VOA标准英语2010年-On Revolution Day Iran Says Uranium Fu

In this image made from video provided by Iranian State TV, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad speaks at a rally in Tehran, 11 Feb 2010, marking the 31st anniversary of Islamic Revolution

Iran's president has told a crowd gathered for the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution that Iran has made its first batch¹ of further-enriched uranium. The announcement is likely to provoke more criticism from from abroad, while the anniversary celebrations have drawn² opposition³ at home.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said scientists have enriched a batch of uranium to 20 percent, a level needed to make fuel for an Iranian research reactor⁴.

The International Atomic Energy Agency was not able to immediately confirm the announcement.  Iran says IAEA inspectors⁵ have been monitoring the process, which it says got underway Tuesday.

The two-day turnaround is likely to raise doubts among Western engineers, who said Iran would need a substantial reconfiguring of its known processing capabilities⁶. 

But the timing⁷ allowed Mr. Ahmadinejad to add it to the list of Iranian achievements he hailed to massive crowds in Tehran gathered to mark the anniversary.

Hundreds of thousands of people turned out for rallies around the country to observe the 31st anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Some of the pro-government gatherings⁸ were used to denounce long-time foes⁹ Britain and the United States.

Opposition demonstrators tried to hold their own rallies, but there are reports they have been met with tear gas, warning shots and arrests. One pro-reform Web site says the granddaughter of the Republic's founding father, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, was briefly¹⁰ detained.

The government had warned it would not tolerate any counter-demonstrations, which sprang up after Mr. Ahmadinejad's disputed re-election last year.  

The Iranian leadership has been criticized internationally for its crackdown on the opposition, as well as for its nuclear program.   The government says the unrest has been fomented¹¹ by foreign powers, and defends the enrichment as solely¹² for civilian¹³ purposes.

Western nations are angry Tehran rejected a United Nations deal to enrich the uranium abroad, which supposedly could delay any Iranian attempt to gain nuclear weapons.
 

1 batch   

n.一批(组，群)；一批生产量

参考例句：

• The first batch of cakes was burnt.第一炉蛋糕烤焦了。
• I have a batch of letters to answer.我有一批信要回复。

2 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

3 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

4 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。

5 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》

6 capabilities   

n.能力( capability的名词复数 )；可能；容量；[复数]潜在能力

参考例句：

• He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities. 他有点自大，自视甚高。 来自辞典例句
• Some programmers use tabs to break complex product capabilities into smaller chunks. 一些程序员认为，标签可以将复杂的功能分为每个窗格一组简单的功能。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

7 timing   

n.时间安排，时间选择

参考例句：

• The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。
• The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。

8 gatherings   

聚集( gathering的名词复数 )； 收集； 采集； 搜集

参考例句：

• His conduct at social gatherings created a lot of comment. 他在社交聚会上的表现引起许多闲话。
• During one of these gatherings a pupil caught stealing. 有一次，其中一名弟子偷窃被抓住。

9 foes   

敌人，仇敌( foe的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They steadily pushed their foes before them. 他们不停地追击敌人。
• She had fought many battles, vanquished many foes. 她身经百战，挫败过很多对手。

10 briefly   

adv.简单地，简短地

参考例句：

• I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
• He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。

11 fomented   

v.激起，煽动（麻烦等）( foment的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• His words finally fomented her hostility. 他的言词终于引发了她的敌意。 来自辞典例句
• His legs should be fomented. 应当对他的双腿进行热敷。 来自互联网

12 solely   

adv.仅仅，唯一地

参考例句：

• Success should not be measured solely by educational achievement.成功与否不应只用学业成绩来衡量。
• The town depends almost solely on the tourist trade.这座城市几乎完全靠旅游业维持。

13 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。