VOA常速英语2007年-Iranian Nuclear Plant May Be Ready By Late 2008

By Peter Fedynsky
Moscow
20 December 2007

The director of the Russian company building Iran's nuclear power station at Bushehr says the facility will not begin operations before the end of 2008. VOA Correspondent Peter Fedynsky reports from Moscow.

The director of Russia's Atomstroiexport company, Sergei Shmatko would not set a precise date for launching operations at the nuclear power station in Iran's southern port city of Bushehr. Speaking during a visit to China, he indicated it would not be earlier than the end of 2008.

Iran on Monday confirmed the arrival of Russia's first fuel shipment for the plant.

Atomstroiexport spokeswoman Irina Yesipova told VOA fuel will be delivered by air in several shipments from the Russian city of Novosibirsk under strict supervision¹ by the International Atomic Energy Agency. Yesipova says regulations require nuclear fuel be in place at a plant for at least six months before the start of operations.

The spokeswoman said routine work under way at the plant includes receiving the fuel and securing it in special storage sites.

Yesipova says the fuel will also undergo various on-site technical tests, but did not specify² their nature.

Iranian news agencies on Monday quoted the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, Gholamreza Aghazadeh, as saying this week's Russian shipment involved 82 tons of fuel for the Bushehr plant's first year of operation.

Tehran argues that nuclear work at the facility and elsewhere is strictly³ for civilian⁴ purposes. But the United States and its Western allies have accused Iran of using the programs for development of nuclear weapons.

1 supervision   

n.监督，管理

参考例句：

• The work was done under my supervision.这项工作是在我的监督之下完成的。
• The old man's will was executed under the personal supervision of the lawyer.老人的遗嘱是在律师的亲自监督下执行的。

2 specify   

vt.指定，详细说明

参考例句：

• We should specify a time and a place for the meeting.我们应指定会议的时间和地点。
• Please specify what you will do.请你详述一下你将做什么。

3 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。

4 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。