2007年VOA标准英语-US Ready For Another Meeting With Iran

By David Gollust
State Department
17 July 2007

The State Department said Tuesday U.S. diplomats¹ are ready for another meeting with Iranian officials to discuss the security situation in Iraq. A May 28 meeting between the two countries' ambassadors in Baghdad was the most high-profile contact between the two countries in nearly 30 years. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department.

Officials are giving no date or other information about plans for a second U.S.-Iranian meeting on Iraq.

But the State Department says another meeting would be appropriate in order to reiterate² U.S. concerns about what is seen here as destabilizing activity by Iranian in neighboring Iraq.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari said earlier Tuesday in Baghdad that a second round of ambassadorial-level talks of the Iraqi security situation, to follow up on the landmark³ May 28 meeting, will be held soon.

Sean McCormack

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters Tuesday he had no announcement of a new meeting but did not contest the Iraqi ministers' suggestion that one is imminent⁴.

McCormack said if it is held, the U.S. side will reiterate demands made at the at the first meeting that Iran back up its stated desire to see a peaceful Iraq with tangible⁵ action:

"It would be appropriate to have another face-to-face meeting to directly convey to the Iranian authorities that if they wish to see a more stable, secure, peaceful Iraq - which is what they have said they would like to see - that they need to change their behavior," McCormack said. "They need to stop supporting sectarian militias⁶ that are exacerbating⁷ sectarian tensions. They need to stop supporting EFP networks that pose a direct threat to our troops."

U.S. officials have accused Iran of supplying insurgents⁸ with so-called explosively-formed projectiles⁹ that have been used to deadly effect against American military vehicles.

The May 28 meeting, held in the office of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, brought together the U.S. ambassador in Baghdad Ryan Crocker and his Iranian counterpart Hassan Kazemi Qomi.

Both sides said the atmosphere of the meeting was good but there were no claims of substantive¹⁰ progress.

The United States and Iran have not had diplomatic relations since Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution during which student militants¹¹ seized the U.S. embassy in Tehran and held some 50 U.S. officials hostage for more than a year.

Despite the lack of formal ties, the two countries have had occasional contact over the years, primarily at multi-lateral meetings.

The Bush administration is limiting the Baghdad contacts to Iraq security issues. It has made an overture¹² to Iran for open-ended political talks, but only if Tehran halts uranium enrichment and returns to negotiations¹³ over its nuclear program.

1 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》

2 reiterate   

v.重申，反复地说

参考例句：

• Let me reiterate that we have absolutely no plans to increase taxation.让我再一次重申我们绝对没有增税的计划。
• I must reiterate that our position on this issue is very clear.我必须重申我们对这一项议题的立场很清楚。

3 landmark   

n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标

参考例句：

• The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history.俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。
• The tower was once a landmark for ships.这座塔曾是船只的陆标。

4 imminent   

adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的

参考例句：

• The black clounds show that a storm is imminent.乌云预示暴风雨即将来临。
• The country is in imminent danger.国难当头。

5 tangible   

adj.有形的，可触摸的，确凿的，实际的

参考例句：

• The policy has not yet brought any tangible benefits.这项政策还没有带来任何实质性的好处。
• There is no tangible proof.没有确凿的证据。

6 militias   

n.民兵组织，民兵( militia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias. 部队并不打算解除战斗中的民兵武装。 来自辞典例句
• The neighborhood was a battleground for Shiite and Sunni militias. 那里曾是什叶派和逊尼派武装分子的战场。 来自互联网

7 exacerbating   

v.使恶化，使加重( exacerbate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• This pedagogical understretch is exacerbating social inequalities. 这种教学张力不足加重了社会不平等。 来自互联网
• High fertilizer prices are exacerbating the problem. 高涨的肥料价格更加加剧了问题的恶化。 来自互联网

8 insurgents   

n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The regular troops of Baden joined the insurgents. 巴登的正规军参加到起义军方面来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Against the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents, these problems are manageable. 要对付塔利班与伊拉克叛乱分子，这些问题还是可以把握住的。 来自互联网

9 projectiles   

n.抛射体( projectile的名词复数 )；（炮弹、子弹等）射弹，（火箭等）自动推进的武器

参考例句：

• These differences are connected with the strong absorption of the composite projectiles. 这些差别与复杂的入射粒子的强烈吸收有关。 来自辞典例句
• Projectiles became more important because cannons could now fire balls over hundreds or yards. 抛射体变得更加重要，因为人们已能用大炮把炮弹射到几百码的距离之外。 来自辞典例句

10 substantive   

adj.表示实在的；本质的、实质性的；独立的；n.实词，实名词；独立存在的实体

参考例句：

• They plan to meet again in Rome very soon to begin substantive negotiations.他们计划不久在罗马再次会晤以开始实质性的谈判。
• A president needs substantive advice,but he also requires emotional succor. 一个总统需要实质性的建议，但也需要感情上的支持。

11 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

12 overture   

n.前奏曲、序曲，提议，提案，初步交涉

参考例句：

• The opera was preceded by a short overture.这部歌剧开始前有一段简短的序曲。
• His overture led to nothing.他的提议没有得到什么结果。

13 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。