VOA标准英语2009年-World Powers Step Up Pressure on Iran

By Paula Wolfson
Washington
27 September 2009

Top Obama administration officials say Iran will come under extreme pressure to disclose its nuclear intentions when envoys¹ from Tehran sit down on Thursday in Geneva with representatives of the United States and other world powers. 

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says Iran will have to prove without a doubt that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. "We don't believe that they can present convincing evidence it is only for peaceful purposes. But we are going to put them to the test on October 1," she said.

She says the fact that Iran sought to hide the construction of a second uranium enrichment plant calls Tehran's claims into question.

Clinton told the CBS television program, "Face the Nation" that the world is looking for hard evidence from Iran. "Words are not enough," she said. "They are going to have to come and demonstrate clearly to the international community what they are up to."

The secretary of state acknowledged that some of the current sanctions in place on Iran are porous². She said discussions are underway on how to make them broader and deeper.

In a series of Sunday morning television interviews, Secretary of Defense³ Robert Gates downplayed the notion of military action. He told ABC's "This Week" program he favors tough sanctions, if diplomacy⁴ fails. "Their economic problems are difficult enough that I think that severe sanctions would have the potential of bringing them to change their policies," he said.

On the "Fox News Sunday" program, California Democrat⁵ Diane Feinstein - Chairwoman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence - said Iran has a big choice to make. "I think this is the moment of decision for Iran," she said. "Iran can either make itself a pariah⁶ or it can recognize that it has much more to gain by eliminating any potential military aspect of a nuclear program."

Appearing on the same program, Missouri Republican Senator Kit⁷ Bond said that the time for enhanced sanctions is now. He said he has not seen anything that would convince him that Iran is about to change its behavior. And he pointed⁸ to Tehran's decision to test missiles on Sunday as a dramatic example. "Today's action in firing the missiles is really a poke⁹ in the eye to those who think that diplomatic efforts and agreements and inspections¹⁰ are going to change the way that Iran is going," he said.

An initial Iranian test on Sunday involved short-range missiles. A long-range missile test is expected on Monday.

 

1 envoys   

使节( envoy的名词复数 )； 公使； 谈判代表； 使节身份

参考例句：

• the routine tit for tat when countries expel each other's envoys 国家相互驱逐对方使节这种惯常的报复行动
• Marco Polo's travelogue mentions that Kublai Khan sent envoys to Malgache. 马可波罗游记中提到忽必烈曾派使节到马尔加什。

2 porous   

adj.可渗透的，多孔的

参考例句：

• He added sand to the soil to make it more porous.他往土里掺沙子以提高渗水性能。
• The shell has to be slightly porous to enable oxygen to pass in.外壳不得不有些细小的孔以便能使氧气通过。

3 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

4 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。

5 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

6 pariah   

n.被社会抛弃者

参考例句：

• Shortly Tom came upon the juvenile pariah of the village.不一会儿，汤姆碰上了村里的少年弃儿。
• His landlady had treated him like a dangerous criminal,a pariah.房东太太对待他就像对待危险的罪犯、对待社会弃儿一样。

7 kit   

n.用具包，成套工具；随身携带物

参考例句：

• The kit consisted of about twenty cosmetic items.整套工具包括大约20种化妆用品。
• The captain wants to inspect your kit.船长想检查你的行装。

8 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

9 poke   

n.刺，戳，袋；vt.拨开，刺，戳；vi.戳，刺，捅，搜索，伸出，行动散慢

参考例句：

• We never thought she would poke her nose into this.想不到她会插上一手。
• Don't poke fun at me.别拿我凑趣儿。

10 inspections   

n.检查( inspection的名词复数 )；检验；视察；检阅

参考例句：

• Regular inspections are carried out at the prison. 经常有人来视察这座监狱。
• Government inspections ensure a high degree of uniformity in the standard of service. 政府检查确保了在服务标准方面的高度一致。 来自《简明英汉词典》