VOA标准英语2013--US Considers Sanctions Against Pakistan for Iran Pipeline

 

US Considers Sanctions Against Pakistan for Iran Pipeline¹

After nearly 20 years, there is considerable progress on the Iran-to-Pakistan "peace pipeline," with Iranian contractors² starting work on Pakistani sections of the project, having finished nearly 900 kilometers of pipeline in Iran.

That is of concern to the United States, which is backing international sanctions against Iranian energy exports because of its nuclear program.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says the gas pipeline has nothing to do with the nuclear program.

"Foreign elements who are against the progress of Pakistan and Iran have found the excuse of our nuclear program. The gas pipeline has no connection whatsoever³ with the nuclear case," he said. "With natural gas you cannot make atomic bombs."

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari says the pipeline is about economic survival. "We've got to be economically sound, and therefore this pipeline is a life pipeline as far as Pakistan is concerned," he added.

American University professor Akbar Ahmed says Pakistani energy demands outweigh⁴ U.S. opposition⁵.

"It's in the interests of the Pakistani government to have access to energy and Iran is promising⁶ that through this gas pipeline," Ahmed said. "At the same time the United States is doing everything to block this."

"We have serious concerns if this project actually goes forward that the Iran Sanctions Act would be triggered. We’ve been straight-up with the Pakistanis about these concerns," said State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland.

Other countries have gotten waivers from the Iran sanctions. Pakistan thinks this pipeline should get a waiver too.

"I don't see why we cannot engage with the world and make sure that the world understands our point of view, and Pakistan also gets a waiver for this project," Zardari explained.

The Obama administration says there is no comparison.

"In the case of Japan, they’ve been making a steady decline, as have other countries that we have waived⁷ sanctions on. This pipeline project - if, as I said - if it actually goes forward - we’ve seen that promise many times - would take Pakistan in the wrong direction," Nuland stated.

Professor Ahmed says Tehran hopes that the U.S.-led sanctions will push Pakistan into a closer alliance with Iran.

"I don't think the United States should be pushing Pakistan to the point that it's at the brink⁸," Ahmed said. "It's already at the brink in terms of the law-and-order breakdown⁹ in Pakistan, in terms of the economic crisis, in terms of really the sense of crisis that now envelopes Pakistan and the awareness¹⁰ in Pakistan that America is at the root cause of most of its problems."

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry had hoped to go to Islamabad after his surprise trip to Kabul last week - and the pipeline issue was expected to come up. But U.S. officials decided¹¹ against the trip - given the political uncertainty¹² in Pakistan ahead of upcoming elections. 

1 pipeline   

n.管道，管线

参考例句：

• The pipeline supplies Jordan with 15 per cent of its crude oil.该管道供给约旦15%的原油。
• A single pipeline serves all the houses with water.一条单管路给所有的房子供水。

2 contractors   

n.（建筑、监造中的）承包人( contractor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• We got estimates from three different contractors before accepting the lowest. 我们得到3个承包商的报价后，接受了最低的报价。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Contractors winning construction jobs had to kick back 2 per cent of the contract price to the mafia. 赢得建筑工作的承包商得抽出合同价格的百分之二的回扣给黑手党。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 whatsoever   

adv.（用于否定句中以加强语气）任何；pron.无论什么

参考例句：

• There's no reason whatsoever to turn down this suggestion.没有任何理由拒绝这个建议。
• All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you,do ye even so to them.你想别人对你怎样，你就怎样对人。

4 outweigh   

vt.比...更重，...更重要

参考例句：

• The merits of your plan outweigh the defects.你制定的计划其优点胜过缺点。
• One's merits outweigh one's short-comings.功大于过。

5 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

6 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

7 waived   

v.宣布放弃( waive的过去式和过去分词 )；搁置；推迟；放弃（权利、要求等）

参考例句：

• He has waived all claim to the money. 他放弃了索取这笔钱的权利。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I waived the discourse, and began to talk of my business. 我撇开了这个话题，开始讲我的事情。 来自辞典例句

8 brink   

n.(悬崖、河流等的)边缘，边沿

参考例句：

• The tree grew on the brink of the cliff.那棵树生长在峭壁的边缘。
• The two countries were poised on the brink of war.这两个国家处于交战的边缘。

9 breakdown   

n.垮，衰竭；损坏，故障，倒塌

参考例句：

• She suffered a nervous breakdown.她患神经衰弱。
• The plane had a breakdown in the air,but it was fortunately removed by the ace pilot.飞机在空中发生了故障，但幸运的是被王牌驾驶员排除了。

10 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

11 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

12 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。