2006年VOA标准英语-Rice Urges UN Security Council to Impose Iran S

By Meredith Buel
Washington
25 October 2006

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is urging the U.N. Security Council to impose sanctions on Iran immediately, saying the Tehran government must be held accountable for its defiance¹ regarding the nation's nuclear program.  Secretary Rice says Iran is closely watching the world's reaction to North Korea's recent nuclear test, and says weapons programs in both countries will never bring them prestige or more security.

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Condoleezza Rice speaks at the Heritage Foundation, Oct. 25, 2006

Secretary Rice says it is time for action on Iran's nuclear program.

"The United Nations Security Council is now working on an Iran sanctions resolution.  For the international community to be credible², it must pass a resolution now that holds Iran accountable for its defiance," she said.

Secretary Rice made the remarks in a speech at the Heritage Foundation, a Washington-based public policy institute.

She says Iran should pay close attention to the wide-ranging sanctions being imposed on North Korea since it carried out its first test of a nuclear weapon earlier this month.

"The greatest challenge to the non-proliferation regime comes from countries that violate their responsibilities under the Non-Proliferation Treaty," she added.  "The North Korean government has been one such case, so is Iran.  The Iranian regime is watching how the world responds to North Korea's behavior and it can now see the international community will confront this threat.  Iran can see that the path North Korea is choosing is not leading to more prestige and more prosperity or more security.  It is leading to just the opposite."

Western nations fear Iran's uranium enrichment program could allow the Islamic republic to make nuclear weapons.  Teheran insists its program is solely³ aimed at generating electricity.

Secretary Rice also urged North Korea to return to talks regarding incentives⁴ being offered if Pyongyang abandons its efforts to build nuclear weapons.

"North Korea should live up to its own international agreements to de-nuclearize and it should pursue policies that are not hostile to its neighbors and hostile to international principles and norms of behavior," she said.  "Everything North Korea says that it seeks is on the table in the six-party talks."

The six-party process, which includes the United States, North Korea, China, South Korea, Japan and Russia, began in 2003, but has been stalled for more than a year because of a boycott⁵ by Pyongyang.

Secretary Rice recently wrapped up a trip to the region where she sought support for the U.N. sanctions against North Korea.

1 defiance   

n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗

参考例句：

• He climbed the ladder in defiance of the warning.他无视警告爬上了那架梯子。
• He slammed the door in a spirit of defiance.他以挑衅性的态度把门砰地一下关上。

2 credible   

adj.可信任的，可靠的

参考例句：

• The news report is hardly credible.这则新闻报道令人难以置信。
• Is there a credible alternative to the nuclear deterrent?是否有可以取代核威慑力量的可靠办法？

3 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。

4 incentives   

激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 )； 刺激； 诱因； 动机

参考例句：

• tax incentives to encourage savings 鼓励储蓄的税收措施
• Furthermore, subsidies provide incentives only for investments in equipment. 更有甚者，提供津贴仅是为鼓励增添设备的投资。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

5 boycott   

n./v.(联合)抵制，拒绝参与

参考例句：

• We put the production under a boycott.我们联合抵制该商品。
• The boycott lasts a year until the Victoria board permitsreturn.这个抗争持续了一年直到维多利亚教育局妥协为止。