VOA标准英语2009年-Iran Nuclear Revelation Reinforces Sanctio

By Dan Robinson
Washington
25 September 2009

The revelation that Iran has been constructing a second uranium enrichment facility has reinforced the determination of the U.S. Congress to move forward with sanctions legislation.

With Iran now facing intensified¹ pressure to provide a complete account of all of its enrichment and any weapons-related activities, revelation of the new enrichment facility reinforced the determination of U.S. lawmakers to move ahead with tougher sanctions.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's assertion in a Friday news conference in New York that the new facility was not in violation² of International Atomic Energy Agency guidelines and would be for energy purposes seemed to only increase the degree of anger on Capitol Hill.

Representative Howard Berman, the Democrat³ heading the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, issued a statement saying the news reinforces his determination to move a sanctions bill next month.

Saying Iran's intention to build nuclear weaponry and its efforts to disguise this could not be clearer now, Berman said there can be no doubt Iran has been lying to the international community for years about its allegedly peaceful nuclear intentions.

The Iran Refined Petroleum⁴ Sanctions Act, which has overwhelming bipartisan support with more than 300 House members backing it, would expand existing sanctions and effectively prohibit any non-U.S. company involved in selling, or enabling the sale or transport of, refined petroleum products to Iran from doing business in the United States.

Because it lacks refining capacity, Iran is mostly dependent on foreign gasoline imports. Expanded U.S. sanctions would cover petroleum, petroleum by-products, oil or liquefied natural gas, tankers⁵, and products used to construct or maintain pipelines⁶.

Democrat Ike Skelton, who chairs the House Armed Services Committee, said fact that Iran concealed⁷ the existence of the enrichment site is not consistent with its claims that the facility will be used only for peaceful purposes.

The revelation triggered a wave of condemnation⁸ on the House floor, with Republicans joining Democrats⁹ in calls to speed passage of new sanctions legislation.

Howard McKeon, ranking Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, questioned why, if the facility was designed for civilian¹⁰ purposes, Iran concealed its existence.

"It is time for the Obama administration to do something concrete, beyond pinning their hopes on upcoming talks [or] relying on Russia to protect our security interests. This starts with stronger sanctions against Iran, right now," he said.

Republicans also asserted that the nuclear revelation supports their position that President Obama acted unwisely in altering plans for a European missile shield to defend against future missile launches by Iran.

Republican Congressman¹¹ Trent Franks said, "It is disgracefully ironic¹² that today's announcement comes only a week after announcing our abandonment of the European missile defense¹³ site which could have protected the homeland of the United States against Iranian long-range missiles."

Saying President Obama has offered Iran every opportunity for constructive¹⁴ diplomatic dialogue on its nuclear program, Senate Democratic Foreign Relations Committee chairman John Kerry said more robust¹⁵ sanctions are the only way to dramatically increase the economic and diplomatic pressure on Iran from the outside and help leverage¹⁶ pressure on the regime from its own population which wants a different relationship with the world.

Senate legislation sponsored by Democrat Evan Bayh that mirrors the gasoline sanctions bill in the House Foreign Affairs Committee currently has the support of 75 lawmakers in that chamber¹⁷.

 

1 intensified   

v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Violence intensified during the night. 在夜间暴力活动加剧了。
• The drought has intensified. 旱情加剧了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 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。

3 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

4 petroleum   

n.原油，石油

参考例句：

• The Government of Iran advanced the price of petroleum last week.上星期伊朗政府提高了石油价格。
• The purpose of oil refinery is to refine crude petroleum.炼油厂的主要工作是提炼原油。

5 tankers   

运送大量液体或气体的轮船[卡车]( tanker的名词复数 )； 油轮； 罐车； 油槽车

参考例句：

• They should stop offloading waste from oil tankers into the sea. 他们应当停止从油轮上往海里倾倒废弃物。
• The harbour admits large tankers and freighters. 这个港口容得下巨型油船和货轮。

6 pipelines   

管道( pipeline的名词复数 )； 输油管道； 在考虑（或规划、准备） 中； 在酿中

参考例句：

• The oil is carried to the oil refinery by pipelines. 石油通过输油管输送到炼油厂。
• The oil carried in pipelines. 石油用管道输送。

7 concealed   

a.隐藏的，隐蔽的

参考例句：

• The paintings were concealed beneath a thick layer of plaster. 那些画被隐藏在厚厚的灰泥层下面。
• I think he had a gun concealed about his person. 我认为他当时身上藏有一支枪。

8 condemnation   

n.谴责; 定罪

参考例句：

• There was widespread condemnation of the invasion. 那次侵略遭到了人们普遍的谴责。
• The jury's condemnation was a shock to the suspect. 陪审团宣告有罪使嫌疑犯大为震惊。

9 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

11 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

12 ironic   

adj.讽刺的，有讽刺意味的，出乎意料的

参考例句：

• That is a summary and ironic end.那是一个具有概括性和讽刺意味的结局。
• People used to call me Mr Popularity at high school,but they were being ironic.人们中学时常把我称作“万人迷先生”，但他们是在挖苦我。

13 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。

14 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。

15 robust   

adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的

参考例句：

• She is too tall and robust.她个子太高，身体太壮。
• China wants to keep growth robust to reduce poverty and avoid job losses,AP commented.美联社评论道，中国希望保持经济强势增长，以减少贫困和失业状况。

16 leverage   

n.力量，影响；杠杆作用，杠杆的力量

参考例句：

• We'll have to use leverage to move this huge rock.我们不得不借助杠杆之力来移动这块巨石。
• He failed in the project because he could gain no leverage. 因为他没有影响力，他的计划失败了。

17 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。