2006年VOA标准英语-Iranian President Rejects UN Sanctions

By Stephanie Ho
Washington
24 December 2006

The president of Iran dismissed U.N. sanctions imposed against his country as, in his words, "superficial" and "unimportant." He spoke¹ in Tehran Sunday, one day after the U.N. Security Council unanimously approved measures aimed at persuading Iran to suspend its uranium enrichment program. VOA's Stephanie Ho reports from Washington.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad gestures as he speaks in Tehran

Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said the U.N. sanctions will not harm his country, and he warned that U.N. Security Council members will regret their decision. He said western countries have lost the opportunity to be what he called a friend to Iran.

In a special Saturday session, the U.N. Security Council passed a measure prohibiting the import or export of dangerous materials and technology that could be used in Iran's nuclear missile programs. It also calls for a freeze on the assets of several Iranian individuals and companies involved in proliferation-related activities.

The U.N. vote came nearly four months after Iran defied an earlier Council deadline to halt uranium enrichment.

The United States has said it hoped the resolution would clear the way for tougher measures by individual countries, particularly Russia.

In reaction, Iran's parliament on Sunday voted to urge the country's administration to revise its cooperation with the nuclear watchdog IAEA but did not set a timeline or provide further details.

Speaking in Tehran, Mr. Ahmadinejad said he believes the Security Council has been discredited² by its actions. He repeated accusations³ that the U.N. body is acting⁴ as, in his words, "the blind servant" of the United States, Britain and Israel.

The Iranian leader added that his country has the technology to produce nuclear fuel and insists on keeping it. Iran has repeatedly said its nuclear program is peaceful and intended only for power generation.

Ban Ki-moon, the incoming U.N. Secretary General, said he considers international efforts to restrict Iran's nuclear program of significance to the whole world. "The Iranian nuclear issue has much greater implications on regional and global issues," he said.

Speaking Sunday in an interview with ABC's "This Week" television program, he urged Iran to engage in international negotiations⁵ on its nuclear program.

The U.N. sanctions will be legally binding⁶ under Chapter Seven of the U.N. Charter. But they were approved under a clause of the charter that excludes the possibility that they can be enforced through military action.

1 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

2 discredited   

不足信的，不名誉的

参考例句：

• The reactionary authorities are between two fires and have been discredited. 反动当局弄得进退维谷，不得人心。
• Her honour was discredited in the newspapers. 她的名声被报纸败坏了。

3 accusations   

n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名

参考例句：

• There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
• He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。

4 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

5 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。

6 binding   

有约束力的，有效的，应遵守的

参考例句：

• The contract was not signed and has no binding force. 合同没有签署因而没有约束力。
• Both sides have agreed that the arbitration will be binding. 双方都赞同仲裁具有约束力。