2007年VOA标准英语-Negotiators Trying to Persuade Pyongyang to Ful

By Kurt Achin
Beijing
08 February 2007

China, the host of ongoing¹ talks aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear weapons programs, is drafting a joint² statement of actions the North would agree to take within weeks. Although details of the statement are not yet clear, negotiators say it is aimed at implementing³ promises Pyongyang made two years ago. VOA's Kurt Achin reports from Beijing.

 

Christopher Hill listens to a speaker during opening of another round of six-party talks, 8 Feb 2007

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill says the first day of talks in Beijing aimed at getting rid of North Korea's nuclear weapons went "pretty well."

"We were able to make progress in discussing de-nuclearization that we were not able to do in December," he said.

December was the last time the United States, South Korea, Japan, China and Russia joined in negotiations⁴ aimed at persuading North Korea to end its nuclear programs in exchange for diplomatic and economic benefits. The six-nation process has been unsuccessful for more than three years, and North Korea conducted its first nuclear weapons test in October.

Hill says China is expected to issue a draft of a joint statement for these latest talks by Friday.

"The idea is that these would be a set of actions, not a set of pledges, a set of actions, that would need to be taken in a finite amount of time," he added.

Hill describes that period of time as "single-digit weeks", although he would not provide any details about what actions are under discussion. 

He said they would start the process of implementing promises North Korea made at the September 2005 session of the six-party talks.

North Korea boycotted⁵ talks aimed at implementing those 2005 pledges, after the United States blacklisted a Macau-based bank accused of helping⁶ North Korea launder⁷ money and circulate counterfeit⁸ U.S. currency. Pyongyang has said there will be no progress on the nuclear issue until the U.S. financial sanctions are lifted.

U.S. Treasury⁹ officials have held two sets of parallel track discussions with North Korean envoys¹⁰ on the financial issue, which Washington says is separate from the nuclear diplomacy¹¹. Last month, Ambassador Hill held three days of talks in Berlin with his North Korean counterpart Kim Kye Kwan, fueling speculation¹² the two countries may soon reach a compromise. 

Many experts have predicted this week's Beijing talks will yield at least a partial lifting of the financial sanctions, in exchange for some incremental¹³ steps by North Korea to dismantle¹⁴ its weapons programs. There has been speculation the North will offer to freeze plutonium production at its main nuclear facility in Yongbyon.

Hill emphasizes a more permanent solution is needed.

"I really do not like to hear this word 'freeze.' We are not interested in freezing something. We are interested in addressing problems created by plutonium production in North Korea," he said.

The United States and its regional partners have maintained that any progress in the nuclear negotiations must be verified by international inspectors¹⁵, most likely from the U.N. Atomic Energy Agency.

1 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

2 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。

3 implementing   

v.实现( implement的现在分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• -- Implementing a comprehensive drug control strategy. ――实行综合治理的禁毒战略。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• He was in no hurry about implementing his unshakable principle. 他并不急于实行他那不可动摇的原则。 来自辞典例句

4 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。

5 boycotted   

抵制，拒绝参加( boycott的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Athletes from several countries boycotted the Olympic Games. 有好几国的运动员抵制奥林匹克运动会。
• The opposition party earlier boycotted the Diet agenda, demanding Miyaji's resignation. 反对党曾杯葛国会议程，要宫路下台。

6 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

7 launder   

v.洗涤；洗黑钱（把来路可疑的钱弄得似乎合法）

参考例句：

• She wore a freshly laundered and starched white shirt.她穿一件刚刚浆洗熨烫过的白色衬衣。
• The gang launders the steal money through their chain of restaurants.这帮匪徒通过他们的连锁饭店洗赃款。

8 counterfeit   

vt.伪造，仿造；adj.伪造的，假冒的

参考例句：

• It is a crime to counterfeit money.伪造货币是犯罪行为。
• The painting looked old but was a recent counterfeit.这幅画看上去年代久远，实际是最近的一幅赝品。

9 treasury   

n.宝库；国库，金库；文库

参考例句：

• The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
• This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。

10 envoys   

使节( envoy的名词复数 )； 公使； 谈判代表； 使节身份

参考例句：

• the routine tit for tat when countries expel each other's envoys 国家相互驱逐对方使节这种惯常的报复行动
• Marco Polo's travelogue mentions that Kublai Khan sent envoys to Malgache. 马可波罗游记中提到忽必烈曾派使节到马尔加什。

11 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

12 speculation   

n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机

参考例句：

• Her mind is occupied with speculation.她的头脑忙于思考。
• There is widespread speculation that he is going to resign.人们普遍推测他要辞职。

13 incremental   

adj.增加的

参考例句：

• For logic devices, the incremental current gain is very important. 对于逻辑器件来说，提高电流增益是非常重要的。 来自辞典例句
• By using an incremental approach, the problems involving material or geometric nonlinearity have been solved. 借应用一种增量方法，已经解决了包括材料的或几何的非线性问题。 来自辞典例句

14 dismantle   

vt.拆开，拆卸；废除，取消

参考例句：

• He asked for immediate help from the United States to dismantle the warheads.他请求美国立即提供援助，拆除这批弹头。
• The mower firmly refused to mow,so I decided to dismantle it.修完后割草机还是纹丝不动，于是，我决定把它拆开。

15 inspectors   

n.检查员( inspector的名词复数 )；（英国公共汽车或火车上的）查票员；（警察）巡官；检阅官

参考例句：

• They got into the school in the guise of inspectors. 他们假装成视察员进了学校。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Inspectors checked that there was adequate ventilation. 检查员已检查过，通风良好。 来自《简明英汉词典》