伊朗扩大浓缩铀项目招致美国抨击

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United States and is expected to deepen the political rift between Iran and the West.

伊朗总统艾哈迈迪内贾德星期二宣布，伊朗正在一个浓缩铀工厂安装六千个新的离心机。这项宣布招致美国的猛烈批评，估计这会加深伊朗和西方世界的政治裂痕。

President Ahmadinejad announced that Tehran is expanding its nuclear enrichment program at the Natanz nuclear plant by installing 6,000 new uranium enrichment centrifuges there.

艾哈迈迪内贾德总统宣布，德黑兰正在扩大纳坦兹核电厂的核浓缩项目，在那里安装六千个新的浓缩铀离心机。

The Iranian president said the new phase began on Tuesday.

他说，扩建工程星期二已经开始。

Last year, Iran announced that it had successfully installed, and was operating, 3,000 centrifuges at Natanz.

去年，伊朗宣布在纳坦兹成功地安装了三千个离心机，并已开始运行。

Uranium gas is enriched in cascades of centrifuges linked together. The result can be low-grade fuel used for generating electricity, or higher-grade fuel appropriate for nuclear weapons.

Speaking to a crowd near the nuclear power station in the city of Bushehr, Mahmoud Jafarai, a plant official, confirmed that Iran is moving ahead with nuclear enrichment.

布什尔市核电站的一名官员贾法里在核设施附近对听众发表的演说中，证实了伊朗在铀浓缩方面进行了新的扩展。

The Bushehr plant is being built by Russia. But although the uranium for the plant is being enriched in Russia, Jafari told the crowd that Iran has reached an irreversible point in nuclear technology and that Western pressure will only strengthen Iran in defending its national interest.

布什尔核电站是俄罗斯建设的。虽然用于这个发电厂的金属铀在俄罗斯进行浓缩，但是贾法里对听众说，伊朗在核技术方面已经到达了一个不可逆转的起点，西方的压力只能加强伊朗捍卫国家利益的决心。

The crowd responded with cheers chanting, "Nuclear energy is our absolute right."

听众爆发出欢呼声，不断高呼“核能是我们的绝对权利”。

Following Mr. Ahmadinejad\'s announcement on Tuesday, the French foreign minister told reporters in Paris that the international community must consider toughened sanctions if Iran does not address concerns about its nuclear program.

星期二艾哈迈迪内贾德总统发布声明以后，法国外长在巴黎告诉媒体说，如果伊朗不就外界对其核项目的关切作出回应，国际社会必须考虑对伊朗实施严厉的制裁措施。

In Washington, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said she is unable to substantiate Iran\'s claims.

在华盛顿，国务卿赖斯说，她无法证实伊朗的宣称是否属实。

"I don\'t think that the underlying situation has changed which is that Iran faces three separate U.N. Security Council resolutions," she said. "Iran faces continued isolation in the international community."

赖斯说：“我认为局势没有变化，也就是说，伊朗仍面临联合国安理会的三项决议案。伊朗仍然在国际社会中面对持续的孤立”。

The United Nations Security Council has already passed three sets of sanctions against Iran for refusing to halt its enrichment program.

联合国安理会已经通过了三套针对伊朗的制裁措施，因为伊朗拒绝停止其浓缩铀项目。

Iran has long defended what it claims is its right to enrich uranium and says its nuclear program is strictly for peaceful energy purposes.

伊朗长期以来一直辩护说，浓缩铀是它的权利，并表示，伊朗的核项目完全是出于和平的能源目的。

But the United States believes that Iran is working to develop a nuclear weapon.

但是美国认为，伊朗在努力发展核武器。

Iran says it hopes to install some 54,000 centrifuges at Natanz.

伊朗表示，希望在纳坦兹核电厂安装大约五万四千个离心机。