VOA常速英语2013--2014年考验伊朗的改变

 

2014 Will Test Changes in Iran 2014年考验伊朗的改变

LONDON — The year 2013 saw major changes for Iran, with the election of a  more moderate president and agreement with the international community to limit its nuclear  program. But experts say the real test for the extent of the changes will come in 2014, when Iran will be called on to make additional, more permanent, policy changes.

It was a remarkable¹ moment in November when the Iranian foreign minister and his counterparts from six world powers reached a preliminary agreement to limit Iran’s  nuclear program and to ease economic sanctions.  11月份伊朗外长和来自六个大国的外长们达成初步协议，限制伊朗的核项目，并放松经济制裁，这是个了不起的时刻。

It capped a year of dramatic change in Iran.

这一时刻结束了伊朗一年来的剧烈变动。

Just a year ago, then President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad was still engaging in his harsh rhetoric² against the West and refusing to hold substantive³ talks on the nuclear  program, as mismanagement and economic sanctions crippled Iran’s economy.

就在一年前，时任总统马哈茂德·艾哈迈迪-内贾德还在用严厉的言辞对付西方，拒绝就核项目进行实质性会谈，同时管理不当和经济制裁摧残了伊朗的经济。

Then, in June, Iranian voters elected a relative moderate, Hassan Rouhani, to replace him.  And just as significantly, Iran’s Supreme⁴ Leader, the Ayatollah Ali  Khamenei, publicly backed Rouhani's new approach.

6月份，伊朗选民们选出相对温和的哈桑·鲁哈尼来代替内贾德，伊朗最高领袖哈梅内伊公开支持鲁哈尼的新政策，这一点意义重大。

All that culminated⁵ in the nuclear accord in Geneva in November.    11月份双方在日内瓦达成了核协议。

“Well, I do see it as a dramatic difference, but I caution that we shouldn’t over-estimate what’s going on,” said retired⁶ U.S. diplomat⁷ Richard LeBaron, now at the  Atlantic Council. "I think 2014 will be the key year in determining whether Iran is on a strategic change of course. But so far, I think it’s a tactical move.”

“我确实认为有了相当大的不同，但要小心，我们不应该过高评价”，目前在大西洋理事会就职的美国退休外交官Richard LeBaron说，“我想2014年是关键的一年，将决定伊朗是否走上战略 性改变的道路，但到目前为止，我觉得这是一个战术举动。”

LeBaron predicts a resumption of the internal struggle between hardliners and moderates, as Iran is called on to make more concessions⁸ to reach a long-term nuclear  accord.

LeBaron预测国内强硬派和保守派将继续进行内斗，同时伊朗呼吁做出更多让步以达成长期核协议。

At London’s International Institute for Strategic Studies, Mark Fitzpatrick says the coming months will focus on negotiations⁹, not talk of war.

在伦敦的国际战略研究所，马克·菲茨帕特里克说未来几个月将把重点放在协商而非战争上。

“If Iran’s nuclear program had not been at least capped, it was making progress that would have crossed Israel’s red lines, I think, by next summer, and we very  well could have had a military option being exercised,” Fitzpatrick said.

“如果伊朗的核项目还没达到控制，那么其进展将越过以色列的警戒线，我想到明年夏天，我们可能会采取军事手段。”

Fitzpatrick and LeBaron both doubt Iranian leaders’ assurances that they have no interest in building a nuclear weapon. The experts say officials likely want to  maintain the option for the future, while also getting sanctions eased to satisfy their people.

菲茨帕特里克和LeBaron都质疑伊朗领袖的无意制造核武器的保证，两位专家称可能想未来继续保有核武器的选择，同时为了满足人民使得制裁得到缓解。

Fitzpatrick says it’s a question of how many restrictions¹⁰ Iran will accept, and how long it would take to develop a weapons if it decides to do so. “Will they accept  as long of a lead time as the United States would want, in order to feel comfortable?  That’s going to be the tricky¹¹ part in the discussions that are upcoming.”

菲茨帕特里克说问题是伊朗会接受多少限制，如果伊朗下了决心，需要多久能制造出武器。“他们是否能接受美国希望的期限，这将是未来协商中很棘手的部分。”

Those talks have a six-month deadline that many experts say will be difficult to meet. Even incremental¹² progress could ease concerns in the Middle East and in the West  and might even open the possibility of cooperation on other issues, particularly Syria. But deadlock¹³ would likely recreate the tensions of recent years. 这些协商有6个月的最后期限，许多专家认为很难实现。即使是循序渐进的进展也会缓解中东和西方的担心，甚至使得其他问题上的合作成为可能，尤其是叙利亚问题。但未来几年僵局可能会 还会制造紧张局面。

1 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

2 rhetoric   

n.修辞学，浮夸之言语

参考例句：

• Do you know something about rhetoric?你懂点修辞学吗？
• Behind all the rhetoric,his relations with the army are dangerously poised.在冠冕堂皇的言辞背后，他和军队的关系岌岌可危。

3 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。

4 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

5 culminated   

v.达到极点( culminate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• a gun battle which culminated in the death of two police officers 一场造成两名警察死亡的枪战
• The gala culminated in a firework display. 晚会以大放烟火告终。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

7 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。

8 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。

9 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。

10 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

11 tricky   

adj.狡猾的，奸诈的；(工作等)棘手的，微妙的

参考例句：

• I'm in a rather tricky position.Can you help me out?我的处境很棘手，你能帮我吗？
• He avoided this tricky question and talked in generalities.他回避了这个非常微妙的问题，只做了个笼统的表述。

12 incremental   

adj.增加的

参考例句：

• For logic devices, the incremental current gain is very important. 对于逻辑器件来说，提高电流增益是非常重要的。 来自辞典例句
• By using an incremental approach, the problems involving material or geometric nonlinearity have been solved. 借应用一种增量方法，已经解决了包括材料的或几何的非线性问题。 来自辞典例句

13 deadlock   

n.僵局，僵持

参考例句：

• The negotiations reached a deadlock after two hours.两小时后，谈判陷入了僵局。
• The employers and strikers are at a deadlock over the wage.雇主和罢工者在工资问题上相持不下。