2006年VOA标准英语-Israel Hints at Military Action Against Ir

By Robert Berger
Jerusalem
22 January 2006
  

Shaul Mofaz  
  
Israel is threatening to launch a pre-emptive strike against Iran's nuclear program.

Defense¹ Minister Shaul Mofaz has hinted that Israel is preparing for military action against Iran's nuclear facilities.

"Israel cannot accept an Iranian nuclear capability² and it must defend itself, with all that that implies," Mofaz said. "We are preparing," he added.

But Mofaz said international diplomacy³ must be the first course of action. He welcomed the U.S.-led effort to bring Iran before the U.N. Security Council, saying sanctions and international oversight⁴ of Iran's nuclear program are the "correct policy at this time."

Israel has expressed growing alarm about Iran's nuclear program since late October, when the Iranian president called for the Jewish state to be "wiped off the map." Israeli spokesman Mark Regev says the U.S. and Europe must move more quickly to prevent Iran from acquiring the atom bomb.

"The combination of a regime with a very radical⁵ agenda, put together with nuclear weapons, I think that is a combination, a dangerous combination that no one in the international community can accept," said Regev.

The Israeli air force destroyed the Iraqi nuclear reactor⁶ in 1981. And Israeli officials have warned repeatedly that if diplomacy fails, there is a military option.

1 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。

2 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。

3 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

4 oversight   

n.勘漏，失察，疏忽

参考例句：

• I consider this a gross oversight on your part.我把这件事看作是你的一大疏忽。
• Your essay was not marked through an oversight on my part.由于我的疏忽你的文章没有打分。

5 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

6 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。