not surrender his country's "nuclear rights". Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spoke as an informal deadline expired for Iran to halt its program to enrich uranium in return for international economic incentives⁴ and the suspension of further United Nations sanctions.
　
Israel's Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni (file photo)

Speaking on CNN's Late Edition program, Israeli Foreign Minister Livni said the world must take note of Iran's responses to diplomatic initiatives.

"It is clear that Iran does not pay attention to talks," said Tzipi Livni. "And this is a clear message to the international community to continue with real and effective sanctions. And clearly Iran is a threat, not only to Israel. This is a global threat, and the international community should act accordingly."

Livni was asked if the time is drawing near for her country or other nations to consider direct intervention⁵ to prevent Iran from building a nuclear weapon. The Israeli foreign minister did not comment on possible military options, stressing instead the importance of continued international sanctions to pressure Tehran.

"I think that time is of the essence. Intensive sanctions can be effective. Iran is a threat to its neighbors, as well," she said. "And the international community is being watched, not only by Iran, but also by its neighbors. And when the international community shows hesitation⁶, this is being perceived as weakness. And we live in a neighborhood where either you beat the bully⁷ or join it."

Iran continues to insist its nuclear program is purely⁸ for peaceful purposes - to generate energy for a growing population. In a recent interview, President Ahmadinejad suggested that nuclear weapons are a relic⁹ of the 20th century that his country has no interest in acquiring.

 

1 futility   

n.无用

参考例句：

• She could see the utter futility of trying to protest. 她明白抗议是完全无用的。
• The sheer futility of it all exasperates her. 它毫无用处，这让她很生气。

2 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

3 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。

4 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

5 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。

6 hesitation   

n.犹豫，踌躇

参考例句：

• After a long hesitation, he told the truth at last.踌躇了半天，他终于直说了。
• There was a certain hesitation in her manner.她的态度有些犹豫不决。

7 bully   

n.恃强欺弱者，小流氓；vt.威胁，欺侮

参考例句：

• A bully is always a coward.暴汉常是懦夫。
• The boy gave the bully a pelt on the back with a pebble.那男孩用石子掷击小流氓的背脊。

8 purely   

adv.纯粹地，完全地

参考例句：

• I helped him purely and simply out of friendship.我帮他纯粹是出于友情。
• This disproves the theory that children are purely imitative.这证明认为儿童只会单纯地模仿的理论是站不住脚的。

9 relic   

n.神圣的遗物，遗迹，纪念物

参考例句：

• This stone axe is a relic of ancient times.这石斧是古代的遗物。
• He found himself thinking of the man as a relic from the past.他把这个男人看成是过去时代的人物。