2006年VOA标准英语-Iran Still Plans to Respond to Nuclear Offer in

By Gary Thomas
Tehran
20 July 2006

Iran says it is still studying a package of incentives¹ offered by the West to get Tehran to halt uranium enrichment. The country's National Security Council has also accused the United States of attempting to block any negotiated settlement on the issue.

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Ali Larijani (file photo)   
  
The National Security Council statement, read over state television by chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani, says the proposal takes time to study and a response will not be offered until August 22.

Mr. Larijani also accused the United States of trying to sabotage² any settlement, and reiterated³ earlier warnings that Iran might reconsider its nuclear policies if the U.N. Security Council decides to take punitive⁴ measures. He did not say what that would entail⁵.

But officials in Tehran say Iran is prepared to pull out of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and withhold⁶ any cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency if it comes under U.N.-imposed sanctions.

The United States has said Iran is embarked⁷ on a path to nuclear weapons, although most analysts⁸ say any possible Iranian nuclear bomb is still five or more years away. The West offered Iran a package of incentives on June 6th designed to get Tehran to suspend uranium enrichment and abandon ambitions to become a nuclear-armed nation.

Iran denies it wants nuclear weapons, and says it is only seeking peaceful nuclear energy.

In a VOA interview, Kamal Daneshyar, chairman of the Energy Committee in Iran's Parliament, says the country needs nuclear power to meet its growing energy needs.

"There will be a need for at least 100 nuclear power plants in the near future," Daneshyar says, "and Iran will require 20 of them," said Daneshyar.

Daneshyar said Iran is prepared to prove its good will and show it has no weapons ambitions by engaging in nuclear joint⁹ ventures with other countries "from A to Z," as he put it.

But there is no sign Iran is willing to suspend uranium enrichment, which the Western nations have laid down as a precondition to further negotiations¹⁰ on the nuclear issue.

1 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

2 sabotage   

n.怠工，破坏活动，破坏；v.从事破坏活动，妨害，破坏

参考例句：

• They tried to sabotage my birthday party.他们企图破坏我的生日晚会。
• The fire at the factory was caused by sabotage.那家工厂的火灾是有人蓄意破坏引起的。

3 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。

4 punitive   

adj.惩罚的，刑罚的

参考例句：

• They took punitive measures against the whole gang.他们对整帮人采取惩罚性措施。
• The punitive tariff was imposed to discourage tire imports from China.该惩罚性关税的征收是用以限制中国轮胎进口的措施。

5 entail   

vt.使承担，使成为必要，需要

参考例句：

• Such a decision would entail a huge political risk.这样的决定势必带来巨大的政治风险。
• This job would entail your learning how to use a computer.这工作将需要你学会怎样用计算机。

6 withhold   

v.拒绝，不给；使停止，阻挡

参考例句：

• It was unscrupulous of their lawyer to withhold evidence.他们的律师隐瞒证据是不道德的。
• I couldn't withhold giving some loose to my indignation.我忍不住要发泄一点我的愤怒。

7 embarked   

乘船( embark的过去式和过去分词 )； 装载； 从事

参考例句：

• We stood on the pier and watched as they embarked. 我们站在突码头上目送他们登船。
• She embarked on a discourse about the town's origins. 她开始讲本市的起源。

8 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

9 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。

10 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。