2006年VOA标准英语-US, South Korea Free Trade Talks Underway

By Mil Arcega
Washington, DC
07 June 2006
 
watch Free Trade report

The first round of free trade negotiations¹ between South Korea and the United States is underway in Washington D.C.  The talks, which formally started Monday, are believed to be the biggest for the United States since the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1993. Still, there are major hurdles² for both sides.

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Myron Brilliant  
  

Smiles mask the tough negotiations ahead as U.S. and South Korean trade officials meet face to face in Washington. Myron Brilliant, who leads a coalition³ of more than 170 American business organizations, says that despite strong differences on issues ranging from agriculture to automobiles⁴, the benefits of opening new trade opportunities for both countries outweigh⁵ the challenges.

"I think a free trade agreement with the U.S., the world's largest market, provides that opportunity but it also provides an opportunity for Korea to get a leg up on their competition into this market,” Brilliant said. “Korea has a lot of motivation to move forward. Are there challenges? Of course there are challenges."

Among them is a concerted effort by South Korean labor⁶ groups who say opening agricultural markets to U.S. producers would make it impossible for their farmers to compete. Kang Kikab, a member of the South Korean National Assembly, promises daily protests in Washington until negotiators listen to workers’ concerns.
 

Kang Kikab  
  
"It must hear the voices of Korean workers and farmers,” Kikab said. “Without that, the free trade agreement has no meaning."

A number of contentious⁷ issues could make a meaningful agreement harder to reach. South Korean officials insist current tariffs⁸, which make U.S. cars expensive to buy in South Korea, are non-negotiable. On the other hand, the U.S. refuses to give duty-free status to goods produced in Keosong, a North Korean industrial complex being promoted by South Korea. 

 
Sunjoong Kim 
  
South Korean broadcaster Sunjoong Kim explains that the inclusion of some North Korean products in the trade deal is part of the reunification plan for the two Koreas. "The Korean government and people think that the best thing to live with North Korea is to have them experience capitalism⁹ and a market economy and the Keosong Industrial complex is the first step to that," Kim said.

That may be a tough sell for U.S. lawmakers who are opposed to lifting economic sanctions¹⁰ against Pyongyang.

Negotiations for a free trade agreement between the United States and South Korea are expected to take about a year.

1 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

2 hurdles   

n.障碍( hurdle的名词复数 )；跳栏；（供人或马跳跃的）栏架；跨栏赛

参考例句：

• In starting a new company, many hurdles must be crossed. 刚开办一个公司时，必须克服许多障碍。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• There are several hurdles to be got over in this project. 在这项工程中有一些困难要克服。 来自辞典例句

3 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

4 automobiles   

n.汽车( automobile的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• When automobiles become popular,the use of the horse and buggy passed away. 汽车普及后，就不再使用马和马车了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Automobiles speed in an endless stream along the boulevard. 宽阔的林荫道上，汽车川流不息。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 outweigh   

vt.比...更重，...更重要

参考例句：

• The merits of your plan outweigh the defects.你制定的计划其优点胜过缺点。
• One's merits outweigh one's short-comings.功大于过。

6 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

7 contentious   

adj.好辩的，善争吵的

参考例句：

• She was really not of the contentious fighting sort.她委实不是好吵好闹的人。
• Since then they have tended to steer clear of contentious issues.从那时起，他们总想方设法避开有争议的问题。

8 tariffs   

关税制度； 关税( tariff的名词复数 )； 关税表； （旅馆或饭店等的）收费表； 量刑标准

参考例句：

• British industry was sheltered from foreign competition by protective tariffs. 保护性关税使英国工业免受国际竞争影响。
• The new tariffs have put a stranglehold on trade. 新的关税制对开展贸易极为不利。

9 capitalism   

n.资本主义

参考例句：

• The essence of his argument is that capitalism cannot succeed.他的论点的核心是资本主义不能成功。
• Capitalism began to develop in Russia in the 19th century.十九世纪资本主义在俄国开始发展。

10 sanctions   

批准( sanction的名词复数 )； 认可； 制裁； 约束力

参考例句：

• There was general acquiescence in the UN sanctions. 普遍默认了联合国的制裁。
• Trade sanctions were imposed against any country that refused to sign the agreement. 凡拒签该协议的国家均受到贸易制裁。