VOA标准英语2008年-US Joins Iran Nuclear Arms Talks For First Time

The United States is joining, for the first time, nuclear negotiations¹ between Iran and the European Union. The meeting, which also includes representatives from Britain, Germany, France, Russia and China, is taking place behind closed doors in Geneva's historic city hall. The high-powered delegation² aims to persuade Iran to end its nuclear program. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from the site of the talks in Geneva.
　
US Undersecretary of State William Burns before meeting with Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, in Geneva, 19 July 2008

The Bush administration has sent the U.S. State Department's third ranking official, Undersecretary of State William Burns, to these talks. But it is downplaying his participation³ by stressing the envoy⁴ will only listen and not talk.

But political pundits⁵ see this as a significant policy shift. Until now, Washington had refused to meet face-to-face with Iran on the nuclear issue, unless it first stopped its uranium enrichment program.

Daniel Warner is Director of the Center for International Governance at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva. He tells VOA this may indeed indicate a tremendous shift in U.S. policy.

He says there are different forces within the government that have different opinions about what should be done about Iran. He says Burns' presence at the meeting indicates a victory for one of those groups.

"It seems to me that in the administration, there are those who want to negotiate with Iran and there are those who want to be more radical⁶ in their attitude. Perhaps, we are also seeing what is used in diplomacy⁷. It is called the good guy and bad guy philosophy. We threaten that we are going to do something and at the same time we offer a fig⁸ leaf for negotiations. And, I think this is what we are seeing now," he said.

The United States accuses Iran of developing a nuclear weapons program. Iran denies this. It claims its program is for peaceful purposes and as a signatory to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, it has the right to pursue this option.

Tensions have increased since Iran test-fired missiles in the Persian Gulf⁹ last week, pushing oil prices to an all time high. This is putting greater pressure on all sides to try to reach an agreement to the nuclear standoff.

Iran says it is looking for constructive¹⁰ talks on its country's nuclear program, but it warns it will not bow to any threats during the negotiations.

Daniel Warner says the tit-for-tat exchange between Washington and Tehran should not be taken too seriously.

"Much of this is posturing¹¹ for the general public, which is something that happens for all negotiations. It does seem to me that there is compromise, certainly if the International Atomic Energy Agency is involved with some kind of control, some kind of looking exactly what the nuclear program is being used for. So, it does seem to me that there are ways of getting out of some kind of a military confrontation," he said.

Warner was alluding¹² to discussions Undersecretary of State Burns had with the head of the IAEA before coming to Geneva. Warner believes Burns wanted to get confirmation¹³ that U.N. inspectors¹⁴ would agree to go into Iran to check out its nuclear program.

Last month, the Western powers offered Iran a package of economic and diplomatic incentives¹⁵ in return for freezing its uranium enrichment program. Negotiators at the meeting Saturday will seek a response to this proposal.

　

 

1 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。

2 delegation   

n.代表团；派遣

参考例句：

• The statement of our delegation was singularly appropriate to the occasion.我们代表团的声明非常适合时宜。
• We shall inform you of the date of the delegation's arrival.我们将把代表团到达的日期通知你。

3 participation   

n.参与，参加，分享

参考例句：

• Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
• The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。

4 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

5 pundits   

n.某一学科的权威，专家( pundit的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The pundits disagree on the best way of dealing with the problem. 如何妥善处理这一问题，专家众说纷纭。 来自辞典例句
• That did not stop Chinese pundits from making a fuss over it. 这并没有阻止中国的博学之士对此大惊小怪。 来自互联网

6 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

7 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

8 fig   

n.无花果(树)

参考例句：

• The doctor finished the fig he had been eating and selected another.这位医生吃完了嘴里的无花果，又挑了一个。
• You can't find a person who doesn't know fig in the United States.你找不到任何一个在美国的人不知道无花果的。

9 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

10 constructive   

adj.建设的，建设性的

参考例句：

• We welcome constructive criticism.我们乐意接受有建设性的批评。
• He is beginning to deal with his anger in a constructive way.他开始用建设性的方法处理自己的怒气。

11 posturing   

做出某种姿势( posture的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• She was posturing a model. 她正在摆模特儿的姿势。
• She says the President may just be posturing. 她说总统也许只是在做样子而已。

12 alluding   

提及，暗指( allude的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He didn't mention your name but I was sure he was alluding to you. 他没提你的名字，但是我确信他是暗指你的。
• But in fact I was alluding to my physical deficiencies. 可我实在是为自己的容貌寒心。

13 confirmation   

n.证实，确认，批准

参考例句：

• We are waiting for confirmation of the news.我们正在等待证实那个消息。
• We need confirmation in writing before we can send your order out.给你们发送订购的货物之前，我们需要书面确认。

14 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》

15 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