时代周刊 奥运会对朝韩争议有多大贡献(2)

This is already progress.

这已经是进步了。

Before the 2008 Beijing Olympics, North and South negotiated for almost a year about fielding a joint¹ team.

在2008年北京奥运会之前，朝韩就组建一支联队谈判了将近一年。

Talks broke down when Seoul insisted that athletes be chosen on merit, while Pyongyang wanted squads² composed 50-50 from each nation.

韩国坚持按能力选择运动员，朝鲜则希望两国各出一半名额，会谈以失败告终。

This time North Korea agreed to all the South's proposals within hours.

这一次，朝鲜几小时之内就同意了韩国的所有提议。

For North Korea, it's important to participate, get into the limelight and change the discourse³ from poverty, starvation and the nuclear program,

“（朝鲜之所以这么爽快因为）对朝鲜而言，重要的是参与，引起人们的关注，同时转移人们对朝鲜贫困、饥饿和核计划问题的关注”

says Udo Merkel, an expert on North Korean sport at Brighton University in the U.K.

英国布赖顿大学朝鲜体育专家乌多·默克尔评论到。

The move has sparked backlash among conservatives in South Korea, who object to handing the regime a gift-wrapped propaganda coup⁴.

此举引发了韩国保守派人士的反对，他们反对将难得的包装精美的宣传机会让给朝鲜。

Moon's approval rating has fallen to a record low of 59.8% in recent days.

文在寅的支持率最近几天下降至59.8％的历史新低。

It's also doubtful that the gesture will lead to a permanent thaw⁵; Kim has repeatedly said his nuclear arsenal⁶ is not up for negotiation⁷.

同样令人怀疑的是，这种姿态是否会真的能让南北关系永久解冻，因为金正日一再表示他的核武库不容谈判。

But North Korean participation⁸ does reduce the threat risk around the Games,

但朝鲜的参与确实降低了奥运会的威胁风险，

especially as Seoul and Washington have postponed⁹ joint military drills also scheduled for February—

特别是韩国和美国推迟了原定于2月至3月举行的联合军演。

an affront¹⁰ Pyongyang typically meets with missile and nuclear tests.

面对这种冒犯，平壤历来都选择导弹和核试验来应对。

In 1987, North Korea even blew up a South Korean passenger jet in order to destabilize the following year's Seoul Olympics.

比如，1987年，为了破坏次年的汉城奥运会，朝鲜甚至炸毁了一架韩国客机。

At the very least, North Korea's participation is an ekecheiria that should put athletes and spectators temporarily out of harm's way.

至少的至少，朝鲜的参与无异于一次“停战”，运动员和观众也就临时摆脱了伤害。

It's a case of "keep your enemies close," says Merkel.

这是一个“把敌人放在眼皮子底下”的例子，“默克尔说。

Dangers remain, of course, especially if visiting North Koreans defect.

当然，危险依然存在，尤其如果去奥运会的朝鲜人变节的话。

South Korea is constitutionally obligated to offer all North Koreans asylum¹¹,

韩国在宪法上有义务向所有朝鲜人提供庇护，

though doing so during the Games would cause Kim colossal¹² embarrassment¹³ under the world spotlight¹⁴ and the young despot does not weather embarrassment well.

尽管在奥运会期间这样做会让世界聚光灯下的金无比尴尬，而这位年轻的专制人士并不能很好地应对尴尬。

1 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

2 squads   

n.（军队中的）班( squad的名词复数 )；（暗杀）小组；体育运动的运动（代表）队；（对付某类犯罪活动的）警察队伍

参考例句：

• Anti-riot squads were called out to deal with the situation. 防暴队奉命出动以对付这一局势。 来自辞典例句
• Three squads constitute a platoon. 三个班组成一个排。 来自辞典例句

3 discourse   

n.论文，演说；谈话；话语；vi.讲述，著述

参考例句：

• We'll discourse on the subject tonight.我们今晚要谈论这个问题。
• He fell into discourse with the customers who were drinking at the counter.他和站在柜台旁的酒客谈了起来。

4 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。

5 thaw   

v.（使）融化，（使）变得友善；n.融化，缓和

参考例句：

• The snow is beginning to thaw.雪已开始融化。
• The spring thaw caused heavy flooding.春天解冻引起了洪水泛滥。

6 arsenal   

n.兵工厂，军械库

参考例句：

• Even the workers at the arsenal have got a secret organization.兵工厂工人暗中也有组织。
• We must be the great arsenal of democracy.我们必须成为民主的大军火库。

7 negotiation   

n.谈判，协商

参考例句：

• They closed the deal in sugar after a week of negotiation.经过一星期的谈判，他们的食糖生意成交了。
• The negotiation dragged on until July.谈判一直拖到7月份。

8 participation   

n.参与，参加，分享

参考例句：

• Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
• The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。

9 postponed   

vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发）

参考例句：

• The trial was postponed indefinitely. 审讯无限期延迟。
• The game has already been postponed three times. 这场比赛已经三度延期了。

10 affront   

n./v.侮辱，触怒

参考例句：

• Your behaviour is an affront to public decency.你的行为有伤风化。
• This remark caused affront to many people.这句话得罪了不少人。

11 asylum   

n.避难所，庇护所，避难

参考例句：

• The people ask for political asylum.人们请求政治避难。
• Having sought asylum in the West for many years,they were eventually granted it.他们最终获得了在西方寻求多年的避难权。

12 colossal   

adj.异常的，庞大的

参考例句：

• There has been a colossal waste of public money.一直存在巨大的公款浪费。
• Some of the tall buildings in that city are colossal.那座城市里的一些高层建筑很庞大。

13 embarrassment   

n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫

参考例句：

• She could have died away with embarrassment.她窘迫得要死。
• Coughing at a concert can be a real embarrassment.在音乐会上咳嗽真会使人难堪。

14 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。