World powers have been working for years to limitIran’s nuclear activities. But news reports often fail toprovide details of the nuclear negotiations. Today weexplore some of the issues that the negotiators havebeen discussing.

世界强国用了几年的时间限制伊朗核活动。但是最近报道都没有透露协商会议的具体细节。今天我们讨论几个协商中热烈讨论的问题。

Iranagreement targets machinery

Western countries have targeted the equipment thatIran needs to produce plutonium and enriched uranium.Both materials are needed to make a nuclear weapon.

西方国家目标是伊朗国家需要生产錇和浓缩铀的装备，这两种金属都是制造核武器的重要原料。

Not just any uranium can be used. The metal must bepurified, or enriched. It is first changed into a gas.Workers then place the gas into a machine called a centrifuge. The centrifuge makes the gas spin at veryhigh speeds. The spinning creates the enricheduranium required at nuclear power centers. But if thegas is put in centrifuges for long periods, it become enriched at a much higher level. This highly-enricheduranium can be used in nuclear weapons.

不是所有的铀都可以使用。制造核武器的金属必须高度提炼或者浓缩。首先需要把它练成气体，工人们在把这些气体集中在一个叫离心机的机器里，离心机使气体高速旋转，旋转能够制造核武器中心需要的高浓度铀。但是如果这些气体在离心机放置的时间长，就会成为更高浓度的铀。这种高浓缩的铀能够应用到核武器中。

Under the agreement, Iran will still have the ability tomake fuel for its nuclear reactors. But it will not bepermitted to enrich uranium for use in nuclearweapons.

在协议约束下，伊朗依然可以为核反应制造燃料。但是不允许为制造核武器提炼铀。

In April, Iran agreed to a limit of about 6,000 centrifuges.Iran also said it would only enrich uranium at very lowlevels -- under five percent. The country promised tostore no more than 300 kilograms of this “low-enriched”uranium.

四月，伊朗同意将离心机减少到6.000个。并表示本国将百分之五的低层次的提炼铀。该国承诺这种低浓度的铀的储备不多于300公斤。

The April agreement limited research on ways to improve centrifuge designs. It also covered Iran’s ability to produce plutonium, the other bomb-makingmaterial. It required the redesign of a nuclear reactor, so that it can usenatural uranium, instead of the enriched kind.

四月的协议限制了对伊朗改进了离心机装备的调查，同时也掩盖了伊朗有能力生产另一种金属鈈同样可以用来制造爆炸的原料。只是需要重新设计一下离心机，鈈便可以用作天然铀，不需要浓缩。

Natural uranium is nearly all U238, the heavier form of the element. When a neutron strikes this form of uranium, the atom will change into plutonium. This “heavy-water” reactor can produce radioactive chemicals used to treatcancer. When the redesign is completed, it will still make those chemicals, but produce much less plutonium.

天然铀绝大部分是U238，是一种重金属元素。当一粒中子击打这种类型的铀，原子将会变成鈈。这种重水反应原料能够产生治疗癌症的放射性元素。当这种改装完成后，它将会接着制造化学原料，但是生产少量的鈈。

The plutonium formed in the reactor must still be separated from the rest of the fuel. Iran says it will ship “spent” fuel out of the country.

核反应堆中的鈈必须和其它原料分开。伊朗称这种金属将会为国家带来多余燃料。

Under the new deal, Iran has agreed to increased international inspections of its nuclear activities. The country is also required to provide detailedinformation on all its nuclear activities within three months. Western powershave agreed to lift trade restrictions on Iran. They will also return control ofbillions of dollars to Iran as soon as it meets the requirements of theagreement.

在这项新的协议下，伊朗不得不同意国际监管其核活动。并且伊朗需在三个月提供核武器活动详情。西方强国同意撤销对伊朗的贸易制裁。他们将会把几千万的监管费尽快归还给伊朗，使其完成协议要求。

US officials react to the deal

In Washington, President Barack Obama said on Wednesday that theagreement stops Iran from building a nuclear weapon. He said it will make theUnited States, its allies and the world, “safer and more secure.”

