2006年VOA标准英语-Bush, Chirac Say They Are in Agreement Over Ira

Washington
19 September 2006 

bilateral1 meetings related to the U.N. General Assembly in New York, Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2006" src="/upimg/allimg/070419/1443360.jpg" width="210" border="0" /> President Bush meets with French President Jacques Chirac during bilateral meetings related to the U.N. General Assembly in New York, Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2006

President Bush and French President Jacques Chirac say they are in absolute agreement on the need for Iran to suspend its nuclear enrichment activities before any negotiations² over the country's nuclear program.  The two leaders met in New York Tuesday before President Bush's address to the United Nations General Assembly.

----

Sitting alongside the French leader, President Bush said the United States and France have a common goal: preventing Iran from possessing a nuclear weapon. Mr. Bush said he would like to solve the matter diplomatically, and repeated his administration's offer to join European-led talks with Iran if Tehran suspends its enrichment of uranium, a process that yields nuclear material that could be used to build a weapon.

Mr. Bush suggested the international community's patience with Iran is not limitless.

"We believe time is of the essence. Should they [Iran's leaders] continue to stall, we will then discuss the consequences of the stalling," Mr. Bush says. "And one of those consequences of stalling, of course, would be some kind of sanctions program. But now is the time for the Iranians to come to the [negotiating] table."

President Chirac echoed much of what Mr. Bush said, dismissing any suggestion of divisions between Washington and Paris over Iran's nuclear program.

Mr. Chirac said the United States and France see eye-to-eye and are both determined³ to move ahead in a constructive⁴ manner. He said that the first thing that must be done is to bring Iran's enrichment activities to an end.

Mr. Chirac added that negotiations are the way to resolve the matter, but negotiations will go forward only after Iran suspends its enrichment activities.

The United States and European nations suspect one goal of Iran's nuclear program is to make nuclear weapons.  Iran insists its nuclear program is intended for purely⁵ peaceful purposes - to generate energy for a growing population. Iran's leaders have rejected calls to halt nuclear enrichment activities ahead of negotiations, but suggested that a suspension agreement could emerge from talks. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad, who is attending the United Nations General Assembly session in New York, has questioned the right of Western nations that already possess nuclear weapons to dictate⁶ what other nations like Iran may do in the nuclear field.

President Bush has called for the U.N. Security Council to impose sanctions on Iran if Tehran refuses to comply with U.N. demands for enrichment suspension. Two veto-wielding nations on the Security Council, Russia and China, have resisted such calls.  

1 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。

2 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。

3 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

4 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。

5 purely   

adv.纯粹地，完全地

参考例句：

• I helped him purely and simply out of friendship.我帮他纯粹是出于友情。
• This disproves the theory that children are purely imitative.这证明认为儿童只会单纯地模仿的理论是站不住脚的。

6 dictate   

v.口授；(使)听写；指令，指示，命令

参考例句：

• It took him a long time to dictate this letter.口述这封信花了他很长时间。
• What right have you to dictate to others?你有什么资格向别人发号施令？