VOA标准英语2009年-IAEA Drafts Nuclear Deal for Iran

By Lisa Bryant
Paris
21 October 2009

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has drafted an agreement to supply enriched uranium to Iran following three days of negotiations¹ at its headquarters in Vienna.  If all parties agree to it, the deal could mark a breakthrough after a years-long international standoff over Iran's nuclear program.

The draft agreement was announced to reporters by the International Atomic Energy Agency's chief Mohamed ElBaradei, who has given all parties involved until Friday to approve it.

 
International Atomic Energy Agency  Director General Mohammed ElBaradei speaks to reporters at the Agency's headquarters in Vienna, Austria, 21 Oct 2009
"I have circulated a draft agreement that reflects, in my judgment², a balanced approach on how to move forward," he said.  "The deadline for the parties to give, I hope, affirmative action is Friday, two days from now.  And if we do get affirmative action, then I hope that we will have an agreement that we can send to the (IAEA) board of governors."

ElBaradei said France was included in the draft agreement.  Talks this week gathering³ Russia, the United States, France, Iran and the IAEA, stalled on Tuesday over Iran's reluctance⁴ to have France participate in any deal on enriching its uranium.   ElBaradei however described the discussions as constructive⁵ and forward-looking.

The IAEA chief did not elaborate on the draft deal, but news agencies report that it is essentially⁶ similar to an agreement reached in Geneva earlier this month. That deal would commit Iran to shipping⁷ about 75 percent of its lightly enriched stockpile of uranium to Russia for further enrichment.

The material would then be shipped to France to be converted into metal rods before being delivered back to Tehran. The rods would be used to power a research reactor⁸ in the Iranian capital making medical isotopes⁹.

More broadly, if all parties agree to the deal, it would defuse international concerns about Iran's nuclear program.  Iran says the program is for peaceful purposes , but western nations fear Tehran is trying to build a nuclear bomb.

1 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。

2 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。

3 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

4 reluctance   

n.厌恶，讨厌，勉强，不情愿

参考例句：

• The police released Andrew with reluctance.警方勉强把安德鲁放走了。
• He showed the greatest reluctance to make a reply.他表示很不愿意答复。

5 constructive   

adj.建设的，建设性的

参考例句：

• We welcome constructive criticism.我们乐意接受有建设性的批评。
• He is beginning to deal with his anger in a constructive way.他开始用建设性的方法处理自己的怒气。

6 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

7 shipping   

n.船运（发货，运输，乘船）

参考例句：

• We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
• There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。

8 reactor   

n.反应器；反应堆

参考例句：

• The atomic reactor generates enormous amounts of thermal energy.原子反应堆发出大量的热能。
• Inside the reactor the large molecules are cracked into smaller molecules.在反应堆里，大分子裂变为小分子。

9 isotopes   

n.同位素；同位素( isotope的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• the many isotopes of carbon 碳的诸多同位素
• Tritium is one of the mildest radioactive isotopes. 氚是最和缓的放射性同位素之一。 来自《简明英汉词典》