2006年VOA标准英语-Iran's Leader Blasts US, Calls Democracy a

By Peter Heinlein
United Nations
09 May 2006
 
Iran's president has declared in a letter to President Bush that democracy has failed worldwide, and accused the United States of spreading hatred¹. U.S. officials have dismissed the letter as unhelpful in addressing the standoff over Iran's nuclear program.

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Mahmoud Ahmadinejad  
  

In a rambling² 18-page letter, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad criticizes President Bush's handling of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, and accuses the United States of spreading lies about the Iraq war.

A copy of the letter obtained by VOA through European diplomats³ Tuesday makes almost no reference to Iran's nuclear intentions. Instead, it focuses on alleged⁴ wrongdoing by the United States.

In the document, the Iranian leader contends that the people of the world have lost faith in international institutions, and refers to Western-style democracy as a failed concept.

He several times mentions the Koran and urges what he calls "a return to the teachings of the divine prophets."

News of the letter had briefly⁵ raised hopes of a breakthrough in the standoff over Iran's nuclear program. But in comments to the Associated Press, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the contents do not address the nuclear issue in a concrete way.

Rice met late into the night Monday with foreign ministers of the other Security Council nations and Germany to discuss strategy on Iran.

 
Margaret Beckett, left, shakes hands with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in New York, May 8, 2006   
  
Afterward⁶, Britain's new Foreign Secretary, Margaret Beckett, called the lengthy⁷ session "important but difficult." But she acknowledged there had been no agreement on any of the outstanding issues, and that the ministers had issued instructions to diplomats to continue working.

"We've sent officials away to work towards how we can express the clear determination and the  insistence⁸ that Iran should comply on this matter with the will of the international community," she said. " So there is a good deal of work officials have to do against the background of clear common ground as to our objectives."

A senior U.S. official briefing reporters said prospects⁹ for agreement in the next week are "not substantially good." On the other hand, the official said he was encouraged that, "no one is leaving the table."

In a speech in Florida Tuesday, President Bush said he was committed to a diplomatic solution.

Germany's Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said there are as many as six issues still to be resolved before a resolution could be passed.

Diplomats on all sides say there is broad agreement that Iran should be prevented from acquiring a nuclear weapons capability¹⁰. But veto-wielding Security Council powers China and Russia have objected to any Council action that would legally require Iran to halt its nuclear enrichment activity.

China's U.N. ambassador, Wang Guangya, acknowledged that Beijing opposes any action that could lead to sanctions against Iran. But he told VOA that China would prefer to find a diplomatic solution that avoids the use of a veto.

"Veto is always there, but nowadays in the Council it is how to work constructively," the ambassador said. "So each member has to consider the concerns of the others. We want to be a constructive¹¹ player."

There was no immediate¹² word on when discussions would resume on a draft Iran resolution put forward last week by France and Britain, with German and U.S. backing. The resolution would carry the force of law under Chapter Seven of the U.N. Charter, but Western and Asian diplomats say Russia has proposed compromise language that would soften¹³ the impact of the measure.

The U.N. nuclear watchdog agency reported to the Security Council last month that it could not confirm Iran's nuclear program was only for peaceful purpose because Tehran has not been fully¹⁴ open. But it found no firm evidence of a weapons project.
 
 

1 hatred   

n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨

参考例句：

• He looked at me with hatred in his eyes.他以憎恨的眼光望着我。
• The old man was seized with burning hatred for the fascists.老人对法西斯主义者充满了仇恨。

2 rambling   

adj.[建]凌乱的，杂乱的

参考例句：

• We spent the summer rambling in Ireland. 我们花了一个夏天漫游爱尔兰。
• It was easy to get lost in the rambling house. 在布局凌乱的大房子里容易迷路。

3 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

5 briefly   

adv.简单地，简短地

参考例句：

• I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
• He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。

6 afterward   

adv.后来；以后

参考例句：

• Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏，然后吃饭。
• Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来，这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。

7 lengthy   

adj.漫长的，冗长的

参考例句：

• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。
• The professor wrote a lengthy book on Napoleon.教授写了一部有关拿破仑的巨著。

8 insistence   

n.坚持；强调；坚决主张

参考例句：

• They were united in their insistence that she should go to college.他们一致坚持她应上大学。
• His insistence upon strict obedience is correct.他坚持绝对服从是对的。

9 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。

10 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。

11 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。

12 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。

13 soften   

v.(使)变柔软；(使)变柔和

参考例句：

• Plastics will soften when exposed to heat.塑料适当加热就可以软化。
• This special cream will help to soften up our skin.这种特殊的护肤霜有助于使皮肤变得柔软。

14 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。