VOA标准英语2010-US Senators Consider Options on Iran

Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs William Burns (l) accompanied by Joint¹ Chiefs Vice² Chairman Marine³ Gen. James Cartwright, center, and Lt. Gen. Ronald Burgess, head of the Defense⁴ Intelligence Agency, testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, 14 Apr 2010, on the Obama Administration's policy toward Iran's nuclear program

The U.S. Congress is studying ways to keep Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.  Military officials are telling key lawmakers that a nuclear armed Iran could be just years away.  

While members of the Senate may disagree emphatically on most policy matters, they are in agreement on one point.

Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin says there is unity⁵ on the danger posed by a nuclear-armed Iran. "There is a strong bipartisan determination on this committee and in this Congress to do all that we can to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons," he said.

Top Pentagon officials gave his panel an assessment⁶ of the threat.

Lieutenant⁷ General Ronald Burgess heads the Defense Intelligence Agency.  Under questioning from Levin, he provided a time frame.

Levin: "With the installed centrifuges that they have, how long would it take, approximately, to produce enough highly-enriched uranium for one nuclear weapon?"

Burgess: The general consensus⁸ is - not knowing, again, the exact number of centrifuges that we actually have visibility into - we are talking one year."

The number-two military man at the Pentagon,  General James Cartwright, said it would probably take several more years for Iran to take that highly enriched uranium and develop a usable weapon. "With the highly enriched uranium you are still dealing⁹ with three to five years to create a weapon," he said.

Members of the House of Representatives, saying there is not a second to wait, have sent a letter to President Barack Obama, urging him to impose strict sanctions on Iran.

Three-hundred-thirty lawmakers signed on to the letter - from some of the most liberal members of the House to the most conservative.  They underscored support for legislation already introduced that, among other things, seeks to cut the flow of refined petroleum¹⁰ products into Iran.

The Obama administration is focusing most of its attention on getting a package of tougher sanctions through the United Nations Security Council.

Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs William Burns told the Senate Armed Services panel he believes China will sign on to a council resolution. "I think we and the Chinese agree we have to send a meaningful message to Iran.  So yes sir, I do think it is possible," he said.

But Burns indicated he does not think it is likely that either China or Russia will agree to cut refined oil shipments to Iran.

The senior Republican on the committee, Senator John McCain, was clearly frustrated¹¹. "The sanctions so far that have been enacted¹² by the Security Council have been, in the view of most observers, ineffective," he said.

McCain said the United States, France, Britain and Germany should not wait for the United Nations before imposing¹³ their own stepped-up sanctions regime.

 

1 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。

2 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

3 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

4 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。

5 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

6 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

7 lieutenant   

n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员

参考例句：

• He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
• He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官，递上了一张简短的便条进去。

8 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？

9 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

10 petroleum   

n.原油，石油

参考例句：

• The Government of Iran advanced the price of petroleum last week.上星期伊朗政府提高了石油价格。
• The purpose of oil refinery is to refine crude petroleum.炼油厂的主要工作是提炼原油。

11 frustrated   

adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's very easy to get frustrated in this job. 这个工作很容易令人懊恼。
• The bad weather frustrated all our hopes of going out. 恶劣的天气破坏了我们出行的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 enacted   

制定（法律），通过（法案）( enact的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• legislation enacted by parliament 由议会通过的法律
• Outside in the little lobby another scene was begin enacted. 外面的小休息室里又是另一番景象。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

13 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。