VOA标准英语2012--Iran Pledges New Initiatives Ahead of Crucial Nuclear Talks

Iran Pledges New Initiatives Ahead of Crucial Nuclear Talks

The Fordo uranium enrichment plant is buried deep under a mountain 160 kilometers south of Tehran and is central to the talks this weekend.

According to media reports citing diplomats¹, the United States and European Union are likely to demand its immediate² closure. 

“It was constructed essentially³ in secret by the Iranians and unearthed⁴ by the West in September 2009. What’s happened more recently is that the facility has essentially come online and has started actually producing enriched uranium,” said David Cliff, a nuclear proliferation expert at the non-governmental organization, Vertic.

The meeting in Istanbul includes the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council - the U.S., Britain, China, Russia and France - plus Germany, and Iran.

Tehran denies Western accusations⁵ that it is trying to make a nuclear bomb. It says the enrichment program is for producing electricity. It has promised new initiatives at the talks - though it has not specified⁶ what it might offer.

The U.S. and the EU have imposed a tightening⁸ set of sanctions on Iran - most recently, banning oil imports.

Analysts¹⁰ say Tehran can depend on China and Russia for limited support. Beijing has called for the P5+1 to take a "maneuverable and pragmatic attitude."

The Iranian leadership itself is divided, says Cliff. “There’s not been a decision taken within Iran as to whether they want to go for a bomb outright¹¹ or whether they want to develop what is called a ‘virtual nuclear weapons capability,’ where they have all of the material that they need, and they have all of the scientific and the technical knowledge they would need, to develop a nuclear weapon if at some point in the future the ‘go’ order was given,” he said. 

If that happened, both the U.S. and Israel have said they would have little choice but to launch a military attack on Iran. Analyst⁹ Andrea Berger, at the Royal United Services Institute in London, says there is optimism that diplomacy¹² will prevail. 

“With the current negotiations¹³, none of the countries around the table have articulated that this is the end for engagement with Iran. As a matter of fact, the schedule for negotiations seems to imply that countries are hoping there will be future negotiations to come,” Berger said.

In the run-up to the Istanbul talks, tension between the West and Iran has grown as international sanctions tighten⁷ against Tehran. With Western patience running thin, Washington warns that time for diplomacy is not “infinite” and that “all options remain on the table.” 

1 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》

2 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

3 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

4 unearthed   

出土的（考古）

参考例句：

• Many unearthed cultural relics are set forth in the exhibition hall. 展览馆里陈列着许多出土文物。
• Some utensils were in a state of decay when they were unearthed. 有些器皿在出土时已经残破。

5 accusations   

n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名

参考例句：

• There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
• He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。

6 specified   

adj.特定的

参考例句：

• The architect specified oak for the wood trim. 那位建筑师指定用橡木做木饰条。
• It is generated by some specified means. 这是由某些未加说明的方法产生的。

7 tighten   

v.(使)变紧；(使)绷紧

参考例句：

• Turn the screw to the right to tighten it.向右转动螺钉把它拧紧。
• Some countries tighten monetary policy to avoid inflation.一些国家实行紧缩银根的货币政策，以避免通货膨胀。

8 tightening   

上紧，固定，紧密

参考例句：

• Make sure the washer is firmly seated before tightening the pipe. 旋紧水管之前，检查一下洗衣机是否已牢牢地固定在底座上了。
• It needs tightening up a little. 它还需要再收紧些。

9 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

10 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

11 outright   

adv.坦率地；彻底地；立即；adj.无疑的；彻底的

参考例句：

• If you have a complaint you should tell me outright.如果你有不满意的事，你应该直率地对我说。
• You should persuade her to marry you outright.你应该彻底劝服她嫁给你。

12 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

13 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。