2006年VOA标准英语-Congressional Democrats Urge US-Iran Talks

By Deborah Tate
Capitol Hill
15 November 2006
 
U.S. congressional Democrats², who will control the House of Representatives and Senate beginning in January, are calling on the Bush administration to hold direct talks with Iran about its nuclear program and its neighbor, Iraq. 

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US Capitol, Washington DC  
  
Democrats in the House and Senate favor bilateral³ U.S.-Iran talks, arguing that the discussions could lead to a calming of the situation in Iraq and a halt to Iran's uranium enrichment program.

The incoming chairmen of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Democratic Senator Joe Biden of Delaware, and of the House International Relations Committee, Democratic Congressman⁴ Tom Lantos of California, both favor this approach.

Senator Chris Dodd, a Connecticut Democrat¹ and member of the Foreign Relations Committee, renewed the appeal to the Bush administration in a speech on the Senate floor Wednesday:

"When it comes to protecting our security, we must be as willing to wage diplomacy⁵ as we have been willing to wage war,” said Mr. Dodd.  “Robust, muscular and direct negotiations⁶ are not gifts to our enemies.  These are essential tools of avoiding conflict and securing peace and security."

The United States believes Iran is helping⁷ fuel the insurgency⁸ in Iraq, and says its nuclear program is aimed at producing bombs.  Tehran denies it has had a role in the violence in Iraq, and says its uranium enrichment program is for peaceful energy purposes.

 
Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator John Warner (R) speaks with General John Abizaid (L) the top US commander in the Middle East, as they prepare to begin a hearing on Capitol Hill on Iraq 
  
The State Department's senior coordinator⁹ for Iraq, David Satterfield, told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Wednesday that the United States is not opposed to holding direct talks with Iran.

"We are prepared, in principle, to discuss Iranian activities in Iraq,” he said.  “The timing¹⁰ of such a direct dialogue is one that we still have under review."

At the State Department, a spokesman said Satterfield was not expressing a change of policy.   The Bush administration maintains it would be willing to talk to Iran, but only after it suspends its nuclear program - a policy Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice reiterated¹¹ as recently as Tuesday, en route to Hanoi.

But even if Iran agreed to suspend uranium enrichment and Washington opened talks with Tehran, some experts are skeptical¹² about the usefulness of such discussions.

Former Central Intelligence Agency Director James Woolsey offered his opinion at a forum¹³ on Iran on Capitol Hill.

"They might well talk, they might well promise, but if they do promise they will lie, and they will continue to work on their nuclear weapons program and continue to try to destabilize Iraq," he said.

Woolsey estimates that Iran could produce what he calls a "primitive¹⁴" nuclear weapon within the next three years.

The United States and its European allies are negotiating with Russia and China about a draft U.N. Security Council resolution that would impose sanctions on Iran for failing to meet an August 31 deadline for halting uranium enrichment.

1 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

2 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。

4 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

5 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。

6 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。

7 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

8 insurgency   

n.起义；暴动；叛变

参考例句：

• And as in China, unrest and even insurgency are widespread. 而在中国，动乱甚至暴乱都普遍存在。 来自互联网
• Dr Zyphur is part an insurgency against this idea. 塞弗博士是这一观点逆流的一部分。 来自互联网

9 coordinator   

n.协调人

参考例句：

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, coordinates all UN emergency relief. 联合国人道主义事务协调厅在紧急救济协调员领导下，负责协调联合国的所有紧急救济工作。
• How am I supposed to find the client-relations coordinator? 我怎么才能找到客户关系协调员的办公室？

10 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。

11 reiterated   

反复地说，重申( reiterate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• "Well, I want to know about it,'she reiterated. “嗯，我一定要知道你的休假日期，"她重复说。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Some twenty-two years later President Polk reiterated and elaborated upon these principles. 大约二十二年之后，波尔克总统重申这些原则并且刻意阐释一番。

12 skeptical   

adj.怀疑的，多疑的

参考例句：

• Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
• Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。

13 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

14 primitive   

adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物

参考例句：

• It is a primitive instinct to flee a place of danger.逃离危险的地方是一种原始本能。
• His book describes the march of the civilization of a primitive society.他的著作描述了一个原始社会的开化过程。