VOA标准英语2009年-IAEA Discussing Uranium-Enrichment Plan wi

By Lisa Bryant
Paris
19 October 2009

 
Iranian Ambassador to International Atomic Energy Agency, Ali Asghar Soltanieh (R) arrives at Vienna meeting, 19 Oct 2009 
The International Atomic Energy Agency is hosting a meeting in Vienna to discuss plans to enrich Iranian uranium outside Iran, and then ship it back to Tehran. If the talks are successful, they may mark a breakthrough for Iran's controversial nuclear program.

The Vienna talks gather officials from the United States, Russia, France and Iran - along with those from the International Atomic Energy Agency, which is hosting the meeting.

They will discuss a tentative agreement, reached earlier this month in Geneva, for uranium from Iran to be enriched outside that country. The uranium would then be returned to Tehran for use by a small research reactor¹ making medical isotopes².

According to reports, the deal would have Russia taking in partially³ enriched Iranian uranium for further enrichment. France would then convert the material into metal rods to be used by the Tehran reactor.

The plan follows months of deadlock⁴ over Iran's nuclear program and the recent discovery of a previously⁵ unknown nuclear-enrichment plant near the Iranian city of Qom. 

Speaking at a press conference in Tehran earlier this month, IAEA chief Mohammed ElBaradei said the agency's inspectors⁶ would also be visiting the Qom facility on October 25.

"This is a positive development," ElBaradei said. "I have always been of the view that the Iranian nuclear issue is an issue that can only be resolved through dialogue, through diplomacy⁷. I have been saying for a number of years that we need transparency on the part of Iran, we need cooperation on the part of the international community. I see that we are at a critical moment. I see that we are shifting gears, from confrontation⁸ into transparency and cooperation."

But observers say there are plenty of unknowns, including whether Iran will cooperate with the tentative deal and to what extent the IAEA will be able to monitor Iran's nuclear efforts. 

Tehran claims it is enriching uranium for purely⁹ peaceful purposes. Western nations fear Iran is trying to make a nuclear bomb.

Claire Spencer heads Middle East and North Africa programs at Chatham House, in London.

"The idea is to prevent the Iranians from enriching beyond a certain level and anywhere near weaponization," Spencer explained. "But the hitch¹⁰ is now news coming out of Tehran, which suggests they may be actually looking to purchase at more highly enriched levels - up to 20 percent. The threshold for weapons is 90 percent enrichment."

An Iranian official told the Reuters news agency that Tehran would produce the highly enriched uranium at home if the Vienna talks fail.

But Spencer says the discussions could also lead to broader talks with Iran over a host of other subjects, including neighboring Iraq and Afghanistan.

"I think there are many who realize that constantly imposing¹¹ demands on the Iranians which they either have no intention or the capacity to fulfill¹² for domestic political reasons has not gotten us very far over the last three or four years," Spencer said. "So this could be, certainly it was heralded¹³ at the time of the Geneva meeting, as a breakthrough in terms of opening channels more widely with the Iranians."

The U.N. Security Council has imposed three rounds of sanctions on Iran for refusing to stop enriching uranium at home. But Security Council member Russia has shown little appetite for another round of sanctions.

1 reactor   

n.反应器；反应堆

参考例句：

• The atomic reactor generates enormous amounts of thermal energy.原子反应堆发出大量的热能。
• Inside the reactor the large molecules are cracked into smaller molecules.在反应堆里，大分子裂变为小分子。

2 isotopes   

n.同位素；同位素( isotope的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• the many isotopes of carbon 碳的诸多同位素
• Tritium is one of the mildest radioactive isotopes. 氚是最和缓的放射性同位素之一。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 partially   

adv.部分地，从某些方面讲

参考例句：

• The door was partially concealed by the drapes.门有一部分被门帘遮住了。
• The police managed to restore calm and the curfew was partially lifted.警方设法恢复了平静，宵禁部分解除。

4 deadlock   

n.僵局，僵持

参考例句：

• The negotiations reached a deadlock after two hours.两小时后，谈判陷入了僵局。
• The employers and strikers are at a deadlock over the wage.雇主和罢工者在工资问题上相持不下。

5 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

6 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》

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 confrontation   

n.对抗，对峙，冲突

参考例句：

• We can't risk another confrontation with the union.我们不能冒再次同工会对抗的危险。
• After years of confrontation,they finally have achieved a modus vivendi.在对抗很长时间后，他们最后达成安宁生存的非正式协议。

9 purely   

adv.纯粹地，完全地

参考例句：

• I helped him purely and simply out of friendship.我帮他纯粹是出于友情。
• This disproves the theory that children are purely imitative.这证明认为儿童只会单纯地模仿的理论是站不住脚的。

10 hitch   

v.免费搭(车旅行)；系住；急提；n.故障；急拉

参考例句：

• They had an eighty-mile journey and decided to hitch hike.他们要走80英里的路程，最后决定搭便车。
• All the candidates are able to answer the questions without any hitch.所有报考者都能对答如流。

11 imposing   

adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的

参考例句：

• The fortress is an imposing building.这座城堡是一座宏伟的建筑。
• He has lost his imposing appearance.他已失去堂堂仪表。

12 fulfill   

vt.履行，实现，完成；满足，使满意

参考例句：

• If you make a promise you should fulfill it.如果你许诺了，你就要履行你的诺言。
• This company should be able to fulfill our requirements.这家公司应该能够满足我们的要求。

13 heralded   

v.预示( herald的过去式和过去分词 )；宣布（好或重要）

参考例句：

• The singing of the birds heralded in the day. 鸟鸣报晓。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A fanfare of trumpets heralded the arrival of the King. 嘹亮的小号声宣告了国王驾到。 来自《简明英汉词典》