VOA慢速英语--美国再次全面制裁伊朗核计划相关行业
时间：2018-12-16 作者：英语课 分类：2018年VOA慢速英语(十一)月
US Again Places Full Restrictions 1 on Iran for Its Nuclear Program
The United States again restricted Iran’s oil and financial industry on Monday. Iran criticized the move.
Iranian President Hassan Rohani said on Iranian television Monday that his country would try to continue to sell oil to break the U.S. sanctions.
Rouhani added that his country would resist efforts to punish it for its disputed nuclear program. Western nations say Iran aims to build nuclear weapons.
Rouhani added, “We are in the economic war situation.”
Eight governments have received temporary permission to continue to import Iranian oil. They are China, Greece, India, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Turkey. Those governments make up a majority or Iran’s oil exports. It is not clear when the special permission will end.
U.S. officials comment on the sanctions
U.S. Treasury 2 Secretary Steven Mnuchin described the sanctions that took effect on Monday. “Today we sanctioned more than 700 individuals, entities 3, aircraft and vessels 4 as part of Treasury’s largest-ever single day action targeting Iran,” Mnuchin said.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also commented, saying Iran had a choice. “It can either do a 180 degree turn from its outlaw 5 course of action and act like a normal country, or it can see its economy crumble 6,” Pompeo said.
Iran is already facing an economic crisis. Over the last year, the exchange value of Iran’s currency has dropped sharply against the U.S. dollar. A lack of jobs and high prices have also led to major protests.
Nuclear agreement
The restrictions officially end all economic gains the U.S. permitted Iran after the nuclear agreement of 2015. The U.S., Britain, China, France, Russia and Germany signed that agreement, along with Iran.
But President Donald Trump 7 announced last May that the U.S. would withdraw from the agreement. Trump said the deal permitted Iran to continue its secret development of nuclear weapons and gave it money to support violence throughout the Middle East.
Supporters of the agreement say Iran remained compliant 8 with the deal. And, they say, the agreement was the best way to slow Iran’s nuclear development.
In a statement Friday, Trump said the purpose of re-imposing sanctions is to force Iran’s leaders to end the country’s “destructive behavior.” If Iran fails to do this, he said, it would “continue down the path toward economic disaster.”
On Sunday, some Iranians marked the 39th anniversary of the seizure 9 of the U.S. embassy in Tehran in 1979. Iranian revolutionary activists 10 held more than 50 Americans hostage for 444 days.
I’m Mario Ritter.
Words in This Story
sanction –n. measure put in place to cause a country to obey international law, usually by limiting or banning trade
entities –n. a group that exists by itself that is separate from others
crumble –v. to break down completely
re-impose –v. to cause something such as a rule or punishment to again affect a person, group or country
- 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
- The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
- This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。
- Our newspaper and our printing business form separate corporate entities. 我们的报纸和印刷业形成相对独立的企业实体。
- The North American continent is made up of three great structural entities. 北美大陆是由三个构造单元组成的。
- The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
- The outlaw hid out in the hills for several months.逃犯在山里隐藏了几个月。
- The outlaw has been caught.歹徒已被抓住了。
- Opposition more or less crumbled away.反对势力差不多都瓦解了。
- Even if the seas go dry and rocks crumble,my will will remain firm.纵然海枯石烂，意志永不动摇。
- 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。
- I don't respect people who are too compliant.我看不起那种唯命是从，唯唯诺诺的人。
- For years I had tried to be a compliant and dutiful wife.几年来，我努力做一名顺从和尽职尽职的妻子。