2006年VOA标准英语-Iran Says Nuclear Program Is 'Irreversible

By Challiss McDonough
Cairo
23 April 2006
 

Iranian Foreign Ministry¹ spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi  
  
Iran says its uranium enrichment work is "irreversible" and it will not abandon its nuclear program. The latest salvo in the international standoff comes just days before a U.N. deadline for Iran to stop enrichment.

----------------------------------------

Iran's foreign ministry spokesman, Hamid Reza Asefi, says Iran has no intention of stopping its nuclear enrichment program, and is prepared to face the consequences.

He says, "We are determined² to defend our rights. Nuclear research will continue, and suspension of nuclear activities is not on our agenda. The issue is irreversible."

The U.N. Security Council has given Iran until Friday to freeze its uranium-enrichment program. The U.N. nuclear watchdog agency is supposed to report on Iran's compliance³ on April 28.

Iran announced earlier this month that it has successfully enriched uranium to the level needed for nuclear power stations. Western nations believe Iran may be trying to build a nuclear bomb, but Iran says its nuclear ambitions are peaceful.

Asefi told reporters in Tehran that Iran will not respond to what it sees as threats.

He says, " Iran will not renounce⁴ its rights. We are ready, and we have made plans for all possible eventualities."

The United States says it wants a diplomatic solution to the crisis, but has also refused to rule out the use of military force against Iran. Other nations involved in the standoff, including Russia, China and France, oppose a military solution, which they say could have disastrous⁵ consequences in the region and the world.

The Iranian foreign ministry spokesman said Tehran is still discussing a Russian plan for joint⁶ uranium enrichment on Russian soil. Iranian and Russian officials last month announced what they called a basic agreement on the plan, but no details have emerged.

Iranian officials say they are currently using a cascade⁷ of 164 gas centrifuges, but plan to expand that to three-thousand centrifuges by the end of the year. Last week, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Iranian scientists are experimenting with a more advanced type of centrifuge known as P-2, which could enrich uranium faster. Asefi said the P-2 machines have not been used yet.

1 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

2 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

3 compliance   

n.顺从；服从；附和；屈从

参考例句：

• I was surprised by his compliance with these terms.我对他竟然依从了这些条件而感到吃惊。
• She gave up the idea in compliance with his desire.她顺从他的愿望而放弃自己的主意。

4 renounce   

v.放弃；拒绝承认，宣布与…断绝关系

参考例句：

• She decided to renounce the world and enter a convent.她决定弃绝尘世去当修女。
• It was painful for him to renounce his son.宣布与儿子脱离关系对他来说是很痛苦的。

5 disastrous   

adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的

参考例句：

• The heavy rainstorm caused a disastrous flood.暴雨成灾。
• Her investment had disastrous consequences.She lost everything she owned.她的投资结果很惨，血本无归。

6 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

7 cascade   

n.小瀑布，喷流；层叠；vi.成瀑布落下

参考例句：

• She watched the magnificent waterfall cascade down the mountainside.她看着壮观的瀑布从山坡上倾泻而下。
• Her hair fell over her shoulders in a cascade of curls.她的卷发像瀑布一样垂在肩上。