VOA标准英语2009年-UN Nuclear Inspectors to Tour Iran's Secon

By Edward Yeranian
Cairo
24 October 2009

 
IAEA inspectors¹ check in at Vienna's International Airport on their way to Iran, 24 Oct 2009
A team of U.N. inspectors is heading to Iran to visit a recently revealed nuclear site. International Atomic Energy Agency experts will examine an unfinished uranium enrichment facility near the holy city of Qom to verify it is for peaceful purposes. 

Iran's English-language Press TV reports that International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors are beginning a three-day visit to Iran, Saturday, to examine the country's Fordoo nuclear enrichment facility.

Existence of the underground facility - first revealed in September - raised international suspicion over the extent and aim of the country's nuclear program.

US President Barack Obama warned Iran, at the time, that it would face "increased pressure" if it failed to reveal all of its nuclear activities.

The Iranian News Network (IRINN) says that the UN inspectors will spend two or three days in Iran to complete their inspections² of the new facility, which is still under construction.

The Head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, Ali Akbar Salehi, says that Tehran is allowing the UN inspectors to visit the Fordoo enrichment facility to "prove Tehran's good will" and to reassure³ the world community of its "peaceful nuclear activities."

Iran's primary nuclear enrichment facility in Natanz has continued to operate since 2007, despite sanctions by UN Security Council.

IAEA chief Mohammed al-Baradei rebuked⁴ Iran for not disclosing the existence of the Fordoo plant. The international community is worried that Tehran is planning to install a new generation of sophisticated centrifuges to enrich uranium at a much faster pace.

The US and other Western powers are wary⁵ of Tehran's nuclear intentions, and suspect that Tehran ultimately intends to produce nuclear weapons, a charge Iran denies.

Friday, Tehran delayed its response to a proposal made by the US, France and Russia to further enrich Tehran's existing stockpile of low-grade uranium.

Iran's top nuclear negotiator, Ali Asgar Soltaniyeh, told Iran's Press TV that Tehran will respond to the offer, next week, but that Tehran also expects the world powers to examine its own counterproposals for enriching uranium:

"We are also waiting for the other parties to study our proposals and to reflect the results of their evaluation⁶," he said. "At the same time, we have, in fact, started studying the draft proposal, and we are in fact working and elaborating on all details of these proposals, from technical aspects and all other dimensions, and I will inform the director general of the IAEA next week, as soon as I'm back to Vienna, about our evaluation."

U.S. officials indicated that they're prepared to wait a few more days for an Iranian response to the nuclear proposals, but that the Obama administration expects concrete action and does not have unlimited⁷ patience.

1 inspectors   

n.检查员( inspector的名词复数 )；（英国公共汽车或火车上的）查票员；（警察）巡官；检阅官

参考例句：

• They got into the school in the guise of inspectors. 他们假装成视察员进了学校。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Inspectors checked that there was adequate ventilation. 检查员已检查过，通风良好。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 inspections   

n.检查( inspection的名词复数 )；检验；视察；检阅

参考例句：

• Regular inspections are carried out at the prison. 经常有人来视察这座监狱。
• Government inspections ensure a high degree of uniformity in the standard of service. 政府检查确保了在服务标准方面的高度一致。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 reassure   

v.使放心，使消除疑虑

参考例句：

• This seemed to reassure him and he continued more confidently.这似乎使他放心一点，于是他更有信心地继续说了下去。
• The airline tried to reassure the customers that the planes were safe.航空公司尽力让乘客相信飞机是安全的。

4 rebuked   

责难或指责( rebuke的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The company was publicly rebuked for having neglected safety procedures. 公司因忽略了安全规程而受到公开批评。
• The teacher rebuked the boy for throwing paper on the floor. 老师指责这个男孩将纸丢在地板上。

5 wary   

adj.谨慎的，机警的，小心的

参考例句：

• He is wary of telling secrets to others.他谨防向他人泄露秘密。
• Paula frowned,suddenly wary.宝拉皱了皱眉头，突然警惕起来。

6 evaluation   

n.估价，评价；赋值

参考例句：

• I attempted an honest evaluation of my own life.我试图如实地评价我自己的一生。
• The new scheme is still under evaluation.新方案还在评估阶段。

7 unlimited   

adj.无限的，不受控制的，无条件的

参考例句：

• They flew over the unlimited reaches of the Arctic.他们飞过了茫茫无边的北极上空。
• There is no safety in unlimited technological hubris.在技术方面自以为是会很危险。