VOA标准英语2010年-Gates Hopes Iran Sanctions Will Avoid

French Defense¹ Minister Herve Morin, left, shakes hands with U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, at the French defense ministry², in Paris, 8 Feb. 2010

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates says he hopes strong international sanctions on Iran will forestall³ the need for a military strike designed to end the country's chances of developing a nuclear weapon.  Gates spoke⁴ in Paris, where he and his French counterpart Herve Morin agreed it is time for sanctions after months of diplomatic overtures⁵ from the West have not had any impact on Iranian leaders. 
 
Secretary Gates is working with allies to develop an effective sanctions regime targeting Iran's government, while having minimal⁶ impact on its people.  U.S. officials say they hope to bring a resolution to the U.N. Security Council this month, while France holds the rotating presidency⁷.

Gates says Iran has not responded constructively⁸ to President Barack Obama's unprecedented⁹ and long effort to start a dialogue on its nuclear program.  But asked whether he is concerned Israel might launch an air strike on Iran's nuclear facilities now that the Iranian president has ordered the resumption of uranium enrichment, the secretary said he believes there is still a chance for sanctions and other forms of diplomatic pressure to work.

"Everybody's interest is in seeing this issue resolved without a resort to conflict," he said.  "The key is persuading the Iranian leaders that their long-term best interests are best served by not having nuclear weapons, as opposed to having them.  And so I think that an approach along these lines, as long as the international community is seen pressing vigorously to resolve this problem, my hope is we will then be able to keep this in economic and diplomatic channels."

French Defense Minister Herve Morin agreed.  He said it is clear nothing has changed in Iranian nuclear policy, and so it is time to begin talking about new economic sanctions.

US Defense Secretary Robert Gates, French Defense Minister Herve Morin at a news conference in Paris, 10 Feb. 2010

The two defense ministers also discussed Afghanistan, with both defending France's role, even though it is adding only 80 trainers in the current round of NATO commitments.  They noted¹⁰ France made more significant increases before last week's defense ministers' meeting in Istanbul.  The two men also welcomed improvements in U.S.-French defense relations in recent years, including France's return to NATO's military command.

But they did not agree on everything.  France is considering selling a large naval¹¹ assault vessel¹² to Russia.  Secretary Gates declined to comment in detail, saying only they had had "a good and thorough exchange of views" on the subject.  Minister Morin defended the plan, saying the West's old nemesis¹³, Russia, has "changed deeply" in the past 20 years, and it is time to nurture¹⁴ a new relationship with it.

 

1 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

2 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。

3 forestall   

vt.抢在…之前采取行动；预先阻止

参考例句：

• I left the room to forestall involvements.我抢先离开了这房间以免受牵累。
• He followed this rule in order to forestall rumors.他遵守这条规矩是为了杜绝流言蜚语。

4 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。

5 overtures   

n.主动的表示，提议；（向某人做出的）友好表示、姿态或提议( overture的名词复数 )；（歌剧、芭蕾舞、音乐剧等的）序曲，前奏曲

参考例句：

• Their government is making overtures for peace. 他们的政府正在提出和平建议。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He had lately begun to make clumsy yet endearing overtures of friendship. 最近他开始主动表示友好，样子笨拙却又招人喜爱。 来自辞典例句

6 minimal   

adj.尽可能少的，最小的

参考例句：

• They referred to this kind of art as minimal art.他们把这种艺术叫微型艺术。
• I stayed with friends, so my expenses were minimal.我住在朋友家，所以我的花费很小。

7 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

8 constructively   

ad.有益的，积极的

参考例句：

• Collecting, by occupying spare time so constructively, makes a person contented, with no time for boredom. 如此富有意义地利用业余时间来进行收藏，会使人怡然自得，无暇烦恼。
• The HKSAR will continue to participate constructively in these activities. 香港会继续积极参与这些活动。

9 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

10 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

11 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。

12 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。

13 nemesis   

n.给以报应者，复仇者，难以对付的敌手

参考例句：

• Uncritical trust is my nemesis.盲目的相信一切害了我自己。
• Inward suffering is the worst of Nemesis.内心的痛苦是最厉害的惩罚。

14 nurture   

n.养育，照顾，教育；滋养，营养品；vt.养育，给与营养物，教养，扶持

参考例句：

• The tree grows well in his nurture.在他的培育下这棵树长得很好。
• The two sisters had received very different nurture.这俩个姊妹接受过极不同的教育。