VOA双语新闻 US Supports Term Limit for IAEA Chief（在线收听）

The Bush administration says it continues to believe there should be term limits for top U.N. officials. Among those nearing the end of his second term is the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mohamed ElBaradei.

布什政府仍然认为应该对联合国高层官员实行任期限制。第二任任期快要结束的联合国高层官员当中，包括国际原子能机构总干事巴拉迪。

The White House has made no secret of the fact it would like to see the Egyptian diplomat leave the post when his second term expires next year.

白宫毫不掩饰它希望埃及外交官巴拉迪明年第二任任期届满时离任。

A White House spokeswoman says the United States has always supported a two term limit for U.N. organization chiefs. But she declines to comment on reports the U.S. has intercepted Mohamed ElBaradei's telephone calls in a search for evidence that could be used against him.

白宫发言人德弗朗西斯说，美国一直主张联合国各机构的首席官员只担任两届任期。有报道说，美国在寻找可能对巴拉迪不利的证据时窃听了他的电话，对此，德弗朗西斯拒绝发表任何评论。

When pressed by reporters, spokeswoman Suzy DeFrances, would go no further than a brief statement on the term limit issue. She said only that the Bush administration does not comment on intelligence matters.

在记者一再追问下，德弗朗西斯除了有关任期问题的简短声明之外，只是说，布什政府不就情报问题发表评论。

The news media inquiries were prompted by a Washington Post article that alleged the Bush administration is scrutinizing Mr. ElBaradei's conversations with Iranian diplomats. The article quotes unnamed U.S. government officials as saying calls have been intercepted and transcripts studied in hopes of convincing other countries the nuclear agency chief should retire.

媒体之所以对这个问题紧追不放，是因为华盛顿邮报最近在报道中指称，布什政府窃听了巴拉迪和伊朗外交官之间的电话谈话。报道援引没有透露姓名的美国政府官员的话说，美国方面窃听他们的电话，并且对电话录音进行了研究，希望能够找到证据来说服其它国家这位原子能机构的负责人应该离职了。

These officials indicate they found no evidence of wrongdoing. Some said the calls sounded like he was being too soft on the Iranians, while others described the conversations as standard diplomacy.

美国官员表示，他们没有找到任何不法行为的证据。有些官员说，电话听上去好象巴拉迪对伊朗人过于心慈手软，另外一些官员则认为，谈话符合标准的外交做法。

Tensions between Mohamed ElBaradei and the Bush administration pre-date the war in Iraq, when he questioned U.S. intelligence. During an appearance on CNN's Late Edition program, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Delaware's Joseph Biden, said he has confidence in the IAEA's director general. "I have found him to be a pretty straight shooter. He hasn't given the administration what he wanted to hear. He turned out to be right about Iraq and weapons of mass destruction," he said.

巴拉迪和布什政府之间的紧张关系可以追溯到伊拉克战争开始的时候，当时他对美国的情报提出置疑。美国参议院外交关系委员会民主党籍资深参议员拜登在接受美国有线电视新闻网CNN晚间节目的采访时说，他信任联合国原子能机构的这位总干事。拜登说，“我认为他是一个很直率的人。他没有说白宫喜欢听的话。结果证明他对伊拉克以及大规模杀伤性武器的推测是正确的。”

Senator Biden went on to say he agrees with the White House that Mr. ElBaradei has not moved fast enough on Iran's nuclear intentions. He said he cannot confirm any wiretaps have occurred, but urged the Bush administration not to follow that path.

拜登参议员承认，在伊朗的核计划问题上，巴拉迪的行动不够果断。他说，他无法证实窃听事件是否真有发生，但是他敦促布什政府不要采取这种做法。