VOA标准英语 New Iranian Proposal Aims to End Nuclear Dispute

　 
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told an audience in the town of Kerman that Tehran is preparing a new package of proposals for the West, aimed at resolving a lengthy¹ international dispute over its nuclear program.
　
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (file)

Supporters cheered and waved flags as Mr. Ahmadinejad addressed the open-air crowd in Kerman.

Iranian TV showed Mr. Ahmadinejad being swarmed² by supporters trying to shake his hand as his motorcade made its way into the city before he spoke³.

The Iranian president said he had prepared a "package" of proposals.

Package will be ready 'soon'

He says the package can be used as a basis to solve the nuclear problem. It will be offered to the West, soon, and it will ensure peace and justice for the world. He adds that it respects the rights of all nations.

Mr. Ahmadinejad also declared that "no outside power can impose its will on Iran," and that "no country in the world ... would dare to wage war on Iran."

The United States, Russia, France, Britain, Germany and China asked European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana, last week, to invite Iran to round-table talks to "find a diplomatic solution" to the lengthy dispute over its nuclear program.

No concessions⁴ on nuclear program

Iran has insisted, repeatedly, that it is not prepared make concessions in its nuclear program, and had refused to stop enriching uranium, claiming that it was for civilian⁵ purposes. The United States suspects Iran is working on a military nuclear arsenal⁶, as well.

Tehran has tried to put a more positive tone to its dealings with the West, in response to recent initiatives by President Barack Obama to resume dialogue with Tehran.

Iran expert Meir Javedanfar of the Middle East Economic and Political Analysis Center in Tel Aviv thinks that Mr. Ahmadinejad appears to be waging a public relations war with the United States as well as trying to win Iran's upcoming presidential elections in June.

"I think that the Iranian government is trying to show that it is willing to match Obama's offer of talks, but it wants the talks to be on its terms. It does not want to wait for Obama to start the talks and to carry them out on American terms. Also, I think there is an electioneering angle to this. President Ahmadinejad is doing this to promote himself as a man who is willing to engage Iran's enemies, and he is not somebody who is following hardline policies, and he is hoping to win some votes in the main cities from that," said Javedanfar.

Has Tehran isolated⁷ itself?

Javedanfar also thinks Iran has become isolated, as the recent tempest between Hezbollah, Tehran and Egypt over arms smuggling⁸ reveals, and this is a way to improve its image abroad.

He also speculates Iran may be preparing a proposal to declare the entire Middle East a nuclear-free zone, something he says would put the United States and ally Israel in an uncomfortable position.

1 lengthy   

adj.漫长的，冗长的

参考例句：

• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。
• The professor wrote a lengthy book on Napoleon.教授写了一部有关拿破仑的巨著。

2 swarmed   

密集( swarm的过去式和过去分词 )； 云集； 成群地移动； 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去

参考例句：

• When the bell rang, the children swarmed out of the school. 铃声一响，孩子们蜂拥而出离开了学校。
• When the rain started the crowd swarmed back into the hotel. 雨一开始下，人群就蜂拥回了旅社。

3 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

4 concessions   

n.（尤指由政府或雇主给予的）特许权( concession的名词复数 )；承认；减价；（在某地的）特许经营权

参考例句：

• The firm will be forced to make concessions if it wants to avoid a strike. 要想避免罢工，公司将不得不作出一些让步。
• The concessions did little to placate the students. 让步根本未能平息学生的愤怒。

5 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

6 arsenal   

n.兵工厂，军械库

参考例句：

• Even the workers at the arsenal have got a secret organization.兵工厂工人暗中也有组织。
• We must be the great arsenal of democracy.我们必须成为民主的大军火库。

7 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

8 smuggling   

n.走私

参考例句：

• Some claimed that the docker's union fronted for the smuggling ring.某些人声称码头工人工会是走私集团的掩护所。
• The evidence pointed to the existence of an international smuggling network.证据表明很可能有一个国际走私网络存在。