US Warns Iran Time Running Out for Nuclear Deal
美官员警告伊朗尽快回应奖励建议

　
U.S. officials are warning Iran that time is running out for Tehran to respond to proposals by the EU and the Security Council to resolve the nuclear stand-off. Iran was given two weeks to reply before risking yet another round of sanctions.

美国官员警告伊朗说，伊朗对欧盟和联合国安理会解决核对峙建议做出回应的时间已经不多了。伊朗有两个星期的时间做出回应，否则将面临另一轮制裁的危险。

U.S. officials say it's time Iran offers a serious response to EU and U.N. proposals.

美国官员说，现在是伊朗对欧盟和联合国的建议做出认真回应的时候了。

The latest package of incentives was discussed July 19 in Geneva, in a closed door meeting that represented Iran, the five permanent members of the Security Council, (the P5), Germany and the European Union. Taking part for the first time was a senior American envoy, Undersecretary of State William Burns.

伊朗和联合国安理会五个常任理事国以及德国和欧盟的代表7月19号在日内瓦举行闭门会议，讨论了最新奖励建议。美国国务次卿伯恩斯首次参加了会议。

Greg Schulte is the U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. in Vienna and the International Atomic Energy Agency, the IAEA. Speaking with VOA in London, Ambassador Schulte said Iran's response at that meeting turned into a "meandering lesson in Iranian history and culture".

美国驻联合国维也纳机构以及国际原子能机构代表舒尔特大使在伦敦接受采访时说，伊朗在那次会议上做出的反应是进行“伊朗的历史和文化的说教”。

"We weren't there for a lesson," he said. "The P5 was there to see if Iran was willing to negotiate seriously."

舒尔特说：“我们不是去上课的。五个常任理事国代表参加会议，是为了解伊朗是否愿意认真谈判。”

On the table were a series of proposals delivered to the Iranians by EU foreign policy chief, Javier Solana in June.

会谈内容包括欧盟外交政策专员索拉纳6月提出的一系列建议。

Schulte outlined some of the proposals.

舒尔特大使扼要介绍这些建议说：

"We have offered Iran's leaders a very generous package that would give them access to state of the art technology for nuclear power plants, that would give them assurances of fuel supply, that would address some of the security issues that they've raised, that would allow for cooperation in areas of common interest like fighting against narcotics," he said. "And, we've looked for a way to get them into those negotiations and we said we would be there."

“我们向伊朗领导人提出了一套非常慷慨的建议，能让他们得到建造核电站的先进技术，能让他们得到燃料供给，能解决他们提出的一些安全问题，还能在打击毒品等共同利益领域开展合作。”

A way to entice the Iranians into negotiating is the freeze-for-freeze offer, meaning Iran would freeze its uranium enrichment at current levels and the U.N. and EU would freeze their current levels of sanctions. This period would last six weeks, to build confidence and allow for more substantive negotiations to begin.

吸引伊朗参加谈判的一个方法是以冻结换冻结的建议，即伊朗冻结目前规模的浓缩铀活动，联合国与欧盟然后冻结目前规模的制裁。这个阶段将延续六个星期，以建立信心，并开始更加实质性的谈判。

The bottom line demand remains, however that Iran must actually suspend the enrichment of uranium, the nuclear fuel source that can be used for generating energy, but also for making nuclear weapons.

然而，最基本的要求仍然是伊朗必须真正终止浓缩铀活动。浓缩铀既可用来发电，又可用来制造核武器。

The United States has said it would not negotiate directly with the Iranians until they suspend uranium enrichment. So, the presence of Undersecretary Burns at the Geneva meeting was widely seen as a shift in U.S. policy.

美国说过，除非伊朗终止浓缩铀，否则美国不会同伊朗人直接谈判。所以，美国国务次卿伯恩斯出席日内瓦会议，被普遍视为是美国政策的转变。

Not so, insists Schulte.

但舒尔特不这样认为。

"The reason why Undersecretary Burns went to this meeting was not a change in U.S. policy, but was rather to send a strong signal," he said. "It was to send a signal that we backed -- we supported the package that was put on the table."

舒尔特说：“国务次卿伯恩斯出席会议的原因，不是美国政策发生了变化，而是发出强烈的信号，也就是我们支持现在的这些建议。”

Iran was given two weeks to respond to the latest proposals or face further sanctions.

伊朗有两个星期的时间来对这些最新建议做出回应，否则就会面临进一步制裁。

The United States, the U.N. and the EU have already imposed a series of sanctions on Iran and are threatening more.

美国、联合国与欧盟已经对伊朗实施了一系列制裁，并威胁说会进一步制裁。

Iranian leaders continue to say they will not suspend uranium enrichment and on Wednesday President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad insisted Iran would continue its nuclear program. And yet Iran says it is ready to talk.

伊朗领导人继续说，他们不会终止浓缩铀。伊朗总统艾哈迈迪内贾德星期三坚持说，伊朗会继续发展核计划，但伊朗准备会谈。

Many believe Iran is simply buying time, especially given the upcoming presidential election in the United States and a change in administration.

很多人相信伊朗仅仅是在拖延时间，特别是因为美国即将举行总统选举并组成新的政府。

That would be a waste of time, says Schulte. "If they try to outwait us, if they try to just buy time, they're only going to buy continued sanctions and more sanctions," he said. "And, whoever goes into the White House on January 21st is not going to look favorably at an Iran that has spent six more months violating Security Council resolutions."

舒尔特认为这是浪费时间。舒尔特说：“如果他们试图跟我们耗时间，试图拖延时间，那他们只能受到新的制裁。不管谁在明年1月21号入主白宫，都不会对花六个月时间违犯安理会制裁的伊朗有什么好印象。”

Iran has all along said it wants to develop nuclear power for peaceful means, to provide energy. However, many in the international community believe Iran wants to develop nuclear weapons.

伊朗一直在说，希望和平发展核能，目的是发电。然而，国际社会很多人都相信，伊朗希望研制核武器。