2007年VOA标准英语-Second British Sailor Shown on Iranian TV as Im

By Tom Rivers
London
30 March 2007

A second member of the British crew captured last week in the Gulf² has been shown on Iranian television making an apology for illegally entering Iranian waters. The British government has denounced the video as propaganda.

Crewman Nathan Thomas Summers, one the 15 British Naval³ personnel being held by Iran, apologized for the latest incident as well as one that occurred three years earlier.

 
Iranian state-run Al-Alam television image showing British sailor Nathan Thomas Summers, 30 Mar¹. 2007
"I would like to apologize for entering your waters without any permission," he said. "I know it happened back in 2004 and our government promised that it would not happen again. And again, I deeply apologize for entering your waters."

Summers was shown sitting with the female detainee and another serviceman.  The TV channel previously⁴ showed a similar taped confession⁵ from the woman.

Britain maintains its naval personnel were in Iraqi waters when their vessel⁶ was seized by Iran. 

Reacting to the video clip, British leader Tony Blair says parading and manipulating captured personnel disgusts people and, he says, it does not fool anyone.

 
British Prime Minister Tony Blair comments on standoff with Iran, 30 Mar. 2007

"What the Iranians have to realize is that if they continue in this way they will face increasing isolation," said Mr. Blair, " the United Nations yesterday, the European Union today, we will be talking to other key allies over the weekend and we have just got to pursue this with the necessary firmness and determination, but also patience, because there is only one possible conclusion to this and that is that our personnel are released safe and sound."

The area near the mouth of the Shatt al-Arab waterway where the British patrol was picked up has for decades been claimed by both Iran and Iraq and its ownership has been hotly disputed.

Mr. Blair says that, based on satellite data from global positioning system technology, the naval and marine⁷ party was in Iraqi waters, not Iranian.

"The sooner the Iranian regime realize that they are not gaining anything from this, they cannot gain anything from this, it is perfectly⁸ obvious that these people were in Iraqi waters under a United Nations mandate⁹, there is absolutely no question about the unlawful nature of their capture and therefore they have got to be released," he added.

Meanwhile, for the first time in the weeklong standoff, the Iranian foreign ministry¹⁰ has sent a letter to the British embassy in Tehran.

British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett says London is carefully studying the wording of the document, and Britain will respond formally, but she says she is not very optimistic it represents a key potential breakthrough.

 
Margaret Beckett talks to reporters, 30 Mar. 2007
"There is nothing in the letter that suggests that the Iranians are looking for a way out of this difficult situation," she said.  "We have been looking for a way out of it, for them for us and particularly for our service personnel from the beginning. I wish I saw any sign that this is what Iran is trying to do."

An Iranian news agency reports the message contains a call for Britain to avoid violating Iranian territorial¹¹ waters in the future.

While the dispute continues, the price of oil keeps climbing on the worldwide markets to above the $68 mark.

1 mar   

vt.破坏，毁坏，弄糟

参考例句：

• It was not the custom for elderly people to mar the picnics with their presence.大人们照例不参加这样的野餐以免扫兴。
• Such a marriage might mar your career.这样的婚姻说不定会毁了你的一生。

2 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

3 naval   

adj.海军的，军舰的，船的

参考例句：

• He took part in a great naval battle.他参加了一次大海战。
• The harbour is an important naval base.该港是一个重要的海军基地。

4 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

5 confession   

n.自白，供认，承认

参考例句：

• Her confession was simply tantamount to a casual explanation.她的自白简直等于一篇即席说明。
• The police used torture to extort a confession from him.警察对他用刑逼供。

6 vessel   

n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管

参考例句：

• The vessel is fully loaded with cargo for Shanghai.这艘船满载货物驶往上海。
• You should put the water into a vessel.你应该把水装入容器中。

7 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

8 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

9 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。

10 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。

11 territorial   

adj.领土的，领地的

参考例句：

• The country is fighting to preserve its territorial integrity.该国在为保持领土的完整而进行斗争。
• They were not allowed to fish in our territorial waters.不允许他们在我国领海捕鱼。