时间:2018-12-02 作者:英语课 分类:CNN美国有线新闻2017年10月


英语课

 


Every 90 days, the president of the United States is required to certify 1 an international nuclear agreement with the Middle Eastern country of Iran.


President Donald Trump 2 has done this twice. But this weekend, he announced he would not recertify the agreement this time around. What does that mean?


First, the deal. It's official named the Joint 3 Comprehensive Plan of Action. It was signed in 2015 while the Obama administration was in office. Six countries led by the U.S. agreed to remove sanctions, economic penalties on Iran, allowing tens of billions of dollars to flow into Iran's economy. In exchange, Iran agreed to significantly limit its controversial nuclear program, at least temporarily, and to allow international inspectors 4 into the country to make sure it was living up to the deal.


Inspectors with the United Nations say Iran is keeping its end of the agreement. But President Trump says Iran isn't. He says the country is still a nuclear threat and that he's not recertifying the Iran nuclear deal.


This doesn't mean the agreement is cancelled. It means that it's now up to the U.S. Congress to decide whether to reinstate U.S. sanctions against Iran and that's something that could lead to the end of the deal.


But experts say the Trump administration doesn't want to end it entirely 5, but instead wants changes made. For one thing, the current deal put certain restrictions 6 on Iran's nuclear program for 10 to 15 years. The Trump administration wants those limits to stay indefinitely.


For another, the current deal does not limit Iran's ballistic missile program. The Trump administration wants it to. So, Congress will be considering these new requirements as it debates what to do about the deal.


What do others say? Well, Britain, France and Germany, who are involved in the original negotiations 7 have said they still support the deal, that it's in their national security interest. Iran has said the U.S. president can't decide the fate of the deal on his own, but that if other countries in the agreement don't abide 8 by their commitments, Iran would give them a, quote, fitting response.


Israel and Saudi Arabia, who are not part of the Iran deal, say the Trump administration is doing the right thing by decertifying it, that more needs to be done to stop Iran's nuclear ambitions, missile program and support of terrorism.


The U.S. Congress now has 60 days to decide the next steps.



1 certify
vt.证明,证实;发证书(或执照)给
  • I can certify to his good character.我可以证明他品德好。
  • This swimming certificate is to certify that I can swim one hundred meters.这张游泳证是用以证明我可以游100米远。
2 trump
n.王牌,法宝;v.打出王牌,吹喇叭
  • He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
  • The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手,作为他的王牌。
3 joint
adj.联合的,共同的;n.关节,接合处;v.连接,贴合
  • I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤,肩膀脫臼了。
  • We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。
4 inspectors
n.检查员( inspector的名词复数 );(英国公共汽车或火车上的)查票员;(警察)巡官;检阅官
  • They got into the school in the guise of inspectors. 他们假装成视察员进了学校。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Inspectors checked that there was adequate ventilation. 检查员已检查过,通风良好。 来自《简明英汉词典》
5 entirely
ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地
  • The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
  • His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。
6 restrictions
约束( restriction的名词复数 ); 管制; 制约因素; 带限制性的条件(或规则)
  • I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
  • a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制
7 negotiations
协商( negotiation的名词复数 ); 谈判; 完成(难事); 通过
  • 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。
8 abide
vi.遵守;坚持;vt.忍受
  • You must abide by the results of your mistakes.你必须承担你的错误所造成的后果。
  • If you join the club,you have to abide by its rules.如果你参加俱乐部,你就得遵守它的规章。