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A Closer Look at the Iran Nuclear Deal 仔细复盘伊朗核交易

World powers have been working for years to limit Iran’s nuclear activities. But news reports often fail to provide details of the nuclear negotiations¹. Today we explore some of the issues that the negotiators have been discussing.

Iran agreement targets machinery²

Western countries have targeted the equipment that Iran needs to produce plutonium and enriched uranium. Both materials are needed to make a nuclear weapon.

Not just any uranium can be used. The metal must be purified, or enriched. It is first changed into a gas. Workers then place the gas into a machine called a centrifuge. The centrifuge makes the gas spin at very high speeds. The spinning creates the enriched uranium required at nuclear power centers. But if the gas is put in centrifuges for long periods, it becomes enriched at a much higher level. This highly-enriched uranium can be used in nuclear weapons.

Under the agreement, Iran will still have the ability to make fuel for its nuclear reactors⁴. But it will not be permitted to enrich uranium for use in nuclear weapons.

In April, Iran agreed to a limit of about 6,000 centrifuges. Iran also said it would only enrich uranium at very low levels -- under five percent. The country promised to store no more than 300 kilograms of this “low-enriched” uranium.

The April agreement limited research on ways to improve centrifuge designs. It also covered Iran’s ability to produce plutonium, the other bomb-making material. It required the redesign of a nuclear reactor³, so that it can use natural uranium, instead of the enriched kind.

Natural uranium is nearly all U238, the heavier form of the element. When a neutron⁵ strikes this form of uranium, the atom will change into plutonium. This “heavy-water” reactor can produce radioactive chemicals used to treat cancer. When the redesign is completed, it will still make those chemicals, but produce much less plutonium.

The plutonium formed in the reactor must still be separated from the rest of the fuel. Iran says it will ship “spent” fuel out of the country.

Under the new deal, Iran has agreed to increased international inspections⁶ of its nuclear activities. The country is also required to provide detailed⁷ information on all its nuclear activities within three months. Western powers have agreed to lift trade restrictions⁸ on Iran. They will also return control of billions of dollars to Iran as soon as it meets the requirements of the agreement.

US officials react to the deal

In Washington, President Barack Obama said on Wednesday that the agreement stops Iran from building a nuclear weapon. He said it will make the United States, its allies and the world, “safer and more secure.”

Some members of Mr. Obama’s party do not support the agreement. And most of his political opponents strongly oppose it. When members of Congress are given the agreement, they will have 60 days to decide whether to reject it. The president has said if they do, he will veto the rejection⁹. The votes of at least two-thirds of lawmakers are needed to cancel his veto.

Words in the News

spin – v. to turn or move around in circles

reactor – n. a device that produced nuclear energy

radioactive – adj. possessing or producing radiation

1 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。

2 machinery   

n.(总称)机械，机器；机构

参考例句：

• Has the machinery been put up ready for the broadcast?广播器材安装完毕了吗？
• Machinery ought to be well maintained all the time.机器应该随时注意维护。

3 reactor   

n.反应器；反应堆

参考例句：

• The atomic reactor generates enormous amounts of thermal energy.原子反应堆发出大量的热能。
• Inside the reactor the large molecules are cracked into smaller molecules.在反应堆里，大分子裂变为小分子。

4 reactors   

起反应的人( reactor的名词复数 )； 反应装置； 原子炉； 核反应堆

参考例句：

• The TMI nuclear facility has two reactors. 三哩岛核设施有两个反应堆。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• The earliest production reactors necessarily used normal uranium as fuel. 最早为生产用的反应堆，必须使用普通铀作为燃料。

5 neutron   

n.中子

参考例句：

• Neutron is neutral and slightly heavier than the proton.中子是中性的，比质子略重。
• Based on the neutron energy,the value of weighting factor was given.根据中子能量给出了相应的辐射权重因子的数值。

6 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》

7 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。

8 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

9 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。