2006年VOA标准英语-Iranian President Warns Against Military A

By Lindsay Wise
Cairo
18 April 2006
 

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, delivers a speech during a parade ceremony commemorating¹ Army Day, April 18, 2006  
  
As senior diplomats² from six major world powers prepared to discuss strategies for resolving the Iranian nuclear crisis at a meeting in Moscow, hard-line Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad stepped up his rhetoric³, saying Iran's military is ready to punish any attacker. 

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At a military parade in Tehran, President Ahmadinejad warned that Iran's enemies would regret attacking the country.

"The Iranian army could defend the country and cut off the hand off any aggressor and the enemy would be left in shame," he said. "The Iranian army should be ready, should be equipped with the latest technology and they have to be careful."

Iran announced last week it has succeeded in enriching uranium - an important step toward producing nuclear energy or a weapon. Mr. Ahmadinejad has remained defiant⁴ in the face of a U.N. Security Council demand that Iran halt its uranium-enrichment program by the end of April.

Iran claims its nuclear program is intended for peaceful use in power stations, but the United States and Britain suspect Tehran is secretly planning to build an atomic bomb. They say that unless Iran stops its uranium-enrichment efforts, they will seek to impose international sanctions.

Russia and China, which have close economic ties to Iran, oppose such disciplinary measures. The four countries, plus Germany and France, are meeting in Moscow to discuss possible solutions to the crisis.

Although U.S. officials have denied that they are actively⁵ considering military action against Iran, they have also refused to rule out the use of force.

In his speech to military officers at the parade, Mr. Ahmedinejad said Iran should be ready and vigilant⁶ against attack, but he also acknowledged that peace and stability are in the country's interest.

He says the elite⁷ Iranian army should be serving human beings, especially Iran's neighbors in the region, and that Iran's power is not a threat to any country.

Meanwhile, on the streets of Tehran, Iranians such as Mehran Saadi said they hoped the United Nations would respect Iran's rights.

He says he expects the U.N. Security Council members to make a fair decision on Iran because the Iranian nation has tried hard for years to achieve nuclear technology. He says he hopes Iran's case is decided⁸ considering the legitimate⁹ rights of the Iranian people.

Adding to growing tensions is a claim by President Ahmadinejad in a speech last week that Iran is testing a P-2 centrifuge for enriching uranium. A P-2 centrifuge is vastly more efficient than the P-1 device Iran has already used to do small-scale enrichment.

The issue of the P-2 centrifuge is likely to come up when International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors¹⁰ arrive Friday in Iran. The agency will visit nuclear and uranium enrichment sites throughout the country and report its findings to the U.N. Security Council April 28.

1 commemorating   

v.纪念，庆祝( commemorate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He was presented with a scroll commemorating his achievements. 他被授予一幅卷轴，以表彰其所做出的成就。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The post office issued a series commemorating famous American entertainers. 邮局发行了一个纪念美国著名演艺人员的系列邮票。 来自互联网

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 rhetoric   

n.修辞学，浮夸之言语

参考例句：

• Do you know something about rhetoric?你懂点修辞学吗？
• Behind all the rhetoric,his relations with the army are dangerously poised.在冠冕堂皇的言辞背后，他和军队的关系岌岌可危。

4 defiant   

adj.无礼的，挑战的

参考例句：

• With a last defiant gesture,they sang a revolutionary song as they were led away to prison.他们被带走投入监狱时，仍以最后的反抗姿态唱起了一支革命歌曲。
• He assumed a defiant attitude toward his employer.他对雇主采取挑衅的态度。

5 actively   

adv.积极地，勤奋地

参考例句：

• During this period all the students were actively participating.在这节课中所有的学生都积极参加。
• We are actively intervening to settle a quarrel.我们正在积极调解争执。

6 vigilant   

adj.警觉的，警戒的，警惕的

参考例句：

• He has to learn how to remain vigilant through these long nights.他得学会如何在这漫长的黑夜里保持警觉。
• The dog kept a vigilant guard over the house.这只狗警醒地守护着这所房屋。

7 elite   

n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的

参考例句：

• The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
• We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。

8 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

9 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。

10 inspectors   

n.检查员( inspector的名词复数 )；（英国公共汽车或火车上的）查票员；（警察）巡官；检阅官

参考例句：

• They got into the school in the guise of inspectors. 他们假装成视察员进了学校。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Inspectors checked that there was adequate ventilation. 检查员已检查过，通风良好。 来自《简明英汉词典》