在华盛顿，美国总统奥巴马周三表示这项协议使伊朗停止制造核武器，他表示，这将会使美国及其同盟国乃至整个世界变得更加安全。更加有保证。

Some members of Mr. Obama’s party do not support the agreement. Andmost of his political opponents strongly oppose it. When members ofCongress are given the agreement, they will have 60 days to decide whetherto reject it. The president has said if they do, he will veto the rejection. Thevotes of at least two-thirds of lawmakers are needed to cancel his veto.

奥巴马政党中有人反对这项协议。他政治对手几乎全都反对这项协议。国会收到这份协议后有60天的时间决定是否通过它。总统表示，如果国会否决这项协议，他将否决国会。至少三分之二的立法人员通过才能驳回他的否决。

I’m Christopher Jones-Cruise.

This story was based on reports from VOA science correspondents SteveBaragona and George Putic. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted their storiesfor Learning English. George Grow edited this report.

_______________________________________________________________

Words in the News

spin– v. to turn or move around in circles

reactor – n. a device that produced nuclear energy

radioactive – adj. possessing or producing radiation

World powers have been working for years to limitIran’s nuclear activities. But news reports often fail toprovide details of the nuclear negotiations. Today weexplore some of the issues that the negotiators havebeen discussing.

Iran agreement targets machinery

Western countries have targeted the equipment thatIran needs to produce plutonium and enriched uranium.Both materials are needed to make a nuclear weapon.

Not just any uranium can be used. The metal must bepurified, or enriched. It is first changed into a gas.Workers then place the gas into a machine called acentrifuge. The centrifuge makes the gas spin at veryhigh speeds. The spinning creates the enricheduranium required at nuclear power centers. But if thegas is put in centrifuges for long periods, it becomesenriched at a much higher level. This highly-enricheduranium can be used in nuclear weapons.

Under the agreement, Iran will still have the ability tomake fuel for its nuclear reactors. But it will not bepermitted to enrich uranium for use in nuclearweapons.

In April, Iran agreed to a limit of about 6,000 centrifuges.Iran also said it would only enrich uranium at very lowlevels -- under five percent. The country promised tostore no more than 300 kilograms of this “low-enriched”uranium.

The April agreement limited research on ways to improve centrifuge designs. It also covered Iran’s ability to produce plutonium, the other bomb-makingmaterial. It required the redesign of a nuclear reactor, so that it can usenatural uranium, instead of the enriched kind.

Natural uranium is nearly all U238, the heavier form of the element. When aneutron strikes this form of uranium, the atom will change into plutonium. This “heavy-water” reactor can produce radioactive chemicals used to treatcancer. When the redesign is completed, it will still make those chemicals, but produce much less plutonium.

The plutonium formed in the reactor must still be separated from the rest of the fuel. Iran says it will ship “spent” fuel out of the country.

Under the new deal, Iran has agreed to increased international inspections of its nuclear activities. The country is also required to provide detailedinformation on all its nuclear activities within three months. Western powershave agreed to lift trade restrictions on Iran. They will also return control ofbillions of dollars to Iran as soon as it meets the requirements of theagreement.

US officials react to the deal

In Washington, President Barack Obama said on Wednesday that theagreement stops Iran from building a nuclear weapon. He said it will make theUnited States, its allies and the world, “safer and more secure.”

Some members of Mr. Obama’s party do not support the agreement. Andmost of his political opponents strongly oppose it. When members ofCongress are given the agreement, they will have 60 days to decide whetherto reject it. The president has said if they do, he will veto the rejection. Thevotes of at least two-thirds of lawmakers are needed to cancel his veto.

I’m Christopher Jones-Cruise.

This story was based on reports from VOA science correspondents SteveBaragona and George Putic. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted their storiesfor Learning English. George Grow edited this report.

_______________________________________________________________

Words in the News

spin – v. to turn or move around in circles

reactor – n. a device that produced nuclear energy

radioactive – adj. possessing or producing radiation