2006年VOA标准英语-Rice Dismisses Iranian Overture for New Ta

By David Gollust
State Department
18 January 2006

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is dismissing an Iranian overture¹ for renewed talks with Europe without substantive² action by Tehran to ease world concerns about its nuclear intentions.  She discussed the issue with European Union chief diplomat³ Javier Solana.

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Condoleezza Rice, right, with Javier Solana, the European Union's foreign policy chief 
  

The Bush administration and key European officials are brushing aside Iran's latest offer to resume nuclear talks in the absence of action by the Iranians to reverse recent moves to resume uranium enrichment.

The deputy head of Iran's Supreme⁴ National Security Council Javad Vaeedi offered to resume talks in a letter Tuesday to the foreign ministers of Britain, France, and Germany.

He said Iran would spare no effort to remove any ambiguity⁵ about its nuclear program through negotiation⁶, but gave no indication it would again abide⁷ by the nuclear freeze agreement it reached with the EU-three more than a year ago.

In a brief talk with reporters as she began a meeting focusing on Iran with EU chief diplomat Javier Solana, Secretary Rice said she agrees with European officials that the mere⁸ resumption of talks at this point is not enough.

"I think it is up to the Iranians to demonstrate that they are not just talking, but they are serious,"she said.  "I think the EU, France, have already responded concerning whether or not they think it would make any sense to have discussions with the Iranians at this point.  And my understanding is they believe it would not, because it is the Iranians who walked away from the negotiations⁹, who broke the moratorium¹⁰.  As that condition exists, I am sensing from the Europeans that there is not much to talk about."

Mr. Solana for his part said the Europeans are not prepared to return to talks with Iran just for the sake of talking, and are joining the United States in seeking an emergency meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) board of governors to refer the matter to the U.N. Security Council.

"We received a letter from the national security adviser¹¹ of Iran telling us to continue having another meeting that we fixed¹² a time ago," he said.  "We are replying that there is not much sense to have another meeting if there is nothing new in what they are going to put on the table.  So I think our position now is what we have said, as the Secretary has said again, which is to have to have a meeting in Vienna of the agency [IAEA] and then to refer the issue to the Security Council."

Solana said he hoped that common sense would again prevail among Iranian authorities and that they would return to negotiations and not break agreements they made with the European Union and the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Secretary Rice said it is important for the IAEA board to take action in order to serve notice on Iran that it cannot continue acting¹³ with impunity¹⁴ against the interests of the international community.

She said Iran must not be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon or be allowed to pursue activities that might lead to such a capability¹⁵.

Iran insists its nuclear program is entirely¹⁶ peaceful, while the United States has long maintained that it has a covert¹⁷ weapons component¹⁸.

1 overture   

n.前奏曲、序曲，提议，提案，初步交涉

参考例句：

• The opera was preceded by a short overture.这部歌剧开始前有一段简短的序曲。
• His overture led to nothing.他的提议没有得到什么结果。

2 substantive   

adj.表示实在的；本质的、实质性的；独立的；n.实词，实名词；独立存在的实体

参考例句：

• They plan to meet again in Rome very soon to begin substantive negotiations.他们计划不久在罗马再次会晤以开始实质性的谈判。
• A president needs substantive advice,but he also requires emotional succor. 一个总统需要实质性的建议，但也需要感情上的支持。

3 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

4 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

5 ambiguity   

n.模棱两可；意义不明确

参考例句：

• The telegram was misunderstood because of its ambiguity.由于电文意义不明确而造成了误解。
• Her answer was above all ambiguity.她的回答毫不含糊。

6 negotiation   

n.谈判，协商

参考例句：

• They closed the deal in sugar after a week of negotiation.经过一星期的谈判，他们的食糖生意成交了。
• The negotiation dragged on until July.谈判一直拖到7月份。

7 abide   

vi.遵守；坚持；vt.忍受

参考例句：

• You must abide by the results of your mistakes.你必须承担你的错误所造成的后果。
• If you join the club,you have to abide by its rules.如果你参加俱乐部，你就得遵守它的规章。

8 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

9 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。

10 moratorium   

n.(行动、活动的)暂停(期)，延期偿付

参考例句：

• The government has called for a moratorium on weapons testing.政府已要求暂停武器试验。
• We recommended a moratorium on two particular kinds of experiments.我们建议暂禁两种特殊的实验。

11 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

12 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

13 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

14 impunity   

n.(惩罚、损失、伤害等的)免除

参考例句：

• You will not escape with impunity.你不可能逃脱惩罚。
• The impunity what compulsory insurance sets does not include escapement.交强险规定的免责范围不包括逃逸。

15 capability   

n.能力；才能；(pl)可发展的能力或特性等

参考例句：

• She has the capability to become a very fine actress.她有潜力成为杰出演员。
• Organizing a whole department is beyond his capability.组织整个部门是他能力以外的事。

16 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

17 covert   

adj.隐藏的；暗地里的

参考例句：

• We should learn to fight with enemy in an overt and covert way.我们应学会同敌人做公开和隐蔽的斗争。
• The army carried out covert surveillance of the building for several months.军队对这座建筑物进行了数月的秘密监视。

18 component   

n.组成部分，成分，元件；adj.组成的，合成的

参考例句：

• Each component is carefully checked before assembly.每个零件在装配前都经过仔细检查。
• Blade and handle are the component parts of a knife.刀身和刀柄是一把刀的组成部分。