US Joins Iran Nuclear Arms Talks For First Time
美首次参与欧盟与伊朗核问题会谈
The United States is joining, for the first time, nuclear negotiations between Iran and the European Union. The meeting, which also includes representatives from Britain, Germany, France, Russia and China, is taking place behind closed doors in Geneva's historic city hall. The high-powered delegation aims to persuade Iran to end its nuclear program.
美国首次参与了伊朗和欧盟之间有关核问题的会谈。这次会谈正在日内瓦举行，出席会谈的除了欧盟和美方的代表以外，还有英国、德国、法国、俄罗斯和中国方面的代表。这次高级别会谈的目的是要说服伊朗终止其核项目。
The Bush administration has sent the U.S. State Department's third ranking official, Undersecretary of State William Burns, to these talks. But it is downplaying his participation by stressing the envoy will only listen and not talk.
布什政府派遣美国国务院排名第三号的官员、国务次卿伯恩斯出席此次会谈。但是，为了把伯恩斯的出席显得低调，美方强调说，他此行只是听取各方的意见，不会发表看法。
But political pundits see this as a significant policy shift. Until now, Washington had refused to meet face-to-face with Iran on the nuclear issue, unless it first stopped its uranium enrichment program.
不过，政治评论人士说，派遣伯恩斯到日内瓦出席会谈，是美国的一个重大政策转变。此前，美方一直表示，在伊朗终止其铀浓缩核项目之前，不会与其面对面地谈判。
Daniel Warner is Director of the Center for International Governance at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva. He tells VOA this may indeed indicate a tremendous shift in U.S. policy.
丹尼尔.沃尔纳是设在日内瓦的国际与发展问题研究所国际政治中心的负责人。他表示，美国国务次卿亲自参加有关伊朗核问题的会谈，的确标志著美国政策的一个重大转变。
He says there are different forces within the government that have different opinions about what should be done about Iran. He says Burns' presence at the meeting indicates a victory for one of those groups.
他说，美国政府内部有不同的派系，各个派系之间在如何处理伊朗问题上，有著不同的看法。伯恩斯此次出席日内瓦会谈，标志著其中一个派系的胜利。
"It seems to me that in the administration, there are those who want to negotiate with Iran and there are those who want to be more radical in their attitude. Perhaps, we are also seeing what is used in diplomacy. It is called the good guy and bad guy philosophy. We threaten that we are going to do something and at the same time we offer a fig leaf for negotiations. And, I think this is what we are seeing now," he said.
他说：“在我看来，在白宫内部，有要与伊朗协商的，也有要在这个问题上采取更加激进立场的。或者也许，眼下发生的是外交界的惯用手段，也就是说，有扮演红脸的，有扮演白脸的，一方面威胁说要怎么怎么样，而与此同时又为协商打掩护。我想这大概可以解释眼下的情形。”
The United States accuses Iran of developing a nuclear weapons program. Iran denies this. It claims its program is for peaceful purposes and as a signatory to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, it has the right to pursue this option.
美国指控伊朗发展核武器项目，但伊朗加以否认，称它的核项目是用于和平目的。伊朗还表示，作为核不扩散条约的签约国，伊朗有权发展核项目。
Tensions have increased since Iran test-fired missiles in the Persian Gulf last week, pushing oil prices to an all time high. This is putting greater pressure on all sides to try to reach an agreement to the nuclear standoff.
伊朗上星期在波斯湾试射导弹导致紧张局势升级，石油价格再创历史新高。这给各方施加了更大压力，要为打破核僵局试图达成一项协议。
Iran says it is looking for constructive talks on its country's nuclear program, but it warns it will not bow to any threats during the negotiations.
伊朗说，希望就其核项目举行建设性会谈，但是伊朗警告说，在谈判期间不会向任何威胁低头。
Daniel Warner says the tit-for-tat exchange between Washington and Tehran should not be taken too seriously.
丹尼尔.沃尔纳说，不必把华盛顿和德黑兰之间针锋相对的言论太当回事。
"Much of this is posturing for the general public, which is something that happens for all negotiations. It does seem to me that there is compromise, certainly if the International Atomic Energy Agency is involved with some kind of control, some kind of looking exactly what the nuclear program is being used for. So, it does seem to me that there are ways of getting out of some kind of a military confrontation," he said.
他说：“其中大部分是做姿态给公众看，在所有的谈判中都会出现这种现象。就我观察会有妥协，特别是如果国际原子能机构以某种控制力参与谈判，看看伊朗的核项目到底用来作什么具体用途。因此我认为，不会出现某种形式的军事对峙。”
Warner was alluding to discussions Undersecretary of State Burns had with the head of the IAEA before coming to Geneva. Warner believes Burns wanted to get confirmation that U.N. inspectors would agree to go into Iran to check out its nuclear program.
沃尔纳指的是美国国务次卿伯恩斯在赴日内瓦之前跟国际原子能机构领导人举行的会谈。沃尔纳认为，伯恩斯希望证实，联合国监察人员同意进入伊朗核查其核项目。
Last month, the Western powers offered Iran a package of economic and diplomatic incentives in return for freezing its uranium enrichment program. Negotiators at the meeting Saturday will seek a response to this proposal.
西方大国上个月提议，给伊朗提供一揽子经济与外交好处，以换取伊朗冻结其铀浓缩项目。在今天的会议上，谈判代表将要求伊朗就此建议做出回应。
