VOA标准英语2010年-Clinton: 'Little Choice' but to Put Mo

"Iran's approach leaves us with little choice but to work with our partners to apply greater pressure in the hopes that it will cause Iran to reconsider its rejection¹ of diplomatic efforts with respect to its nuclear ambitions." - US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Thursday that Iran's disappointing approach to big-power offers on its nuclear program leaves little choice but to put more pressure on Tehran.  Clinton held meetings on Iran with several foreign ministers on the sidelines of the London conference on Afghanistan.

Despite the day's focus on Afghanistan, the Iran nuclear issue figured prominently in Clinton's series of bilateral² meetings, including what she said was a very constructive³ conversation with Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi.

A senior U.S. official said Iran was the main focus of the meeting with Yang.  He said that while Beijing has concerns that new U.N. sanctions against Tehran could endanger prospects⁴ for a negotiated solution to the nuclear issue, Yang did not say no to the idea.

Clinton told reporters that China is an engaged and very active member of the informal grouping of the five permanent U.N. Security Council member countries and Germany - the P5+1 - that has conducted nuclear diplomacy⁵ with Iran.

Clinton said she and Yang agreed to step up bilateral dialogue on possible measures against Iran.

"We shared some of our thoughts with our Chinese counterparts.  We also set up some additional opportunities for expert consultations," she declared.  "We made it clear to everyone with whom I spoke⁶ today and yesterday that our efforts to apply pressure on Iran are not meant to punish the Iranian people.  They are meant to change the approach that the Iranian government has taken toward its nuclear program," she said.

Clinton said Iran's refusal to accept a U.N. backed compromise proposal on uranium enrichment and disclosure that it was building a secret enrichment plant near Qom have only added to doubts about Tehran's assertions that its nuclear program is peaceful.

"In response to these questions, the Iran government has provided a continuous stream of threats to intensify⁷ its violations⁸ of international nuclear norms," said Clinton.  "Iran's approach leaves us with little choice but to work with our partners to apply greater pressure in the hopes that it will cause Iran to reconsider its rejection of diplomatic efforts with respect to its nuclear ambitions," she added.

Iran has been a participant in past international conferences on Afghan security, but it refused to send a representative to the London conference.

Britain's Foreign Secretary David Miliband during a joint⁹ press conference with Dr Rangin Spanta (L) Senior Advisor¹⁰ to President of Afghanistan in London, 28 Jan 2010

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said the decision was puzzling, given Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki's expressed concerns about instability in Afghanistan.

"He's talked to me about the damage and the danger that instability in Afghanistan poses in Iran," he said.  "He's talked to me about the damage and danger of drugs coming from Afghanistan to Iran.  That's one reason among a number why we thought it was right to invite Iran to participate in this conference, just like any other country.  We think it's deeply regrettable as well as inexplicable¹¹ that they failed to attend," said the British foreign secretary.

Miliband says Iran's failure to attend the London conference calls into question its statements that it wants to play a positive role on Afghan security, and that other countries "will draw their own conclusions" about the seeming contradiction.

1 rejection   

n.拒绝，被拒，抛弃，被弃

参考例句：

• He decided not to approach her for fear of rejection.他因怕遭拒绝决定不再去找她。
• The rejection plunged her into the dark depths of despair.遭到拒绝使她陷入了绝望的深渊。

2 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。

3 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。

4 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

5 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。

6 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。

7 intensify   

vt.加强；变强；加剧

参考例句：

• We must intensify our educational work among our own troops.我们必须加强自己部队的教育工作。
• They were ordered to intensify their patrols to protect our air space.他们奉命加强巡逻，保卫我国的领空。

8 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

9 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

10 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

11 inexplicable   

adj.无法解释的，难理解的

参考例句：

• It is now inexplicable how that development was misinterpreted.当时对这一事态发展的错误理解究竟是怎么产生的，现在已经无法说清楚了。
• There are many things which are inexplicable by science.有很多事科学还无法解释。