2006年VOA标准英语-UN Security Council Gives Iran 30 Days To

By Peter Heinlein
United Nations
29 March 2006

UN Security Council (file photo)  
  
The U.N. Security Council has taken the first step in confronting Iran about its controversial nuclear program. The Council gave Tehran 30 days to suspend uranium enrichment activity.

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A statement approved by the full Council Wednesday is far milder than its sponsors had hoped.

During negotiations¹, language was dropped that would have characterized Iran's nuclear program as a threat to international peace and security, thereby² establishing the Council's jurisdiction³ over the matter. Russia and China, which favor a more lenient⁴ approach to Iran, argued Tehran's nuclear activity should be dealt with by the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog agency, not the Security Council.

In the end, sponsors Britain, France and Germany, along with the United States, relented in order to get a statement adopted before their top diplomats⁵ meet in Berlin Thursday. That gathering⁶ will focus on longer term strategies for preventing Iran from pushing ahead with its nuclear enrichment program.

While some of the strongest language was deleted, the statement calls on International Atomic Energy Agency Director Mohamed ElBaradei to report to the Council on Iran's compliance⁷ with its obligations within 30 days.

France's U.N. Ambassador Jean-Marc de La Sabliere said he is confident the statement sends a strong message to Tehran.

"Iran has 30 days, and we hope Iran will comply," said Jean-Marc de La Sabliere. "If Iran complies, it will pave the way for a negotiated solution that guarantees the nuclear program of Iran is for solely⁸ for peaceful uses. If Iran doesn't comply, then the Security Council will receive a report from ElBaradei, will have to take its responsibilities."
 

John Bolton announces agreement on Security Council statement at UN headquarters, March 29, 2006  
  
Washington's U.N. Ambassador John Bolton emerged from the final negotiating session saying the Council was sending an unmistakable message to Iran that, in his words, "its efforts to deny the obvious fact of what they are doing are not going to be sufficient".

"This is simply a statement that says to Iran, you have consistently disobeyed resolutions of the International Atomic Energy Agency, violated your safeguards agreements, you've violated the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, you must now come into compliance, and if in 30 days that hasn't happened, and we expect a report from the IAEA director general, in 30 days the Security Council will be competent and ready to act," said John Bolton.

The statement adopted Wednesday is the product of three weeks of intense negotiations among the Security Council's five permanent members.

Moscow's U.N. Ambassador Andrey Denisov said Russia had demanded removal of stronger language until the IAEA provides stronger proof of Iran's nuclear intentions.

"When you talk of threat to international peace and security, you must have strong, clear and legally- approved evidence, we don't have such evidence," said Andrey Denisov. "That is a purpose why we use International Atomic Energy Agency as a watchdog, specially⁹ designed to provide such clarification, such verification, such approval. "

Iran's U.N. Ambassador Javad Zarif ridiculed¹⁰ the Council statement. Speaking to reporters, he reiterated¹¹ Tehran's position that its nuclear program is strictly¹² for peaceful purposes.

"Iran's commitment to the non-proliferation regime is categorical," said Javad Zarif. "We always made it clear that Iran is committed to its obligations because they are based in our historical and religious edicts. We have made it clear that at the highest level, Iran does not want nuclear weapons, nor does it want to pursue development, stockpiling or acquisition of these inhuman¹³ weapons."

The Iranian envoy¹⁴ vowed¹⁵ that his country would not bow to international pressure to curb¹⁶ its nuclear activities.

"Pressure and threats do not work on Iran," he said. "Iran is allergic¹⁷ to pressure and threats and intimidation¹⁸."

A statement issued by Iran's foreign ministry¹⁹ Tuesday had warned that Security Council intervention²⁰ would escalate²¹ tensions and have negative consequences.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Wednesday called the Security Council's action "an important diplomatic step" that shows Tehran to be "more isolated²² than ever". She said she was looking forward to Thursday's Berlin meeting to explore further action on Iran.

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 thereby   

adv.因此，从而

参考例句：

• I have never been to that city,,ereby I don't know much about it.我从未去过那座城市，因此对它不怎么熟悉。
• He became a British citizen,thereby gaining the right to vote.他成了英国公民，因而得到了投票权。

3 jurisdiction   

n.司法权，审判权，管辖权，控制权

参考例句：

• It doesn't lie within my jurisdiction to set you free.我无权将你释放。
• Changzhou is under the jurisdiction of Jiangsu Province.常州隶属江苏省。

4 lenient   

adj.宽大的，仁慈的

参考例句：

• The judge was lenient with him.法官对他很宽大。
• It's a question of finding the means between too lenient treatment and too severe punishment.问题是要找出处理过宽和处罚过严的折中办法。

5 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》

6 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

7 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。

8 solely   

adv.仅仅，唯一地

参考例句：

• Success should not be measured solely by educational achievement.成功与否不应只用学业成绩来衡量。
• The town depends almost solely on the tourist trade.这座城市几乎完全靠旅游业维持。

9 specially   

adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地

参考例句：

• They are specially packaged so that they stack easily.它们经过特别包装以便于堆放。
• The machine was designed specially for demolishing old buildings.这种机器是专为拆毁旧楼房而设计的。

10 ridiculed   

v.嘲笑，嘲弄，奚落( ridicule的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Biosphere 2 was ultimately ridiculed as a research debade, as exfravagant pseudoscience. 生物圈2号最终被讥讽为科研上的大失败，代价是昂贵的伪科学。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She ridiculed his insatiable greed. 她嘲笑他的贪得无厌。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 reiterated   

反复地说，重申( reiterate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• "Well, I want to know about it,'she reiterated. “嗯，我一定要知道你的休假日期，"她重复说。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Some twenty-two years later President Polk reiterated and elaborated upon these principles. 大约二十二年之后，波尔克总统重申这些原则并且刻意阐释一番。

12 strictly   

adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地

参考例句：

• His doctor is dieting him strictly.他的医生严格规定他的饮食。
• The guests were seated strictly in order of precedence.客人严格按照地位高低就座。

13 inhuman   

adj.残忍的，不人道的，无人性的

参考例句：

• We must unite the workers in fighting against inhuman conditions.我们必须使工人们团结起来反对那些难以忍受的工作条件。
• It was inhuman to refuse him permission to see his wife.不容许他去看自己的妻子是太不近人情了。

14 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

15 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

16 curb   

n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制

参考例句：

• I could not curb my anger.我按捺不住我的愤怒。
• You must curb your daughter when you are in church.你在教堂时必须管住你的女儿。

17 allergic   

adj.过敏的，变态的

参考例句：

• Alice is allergic to the fur of cats.艾丽斯对猫的皮毛过敏。
• Many people are allergic to airborne pollutants such as pollen.许多人对空气传播的污染物过敏，比如花粉。

18 intimidation   

n.恐吓，威胁

参考例句：

• The Opposition alleged voter intimidation by the army.反对党声称投票者受到军方的恐吓。
• The gang silenced witnesses by intimidation.恶帮用恐吓的手段使得证人不敢说话。

19 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

20 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。

21 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。

22 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。