VOA常速英语2008年-Iran Announces Installation of More Centrifuges

By Aya Batrawy
Cairo
08 April 2008

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahamadinejad announced on Tuesday that Iran is installing 6,000 new centrifuges at an uranium enrichment plant. The announcement drew sharp criticism from the United States and is expected to deepen the political rift¹ between Iran and the West.  For VOA, Aya Batrawy has more from our Middle East bureau in Cairo.

President Ahmadinejad announced that Tehran is expanding its nuclear enrichment program at the Natanz nuclear plant by installing 6,000 new uranium enrichment centrifuges there.

The Iranian president said the new phase began on Tuesday.   

Last year, Iran announced that it had successfully installed, and was operating, 3,000 centrifuges at Natanz.

Uranium gas is enriched in cascades² of centrifuges linked together.  The result can be low-grade fuel used for generating electricity, or higher-grade fuel appropriate for nuclear weapons.

Speaking to a crowd near the nuclear power station in the city of Bushehr, Mahmoud Jafarai, a plant official, confirmed that Iran is moving ahead with nuclear enrichment.

The Bushehr plant is being built by Russia.  But although the uranium for the plant is being enriched in Russia, Jafari told the crowd that Iran has reached an irreversible point in nuclear technology and that Western pressure will only strengthen Iran in defending its national interest.

The crowd responded with cheers chanting, "Nuclear energy is our absolute right."

Following Mr. Ahmadinejad's announcement on Tuesday, the French foreign minister told reporters in Paris that the international community must consider toughened sanctions if Iran does not address concerns about its nuclear program.

In Washington, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said she is unable to substantiate³ Iran's claims.

"I don't think that the underlying⁴ situation has changed which is that Iran faces three separate U.N. Security Council resolutions," she said.  "Iran faces continued isolation⁵ in the international community."

The United Nations Security Council has already passed three sets of sanctions against Iran for refusing to halt its enrichment program.  

Iran has long defended what it claims is its right to enrich uranium and says its nuclear program is strictly⁶ for peaceful energy purposes.

But the United States believes that Iran is working to develop a nuclear weapon.

Iran says it hopes to install some 54,000 centrifuges at Natanz.

1 rift   

n.裂口，隙缝，切口；v.裂开，割开，渗入

参考例句：

• He was anxious to mend the rift between the two men.他急于弥合这两个人之间的裂痕。
• The sun appeared through a rift in the clouds.太阳从云层间隙中冒出来。

2 cascades   

倾泻( cascade的名词复数 )； 小瀑布（尤指一连串瀑布中的一支）； 瀑布状物； 倾泻（或涌出）的东西

参考例句：

• The river fell in a series of cascades down towards the lake. 河形成阶梯状瀑布泻入湖中。
• Turning into the sun, he began the long, winding drive through the Cascades. 现在他朝着太阳驶去，开始了穿越喀斯喀特山脉的漫长而曲折的路程。 来自英汉文学 - 廊桥遗梦

3 substantiate   

v.证实；证明...有根据

参考例句：

• There is little scientific evidence to substantiate the claims.这些主张几乎找不到科学依据来证实。
• These theories are used to substantiate the relationship between the phenomenons of the universe.这些学说是用来证实宇宙现象之间的关系。

4 underlying   

adj.在下面的，含蓄的，潜在的

参考例句：

• The underlying theme of the novel is very serious.小说隐含的主题是十分严肃的。
• This word has its underlying meaning.这个单词有它潜在的含义。

5 isolation   

n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离

参考例句：

• The millionaire lived in complete isolation from the outside world.这位富翁过着与世隔绝的生活。
• He retired and lived in relative isolation.他退休后，生活比较孤寂。

6 strictly   

adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地

参考例句：

• His doctor is dieting him strictly.他的医生严格规定他的饮食。
• The guests were seated strictly in order of precedence.客人严格按照地位高低就座。