VOA标准英语2008年-EU Foreign Ministers Call For More Diplomacy Wi

European Foreign Ministers have called for diplomacy¹ rather than a military option to prod² Iran to abandon its nuclear activities, despite lack of progress in talks with Iranian officials in Geneva. Lisa Bryant has more from Paris.

European Union ministers remained adamant³ Tuesday that talks were the only way to solve the impasse⁴ over Iran's nuclear program. British Foreign Secretary David Miliband told the Associated Press that it is now up to Iran to respond to world powers following a meeting Saturday in Geneva between Iran on the one side, and the United States, European, Chinese, Russian and other diplomats⁵ on the other.

That meeting appeared to go nowhere, with Iranian diplomats reportedly steadfast⁶ in the pursuit of their nuclear program which they insist is for peaceful purposes. The United States and a number of European nations, believe Iran might be building a nuclear weapon.

At a press conference in Brussels Tuesday, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said the door for dialogue with Iran remained open.

He said he awaited a response from the Iranian government with optimism. Then, he said, it was important to start tackling what he described as a "second phase" in negotiations⁷.

EU ministers also agreed to toughen sanctions against Zimbabwe's president Robert Mugabe.

1 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。

2 prod   

vt.戳，刺；刺激，激励

参考例句：

• The crisis will prod them to act.那个危机将刺激他们行动。
• I shall have to prod him to pay me what he owes.我将不得不催促他把欠我的钱还给我。

3 adamant   

adj.坚硬的，固执的

参考例句：

• We are adamant on the building of a well-off society.在建设小康社会这一点上，我们是坚定不移的。
• Veronica was quite adamant that they should stay on.维罗妮卡坚信他们必须继续留下去。

4 impasse   

n.僵局；死路

参考例句：

• The government had reached an impasse.政府陷入绝境。
• Negotiations seemed to have reached an impasse.谈判似乎已经陷入僵局。

5 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 steadfast   

adj.固定的，不变的，不动摇的；忠实的；坚贞不移的

参考例句：

• Her steadfast belief never left her for one moment.她坚定的信仰从未动摇过。
• He succeeded in his studies by dint of steadfast application.由于坚持不懈的努力他获得了学业上的成功。

7 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。