2006年VOA标准英语-Annan Urges Iran to Suspend Enrichment Pro

By Barbara Schoetzau
New York
10 February 2006

Kofi Annan   
  
U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan is urging Iran to suspend its nuclear activity and allow talks with Russia to move forward.

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Russia has offered to provide Iran with nuclear fuel if the nation suspends it enrichment program. Iran says it needs the fuel to generate electricity. But the United States and the European Union fear Iran wants to develop nuclear weapons.

Last week, after the International Atomic Energy Agency voted to refer Iran to the Security Council, Teheran announced it would resume its nuclear enrichment program. The agency is to deliver its report on the latest developments in Iran to the Security Council March 6.

Mr. Annan says he will work with member states to find a solution to the crisis but he appears to favor negotiations¹ over the threat of Security Council action. "What is important is that both sides have said negotiations are not dead, negotiations are not over, and they are prepared to talk, and I would urge them to continue. In the meantime, it would be important that no steps are taken that would escalate² the already tense situation. And I hope Iran will continue to freeze its activities, the way they are now, to allow talks to go forward, to allow them to pursue the Russian offer, and to allow negotiations with the European Three and the Russians to come back to the table," he said.

China and Russia are also pushing to defuse the impasse³ through negotiations.

Russia's U.N. ambassador, Andrey Denisov, says strong measures such as Security Council-imposed sanctions will not yield a peaceful and workable solution. "Our preference is engagement, not pressure, but engagement. Of course, to make that engagement effective and workable, we need some clear, and acceptable by a majority of players, framework. Such a framework is nonproliferation, the restart of negotiations, a moratorium⁴ on all enrichment activities, and the disclosure of compliance⁵ with IAEA procedures and criteria⁶, disclosure of all undeclared activities in a proper way and in a proper forum," he said.

Denisov says he expects the Russian proposal on the enrichment of uranium for Iran's nuclear power station to be a key element of talks with high level Iranians in Moscow beginning February 16.

1 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。

2 escalate   

v.(使)逐步增长(或发展)，(使)逐步升级

参考例句：

• It would tempt Israel's neighbors to escalate their demands.它将诱使以色列的邻国不断把他们的要求升级。
• Defeat could cause one side or other to escalate the conflict.失败可能会导致其中一方将冲突升级。

3 impasse   

n.僵局；死路

参考例句：

• The government had reached an impasse.政府陷入绝境。
• Negotiations seemed to have reached an impasse.谈判似乎已经陷入僵局。

4 moratorium   

n.(行动、活动的)暂停(期)，延期偿付

参考例句：

• The government has called for a moratorium on weapons testing.政府已要求暂停武器试验。
• We recommended a moratorium on two particular kinds of experiments.我们建议暂禁两种特殊的实验。

5 compliance   

n.顺从；服从；附和；屈从

参考例句：

• I was surprised by his compliance with these terms.我对他竟然依从了这些条件而感到吃惊。
• She gave up the idea in compliance with his desire.她顺从他的愿望而放弃自己的主意。

6 criteria   

n.标准

参考例句：

• The main criterion is value for money.主要的标准是钱要用得划算。
• There are strict criteria for inclusion in the competition.参赛的标准很严格。