VOA标准英语2013--Iran Talks Extended as Foreign Ministers Join

 

Iran Talks Extended as Foreign Ministers Join 

GENEVA — U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is in Geneva, after negotiators there worked late into the night toward an agreement on curbing¹ Iran's nuclear program and easing economic sanctions. The State Department says he is there "with the hope that an agreement will be reached."

日内瓦——美国国务卿约翰·克里在日内瓦谈判后为了遏制伊朗核计划协议和宽松的经济制裁工作到深夜。美国国务院说,他有“希望将达成协议。”

Kerry flew overnight to join the talks. The State Department says he will try to “help narrow the differences and move closer to an agreement.”  After arriving Saturday, the country's top diplomat² began a series of meetings.

His Russian counterpart, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, arrived in Geneva Friday and had a meeting with Iran's chief negotiator, Mohammad Javad Zarif.

The United States and Russia are two of the six countries designated by the United Nations Security Council to conduct these talks. Foreign ministers from the others - Britain, France, Germany and China - also may come to Geneva, as they did during the last round of negotiations³ two weeks ago.

The decision for Kerry to come was made late Friday, after what a spokesman called “intensive, detailed⁴ discussions” over three days.

Negotiators have described the talks as “very hard,” but a former British ambassador to Iran, Richard Dalton, said both sides have a stake in reaching an agreement, and failure this week would be a serious setback⁵.

“It would be extremely unfortunate, because as we've seen between second and third rounds, both sides seem to have toughened up their position in some respects. So, if we see a failure now, it won't be any easier to find compromises,” said Dalton.

Dalton said the negotiators may have to try for a more limited first stage accord if their current effort fails.

Already, these talks are intended only to reach a preliminary agreement on confidence building steps. Then there would be a six-month negotiating period to reach a full accord and potentially end all nuclear-related economic sanctions, which have devastated⁶ Iran's economy.

No one is saying exactly what the gaps are, but issues center on Iran's extensive capability⁷ to enrich uranium to near weapons grade, and its demands for sanctions relief in return for freezing, and perhaps rolling back, parts of its nuclear operation. Iran says it does not want to build a nuclear bomb, but the Security Council wants proof, through the elimination⁸ of the highly enriched stockpile and verifiable restrictions⁹ for the future.

Iran wants recognition of what it sees as its right to enrich uranium. And it apparently¹⁰ wants more immediate¹¹ sanctions relief than the U.N. team is willing to give.

Both sides are under pressure to move quickly.

In Iran, hardliners are eager to declare the failure of the relatively¹² moderate government that was elected in June with a mandate¹³ to seek an end to the sanctions.

In the United States, a key member of the contact group and some members of Congress want to add sanctions to force Iran to make more concessions¹⁴, a move the Obama administration says could kill any chance of a peaceful resolution to the dispute. 

1 curbing   

n.边石，边石的材料v.限制，克制，抑制( curb的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Progress has been made in curbing inflation. 在控制通货膨胀方面已取得了进展。
• A range of policies have been introduced aimed at curbing inflation. 为了抑制通货膨胀实施了一系列的政策。

2 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

3 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

4 detailed   

adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。

5 setback   

n.退步，挫折，挫败

参考例句：

• Since that time there has never been any setback in his career.从那时起他在事业上一直没有遇到周折。
• She views every minor setback as a disaster.她把每个较小的挫折都看成重大灾难。

6 devastated   

v.彻底破坏( devastate的过去式和过去分词)；摧毁；毁灭；在感情上（精神上、财务上等）压垮adj.毁坏的；极为震惊的

参考例句：

• The bomb devastated much of the old part of the city. 这颗炸弹炸毁了旧城的一大片地方。
• His family is absolutely devastated. 他的一家感到极为震惊。

7 capability   

n.能力；才能；(pl)可发展的能力或特性等

参考例句：

• She has the capability to become a very fine actress.她有潜力成为杰出演员。
• Organizing a whole department is beyond his capability.组织整个部门是他能力以外的事。

8 elimination   

n.排除，消除，消灭

参考例句：

• Their elimination from the competition was a great surprise.他们在比赛中遭到淘汰是个很大的意外。
• I was eliminated from the 400 metres in the semi-finals.我在400米半决赛中被淘汰。

9 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

10 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

11 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

12 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

13 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。

14 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。