VOA标准英语2009-US Says Next Big-Power Meeting on Iranian Nu

David Gollust | State Department 20 November 2009

 
Photo: AFP
Iran's Wom nuclear facility

Major World Powers Dislike Nuclear Response From Iran
"This is something the Iranians agreed to in principle. "If you remember back in the Geneva meeting they agreed in principle to this proposal that was brought about under the auspices¹ of the IAEA. And since then Iran has had a difficult time saying yes to this proposal. So we're hopeful that Iran will, but should it not, we will obviously take a look at the pressure side of our dual-track approach," said Deputy State Department Spokesman Robert Wood.

The State Department says the international community's patience with Iran is limited, and that another meeting of the P5+1 grouping will be held shortly to take up the pressure side of its two-track approach to Iran of incentives³ if it cooperates  on the nuclear issue, and penalties if it doesn't.

The comments follow a meeting of senior diplomats⁴ of the six powers in Brussels Friday who reviewed Iran's equivocal reaction to a proposal under which most of its stockpile of enriched uranium would be sent abroad for reprocessing and returned to fuel a medical research reactor⁵ in Tehran.

Iran's chief nuclear negotiator appeared to accept the plan, developed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), at a meeting with the P5+1 in Geneva October first in a move that would have eased concerns that its enrichment program is weapons-related.

But the Tehran government has since backtracked on the issue, with Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki saying this week Iran is no longer willing to send the uranium out of the country.

At a news briefing Friday, Deputy State Department Spokesman Robert Wood expressed frustration⁶ over the Iranian stance.

"This is something the Iranians agreed to in principle," said Robert Wood. "If you remember back in the Geneva meeting they agreed in principle to this proposal that was brought about under the auspices of the IAEA. And since then Iran has had a difficult time saying yes to this proposal. So we're hopeful that Iran will, but should it not, we will obviously take a look at the pressure side of our dual-track approach."

Among the P5+1 members, Russia and China have been resistant⁷ to punitive⁸ action against Iran such as new U.N. sanctions.

Spokesman Wood stopped short of predicting that the grouping's next meeting on Iran, at a date and venue⁹ still to be determined¹⁰, would produce decisions on penalties. But he said the six powers are of one mind on the two-track approach.

President Barack Obama said in the South Korean capital, Seoul, early Thursday that he expects a package of potential steps to be developed over the next several weeks that will, as he put it, indicate our seriousness to Iran.

A senior State Department official who spoke² to reporters Friday said the President still expects to be able to decide by year's end if a diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear issue is possible though he said it is not a hard deadline.

The same official said there is great concern among member countries of the IAEA governing board about Iran's conflicted response to the agency proposal, which he said could reflect a split in the Iranian leadership.

1 auspices   

n.资助，赞助

参考例句：

• The association is under the auspices of Word Bank.这个组织是在世界银行的赞助下办的。
• The examination was held under the auspices of the government.这次考试是由政府主办的。

2 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。

3 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

4 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》

5 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。

6 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

7 resistant   

adj.(to)抵抗的，有抵抗力的

参考例句：

• Many pests are resistant to the insecticide.许多害虫对这种杀虫剂有抵抗力。
• They imposed their government by force on the resistant population.他们以武力把自己的统治强加在持反抗态度的人民头上。

8 punitive   

adj.惩罚的，刑罚的

参考例句：

• They took punitive measures against the whole gang.他们对整帮人采取惩罚性措施。
• The punitive tariff was imposed to discourage tire imports from China.该惩罚性关税的征收是用以限制中国轮胎进口的措施。

9 venue   

n.犯罪地点，审判地，管辖地，发生地点，集合地点

参考例句：

• The hall provided a venue for weddings and other functions.大厅给婚礼和其他社会活动提供了场所。
• The chosen venue caused great controversy among the people.人们就审判地点的问题产生了极大的争议。

10 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。