VOA标准英语2009年-Iran Claims to Have Test-Fired Mid-Range M

Iran's state media says the country has successfully test launched a mid-range surface-to-surface missile that can reach Israel, southeastern Europe and U.S. bases in the Middle East.
　
This image made from television broadcast Wednesday, 20 May 2009 by the Iranian television station, IRIB, is said by them to show the launch of a Sejil-2 surface-to-surface missile

Iranian government TV showed what it said was the test-firing of the Sejil-2, which it says has a range of 2,000 kilometers.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad also commented on the test-firing of the two-stage missile during a campaign speech in the northern town of Semnan.

The crowd of several thousand Ahmedinejad supporters cheered as the president described the launch.

He says that Iran's Defense¹ Minister informed him of the launch, and he claims that the missile is able to go beyond the atmosphere before coming back to hit its target.
　
Iranian Pres. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, speaks during his visit to Semnan, 20 May 2009

Mr. Ahmadinejad has inflamed² tensions with the West in the past with his threats to to wipe Israel "off the map." Israel has not ruled out military action on Iran's nuclear facilities.

The solid-fuel surface-to-surface missile is a new version of the Sejil that Iran said it had successfully tested in November.

The United States condemned³ the earlier test as a violation⁴ of U.N. Security Council resolutions.

Iranian Defense Minister Mohammad Mustafa Najjar indicated to Iranian TV back in November that the Sejil-2 missile had a range of around 2000 kilometers, which puts in striking distance of Israel.

Deputy Israeli Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon downplayed the importance of the new missile, but suggested that its range "should worry the Europeans," since a number of European states are now also within striking distance.

Ayalon also underlined that Iran is trying to develop a ballistic missile with a range of 10,000 kilometers that could reach the coast of the United States.

President Barack Obama indicated two days ago that the United States was ready to push for stronger international sanctions against Iran if Tehran refused to enter into negotiations⁵ over its nuclear program. The United States is also pushing for the installation of a missile defense program in Central Europe to guard against the threat posed by Iranian missiles.

Paul Ingram, executive director of the British American Security Information Council (BASIC), stresses that it's difficult to determine if the Sejil-2 test launch is a worrisome development, but that it sounds a lot like campaign rhetoric⁶ by President Ahmedinejad.

"It does sound like campaign rhetoric," Ingram said. "It is no coincidence that we are in the middle of an election campaign. Ahmedinejad has staked his domestic reputation on a position that has been to heighten tensions between Iran and the West. This current phase is very difficult to have any sort of cold analysis of the facts, because that is exactly what Ahmedinejad doesn't want. As with so many of these launches, the reality on the ground is so much less sensational⁷ than Ahmedinejad likes to whip up in these cases."

The United States and its Western allies accuse Iran of working to produce a nuclear weapon. U.S. President Barack Obama said Monday he hopes to see serious progress by the end of year in diplomatic initiatives to get Iran to stop its uranium enrichment activities. Iran says its atomic program is for producing electricity.

1 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

2 inflamed   

adj.发炎的，红肿的v.（使）变红，发怒，过热( inflame的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• His comments have inflamed teachers all over the country. 他的评论激怒了全国教师。
• Her joints are severely inflamed. 她的关节严重发炎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

4 violation   

n.违反(行为)，违背(行为)，侵犯

参考例句：

• He roared that was a violation of the rules.他大声说，那是违反规则的。
• He was fined 200 dollars for violation of traffic regulation.他因违反交通规则被罚款200美元。

5 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。

6 rhetoric   

n.修辞学，浮夸之言语

参考例句：

• Do you know something about rhetoric?你懂点修辞学吗？
• Behind all the rhetoric,his relations with the army are dangerously poised.在冠冕堂皇的言辞背后，他和军队的关系岌岌可危。

7 sensational   

adj.使人感动的，非常好的，轰动的，耸人听闻的

参考例句：

• Papers of this kind are full of sensational news reports.这类报纸满是耸人听闻的新闻报道。
• Their performance was sensational.他们的演出妙极了。