South Korea says it is willing to send tens of thousands of tons of immediate food aid to impoverished North Korea. The aid would fulfill a deal made during the previous South Korean administration, but may not ease a stalemate between Pyongyang and the South's current president.
韩国政府表示，愿意向贫困的北韩运送数万吨紧急粮食援助。这项援助履行了上一届韩国政府与北韩的协议，但可能不会化解平壤与现任总统李明博之间的僵局。
South Korean Unification Minister Kim Ha-joong said Wednesday the South is offering North Korea 50,000 tons of corn, to ease the North's food shortages.
韩国统一部长官金夏中今天表示，韩国将为北韩提供五万吨玉米，缓解北韩的粮食短缺。
He says, considering the fact the North's food situation is bad and likely to become worse, the government has decided to resume corn aid to the North, in fulfillment of an agreement made by the last South Korean administration.
他说：“考虑到北韩的粮食问题严重，而且可能持续恶化，韩国政府决定恢复对北韩的玉米援助，履行前任韩国政府与北韩达成的一项协议。”
Previous South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun's administration cited soaring corn prices as the reason it did not deliver the food during Mr. Roh's term. Current South Korean President Lee Myung-bak has made food aid contingent on progress by Pyongyang in getting rid of its nuclear weapons and several other issues.
韩国前任卢武铉政府曾经表示，由于玉米价格飙涨，以至于无法在任内交付这些玉米。现任总统李明博将平壤撤除核武器与解决其他几个问题作为提供粮食援助的条件。
North Korea angrily responded by labeling Mr. Lee a traitor and threatening to turn Seoul into ash. Pyongyang has suspended practically all diplomatic contacts with the Lee administration and has remained silent on the South's offer to provide aid without preconditions as long as the North makes a formal request.
北韩愤怒地称李明博为背叛者，并威胁要将首尔化成灰烬，平壤暂停了所有与李明博政府的接触，对首尔关于北韩政府提出正式要求、首尔愿意提供没有先决条件的援助的建议，北韩也没有做出回应。
Unification Minister Kim says the South reprised the Roh administration corn offer, three weeks ago, via the Red Cross.
韩国统一部长官金夏中说，韩国三个星期前通过红十字会，恢复了卢武铉政府时代对北韩的玉米援助。
He says the South is using Wednesday's announcement to once again expressing its willingness to fulfill the agreement and that he hopes the North will respond favorably. He says, if North Korea does not respond, South Korea may consider donating food to the North, via the World Food Program.
他说，韩国希望利用今天的声明向北韩再次表明首尔履行协议的意愿，也希望北韩能积极回应。他说，如果北韩不做出回应，韩国或许考虑通过世界粮食计划署把粮食捐赠给北韩。
President Lee has adopted a far stiffer approach to aiding North Korea than his two predecessors - both of whom sent hundreds of thousands of tons of rice and fertilizer across the border every year, with no strings attached.
新总统李明博在援助北韩方面采取比前两任总统更强硬的立场，前两任总统每年都会无条件向北韩提供数十万吨稻米和化肥。
Do Hee-youn is president of the Seoul-based Citizen's Coalition for Human Rights of Abductees and North Korean Refugees. He says South Korea does not need to be in a hurry to provide the North with food aid.
总部设在首尔的“被绑架者与北韩难民人权市民联盟”负责人陶熙尹(译音)表示，韩国不需要急于向北韩提供粮食援助。
Do says decades of hunger in North Korea are to be blamed on the North Korean government's own decisions. He says handing over food aid without changing Pyongyang's basic food policies would be like "pouring water into a broken jar."
他说，北韩数十年的饥荒问题是平壤当局的政策所导致。他指出，在平壤不改变粮食政策的情况下，为北韩提供粮食就像是往一个破罐子里倒水。 |