2007年VOA标准英语-North Korea to Close Main Nuclear Facility With

By Kurt Achin
Beijing
13 February 2007

A six-day stretch of intense negotiations¹ has produced a breakthrough in efforts to end North Korea's nuclear-weapons programs. VOA's Kurt Achin reports from Beijing, where North Korean delegates have promised immediate² steps toward dismantling³ its nuclear reactor⁴.

Christopher Hill (l) applauds with others to show approval of agreement during closing ceremony of six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear program in Beijing, 13 Feb 2007

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill says he is "very happy" with an agreement on concrete steps toward ending North Korea's nuclear weapons capabilities⁵.

"It's certainly not the end of the process," he said. "It is really just the end of the beginning of the process, but I think we are all very encouraged."

Hill is the chief U.S. negotiator in the six-nation talks aimed at convincing North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons in exchange for economic and diplomatic benefits.

Hill and the delegates from China, Japan, Russia, and South Korea persuaded North Korea to agree to a list of immediate actions toward that goal.

The centerpiece of the deal is Pyongyang's promise to shut down, seal and abandon within 60 days its nuclear reactor at Yongbyon, and to place it under inspection⁶ by the International Atomic Energy Agency. In return, the five other nations will provide the impoverished⁷ North Korea with 50,000 tons of fuel oil to ease its energy shortage.

Hill says North Korea, also known as the DPRK, will get more fuel - up to nearly a million tons of oil - if it moves on to another phase of the agreement.

"A phase that will involve the disabling of all of the nuclear facilities of the DPRK. Plus, that phase involves the submission⁸ of the complete declaration of nuclear programs," he said.

The agreement also calls for the United States and Japan to open talks with North Korea on establishing diplomatic relations.

The latest dispute over North Korea's nuclear ambitions began in 2002, when Washington says it confronted North Korea with evidence of its secret uranium-enrichment program.

North Korea has never admitted having the program, and Hill says the issue still needs to be addressed.

"We do not have an agreement at this point even on the existence of this [uranium enrichment] program," he said. "But I certainly have made very clear, repeatedly, that we need to ensure that we know precisely⁹ the status of that."

An obstacle that held up the nuclear talks for more than a year - U.S. sanctions targeting alleged¹⁰ North Korean illegal activities at Macau's Banco Delta¹¹ Asia, did not have a major role at this week's talks. Hill says the issue will soon be resolved.

"The United States has committed that we will resolve the matter of the financial sanctions pertaining¹² to BDA [Banco Delta Asia] within 30 days," he said.

Experts on North Korea already are noting that this agreement may not prove lasting¹³. Pyongyang has signed international agreements in the past - with the United States, South Korea and the International Atomic Energy Agency - to not develop nuclear weapons. Yet it has several times attempted to do so and last October, tested its first nuclear explosive device.

The agreement is now to be handed over to five different working groups, which will handle technical aspects of implementing¹⁴ it.

Hill says he will soon meet with his North Korean counterpart, Kim Kye Kwan, for talks in New York. Another six-party meeting is tentatively scheduled for March 19, and the participating nations hope to schedule a minister-level meeting in about two months.

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 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

3 dismantling   

（枪支）分解

参考例句：

• The new government set about dismantling their predecessors' legislation. 新政府正着手废除其前任所制定的法律。
• The dismantling of a nuclear reprocessing plant caused a leak of radioactivity yesterday. 昨天拆除核后处理工厂引起了放射物泄漏。

4 reactor   

n.反应器；反应堆

参考例句：

• The atomic reactor generates enormous amounts of thermal energy.原子反应堆发出大量的热能。
• Inside the reactor the large molecules are cracked into smaller molecules.在反应堆里，大分子裂变为小分子。

5 capabilities   

n.能力( capability的名词复数 )；可能；容量；[复数]潜在能力

参考例句：

• He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities. 他有点自大，自视甚高。 来自辞典例句
• Some programmers use tabs to break complex product capabilities into smaller chunks. 一些程序员认为，标签可以将复杂的功能分为每个窗格一组简单的功能。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

6 inspection   

n.检查，审查，检阅

参考例句：

• On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。
• The soldiers lined up for their daily inspection by their officers.士兵们列队接受军官的日常检阅。

7 impoverished   

adj.穷困的，无力的，用尽了的v.使（某人）贫穷( impoverish的过去式和过去分词 )；使（某物）贫瘠或恶化

参考例句：

• the impoverished areas of the city 这个城市的贫民区
• They were impoverished by a prolonged spell of unemployment. 他们因长期失业而一贫如洗。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 submission   

n.服从，投降；温顺，谦虚；提出

参考例句：

• The defeated general showed his submission by giving up his sword.战败将军缴剑表示投降。
• No enemy can frighten us into submission.任何敌人的恐吓都不能使我们屈服。

9 precisely   

adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地

参考例句：

• It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
• The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

10 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

11 delta   

n.（流的）角洲

参考例句：

• He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
• The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔，形成了一个三角洲。

12 pertaining   

与…有关系的，附属…的，为…固有的(to)

参考例句：

• Living conditions are vastly different from those pertaining in their country of origin. 生活条件与他们祖国大不相同。
• The inspector was interested in everything pertaining to the school. 视察员对有关学校的一切都感兴趣。

13 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

14 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