VOA标准英语2009年-Clinton: Not Time Yet for Iran Sanctions

By Robert Raffaele
Washington
13 October 2009

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says it is not yet time for additional sanctions against Iran, and said the United States and Russia are working together on the issue. Clinton spoke¹ to reporters in Moscow Tuesday, after meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Secretary Clinton praised Moscow for its cooperation on Iran's nuclear program.

The meeting with Foreign Minister Lavrov came after Iran last month disclosed a previously² secret uranium enrichment site near the holy city of Qom.  Tehran insists its nuclear program is for civilian³ use only.

Clinton said Tuesday Washington and Moscow agree Iran is entitled to peaceful nuclear energy, without nuclear weapons.

 
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton 
"At the same time that we are very vigorously pursuing this track, we are aware that we might not be as successful as we need to be so we have always looked at the potential of sanctions in the event that we are not successful, that we cannot assure ourselves and others that Iran has decided⁴ not to pursue nuclear weapons," she said.

Lavrov called threats to impose new sanctions "counterproductive," saying the international community should push for a diplomatic solution.

"On Iran, we are not asking anything from each other, because it would be ridiculous to ask something on an issue on which our positions coincide," he said.  "We want to resolve all issues connected with Iran's nuclear program in a way the country is able to fully⁵ enjoy its rights as a non-nuclear member of the Non-Proliferation Treaty and take advantage of all the ensuing opportunities in the field of peaceful nuclear power engineering."

Iranian diplomats⁶ have agreed to meet with officials from the U.S., France, Russia and the United Nations to work out a plan for enriching uranium abroad.  Those talks are set for October 19 in Vienna.

Three rounds of U.N. Security Council sanctions have so far failed to halt Tehran's uranium enrichment program.

On another matter, Lavrov said the United States and Russia have made "considerable" progress on plans to reduce their nuclear arsenals⁷. The two sides are in negotiations⁸ on a treaty to replace the current START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) agreement, which expires in December.

1 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。

2 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

3 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

4 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

5 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

6 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 arsenals   

n.兵工厂，军火库( arsenal的名词复数 )；任何事物的集成

参考例句：

• We possess-each of us-nuclear arsenals capable of annihilating humanity. 我们两国都拥有能够毁灭全人类的核武库。 来自辞典例句
• Arsenals are factories that produce weapons. 军工厂是生产武器的工厂。 来自互联网

8 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。