VOA标准英语2009年-Major Powers Call for Nuclear Talks With I

Major world powers meeting on Wednesday in Germany have urged Iran to return to negotiations¹ over its nuclear program before the U.N. General Assembly opens its new session in New York later this month. Iran's top nuclear negotiator said earlier this week that Tehran has new proposals to ease concerns about its nuclear intentions.
　
The reactor² building (L) dominates the nuclear power plant in Bushehr, Iran (File)

U.S. officials are not calling it a deadline. But they say that if Iran has new proposals that would revive the nuclear dialogue, it should agree to a meeting with the five permanent U.N. Security Council member countries and Germany before the new General Assembly begins debate on September 23.

The major powers, the so-called P-5+1, presented Iran last April with a revised package of economic and other incentives³ for Tehran to end its uranium enrichment program and return to talks on the future of its nuclear program.

On the eve of a meeting of senior diplomats⁴ of the P-5+1 in Frankfurt on Wednesday, Iranian nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili said Tehran has a revised set of nuclear proposals and that it is ready to reengage with the six powers.

State Department Spokesman Ian Kelly told reporters here the four hour Frankfurt meeting of the P-5+1 political directors included discussion of the Jalili remarks and that the participants stressed that a negotiated solution remains⁵ open to Tehran.

"With reference to Dr. Jalili's statement this week that Iran is ready to resume talks, they stressed that Iran should respond to the offer of talks in April by agreeing to meet before the U.N. General Assembly meeting. They underlined the right of Iran to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, but that Iran should be aware of the urgent need to restore confidence in the exclusively-peaceful nature of its nuclear program through full cooperation with the international community," the spokesman said.

President Barack Obama has given Iran until the end of this month to take up the six-power incentives offer or face wider international sanctions - including, officials say, possible measures that would target gasoline imports on which Iran is dependent.

Administration officials say they are unsure whether the Jalili remarks herald⁶ a policy change by Iran or are merely a gambit to try to blunt international support for new sanctions in advance of the U.N. meeting.

Nonetheless, the State Department says it is ready to review any new Iranian proposal "seriously" and with "mutual⁷ respect".

While Iran insists that its nuclear program is peaceful, the United States and its European allies say Tehran is seeking to build nuclear weapons. Those suspicions were reinforced by an International Atomic Energy Agency report last week that said Iran has been evasive about alleged⁸ military aspects of its program.

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 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。

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 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

6 herald   

vt.预示...的来临，预告，宣布，欢迎

参考例句：

• In England, the cuckoo is the herald of spring.在英国杜鹃鸟是报春的使者。
• Dawn is the herald of day.曙光是白昼的先驱。

7 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

8 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为