2006年VOA标准英语-IAEA Diplomats Locked in Iran Nuclear Talk

By Marlene Smith
Vienna
07 March 2006

The International Atomic Energy Agency resumed closed talks Tuesday on Iran's nuclear program in an effort to avoid escalation¹ in the stand-off with the Islamic Republic. Russian and American diplomats² disagree on the next steps to ensure that Iran's nuclear installations will not be used to produce atomic bombs.

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IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei  
  

Russia is continuing its drive to mediate³ in the dispute between Iran and the IAEA. One plan would be to move large-scale enrichment to Russia from Iran, which would reduce the chance that Tehran could secretly make nuclear arms. The Russian initiative would leave Iran in control of a small-scale enrichment program, something which until now has met with opposition⁴ from European countries and the United States.

Western diplomats are now struggling to find a solution which would take a tough line against Iran without provoking retaliatory⁵ measures.

The IAEA hopes Iran will accept the new initiative so that United Nations Security Council action will not be necessary. The IAEA would monitor any small-scale enrichment on Iranian soil.

But Matthew Boland, press spokesman for the U.S. mission to the IAEA in Vienna, told VOA there is no indication of any change of heart on the part of Iran.

"On February 4, the IAEA reported Iran to the Security Council," he noted⁶. "Included in that report are the steps that the international community has called on Iran to take to provide assurances that its program is intended for peaceful purposes. The IAEA report makes clear that Iran has not taken these steps".

The U.S. wants Iran to cease all enrichment activity on its territory and to hand over sensitive documents to the IAEA as requested. The U.N. nuclear watchdog also wants to interview scientists working on the Iranian nuclear program, but the United States says Tehran has denied access.

Iran says it has a right to nuclear technology and that its program is purely⁷ peaceful. The IAEA executive meeting in Vienna is expected to continue all week.

1 escalation   

n.扩大，增加

参考例句：

• The threat of nuclear escalation remains. 核升级的威胁仍旧存在。 来自辞典例句
• Escalation is thus an aspect of deterrence and of crisis management. 因此逐步升级是威慑和危机处理的一个方面。 来自辞典例句

2 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 mediate   

vi.调解，斡旋；vt.经调解解决；经斡旋促成

参考例句：

• The state must mediate the struggle for water resources.政府必须通过调解来解决对水资源的争夺。
• They may be able to mediate between parties with different interests.他们也许能在不同利益政党之间进行斡旋。

4 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

5 retaliatory   

adj.报复的

参考例句：

• The process can take years before the WTO approves retaliatory action. 在WTO通过此行动之前，这个程序恐怕要等上一阵子了。 来自互联网
• Retaliatory tariffs on China are tantamount to taxing ourselves as a punishment. 将惩罚性关税强加于中国相当于对我们自己实施课税惩罚。 来自互联网

6 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

7 purely   

adv.纯粹地，完全地

参考例句：

• I helped him purely and simply out of friendship.我帮他纯粹是出于友情。
• This disproves the theory that children are purely imitative.这证明认为儿童只会单纯地模仿的理论是站不住脚的。