VOA常速英语2007年-Experts Say Tough US Rhetoric Against Iran Not

By Mil Arcega
Washington
01 November 2007
 
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill heard from experts this week, who say the increasingly strident rhetoric¹ from the White House on Iran's nuclear ambitions could prove counterproductive.

Tehran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. But the White House says the country's support of terrorists and anti-Israel statements by its leaders show otherwise. Some Middle East experts say the tough talk needs to be balanced by diplomatic tact³ if the U.S. hopes to change hearts and minds in Iran. VOA's Mil Arcega reports.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says all options are on the table. And President Bush has hinted Iran's continued defiance⁴ could lead to military conflict. "If you're interested in avoiding World War III," Bush said.

 

But some Democrats⁵ accuse the Bush administration of adding more fuel to an already dangerous fire. The chairman of a House subcommittee, looking at ways to deal with Iran, says the tough talk reminds him of the build-up to the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

New York Congressman⁶ Brian Higgins calls it "irresponsible". "It's troubling because it reeks⁷ of irresponsibility. It's war mongering and it creates a potentially further destabilizing influence in a region that is very important to our strategic interests."

Some Republicans say the tough talk is necessary. But Republican Congressman Christopher Shays says economic sanctions against Iran's military and its banking⁸ institutions need to be tempered by open dialogue. "It is time for us to start talking with Iran, diplomat² to diplomat, politician to politician, and person to person."

The White House says it has exhausted⁹ diplomatic efforts and last week imposed sweeping¹⁰ economic sanctions -- targeting Iran's banking institutions and the country's elite¹¹ military branch. The sanctions are meant to hamper¹² Iran's ability to conduct business internationally and reduce the influence of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, which U.S. officials accuse of providing weapons to Iraqi militants¹³.

But Karim Sadjapour, a Middle East expert with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, says U.S. actions could backfire unless the U.S. can convince Iranians that abandoning its nuclear program will bring peace and stability to the region. "Increasingly, Iranians look next door and they say if the choice is between what we see in Iraq -- democracy and carnage -- and what we have now, which is authoritarianism¹⁴ and security, we will choose the latter."

But some insist the U.S. saber-rattling is necessary to convince the rest of the world of the dangers of a nuclear-armed Iran. Kenneth Katzman is a specialist in Middle East affairs for the Congressional Research Service. "The talk of military action has in some sense convinced the Europeans how seriously this threat is taken in the United States and has propelled them to offer new proposals for sanctions for ways of pressuring Iran without use of force."

The U.S. is seeking support from European countries as it pushes for a new round of U.N. sanctions this week. Although the sanctions target Iranian banks, European and overseas firms with business ties to Tehran would also feel the impact.

1 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。

2 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

3 tact   

n.机敏，圆滑，得体

参考例句：

• She showed great tact in dealing with a tricky situation.她处理棘手的局面表现得十分老练。
• Tact is a valuable commodity.圆滑老练是很有用处的。

4 defiance   

n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗

参考例句：

• He climbed the ladder in defiance of the warning.他无视警告爬上了那架梯子。
• He slammed the door in a spirit of defiance.他以挑衅性的态度把门砰地一下关上。

5 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》

6 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。

7 reeks   

n.恶臭( reek的名词复数 )v.发出浓烈的臭气( reek的第三人称单数 )；散发臭气；发出难闻的气味 (of sth)；明显带有（令人不快或生疑的跡象）

参考例句：

• His statement reeks of hypocrisy. 他的话显然很虛伪。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• His manner reeks prosperity. 他的态度表现得好象有钱的样子。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

8 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。

9 exhausted   

adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的

参考例句：

• It was a long haul home and we arrived exhausted.搬运回家的这段路程特别长，到家时我们已筋疲力尽。
• Jenny was exhausted by the hustle of city life.珍妮被城市生活的忙乱弄得筋疲力尽。

10 sweeping   

adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的

参考例句：

• The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
• Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

11 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。

12 hamper   

vt.妨碍，束缚，限制；n.(有盖的)大篮子

参考例句：

• There are some apples in a picnic hamper.在野餐用的大篮子里有许多苹果。
• The emergence of such problems seriously hamper the development of enterprises.这些问题的出现严重阻碍了企业的发展。

13 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

14 authoritarianism   

权力主义，独裁主义

参考例句：

• Modern authoritarianism is a vestige of traditional personal rule. 现代独裁主义则是传统的个人统治的残余。
• In its latter days it was a byword for authoritarianism, incompetence, and corruption. 在后期，它是独裁、无能和腐化的代号。