2007年VOA标准英语-Officials: US Does Not Oppose Early North Korea

By David Gollust
State Department
03 July 2007

The United States said Tuesday said it does not oppose the early shipment of energy aid to North Korea before it shuts down its nuclear reactor¹ complex at Yongbyon. North Korea is due to get 50,000 tons of heavy fuel oil in the first phase of the six-party accord under which Pyongyang is to eventually scrap² its nuclear program. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department.

Under the six-party agreement reached in February, North Korea was to get the first installment³ of fuel oil after it shuts down the Yongbyon nuclear reactor.

But officials here say that the United States will not stand in the way of early deliveries, provided that the North Koreans are acting⁴ in good faith to keep their part of the bargain.

The Pyongyang government is understood to have told South Korea, which is to supply the first installment of energy aid, that it wants the oil shipments to be underway before the reactor is shuttered.

Sean McCormack

In a talk with reporters, State Department Spokesman Sean McCormack said Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has discussed the issue with South Korean Foreign Minister Song Min-Soon and that the early shipment of some of the oil is not something the United States opposes as long as the overall deal moves forward.

"If we end up in the next several weeks with the shutdown and sealing of Yongbyon and the IAEA back in, verifying that shutdown, and at the end of that time the North Koreans have their 50,000 tons of heavy fuel oil, then everybody's obligations will have been met."

McCormack said he does not think North Korea has asked for anything that is beyond the terms of the agreement.

Inspectors⁵ from the International Atomic Energy Agency last week visited North Korea to discuss monitoring the reactor shutdown, in the first mission of its kind since the IAEA was expelled from the country in 2002.

North Korea is also required to disclose all its nuclear programs and materials including weapons in the first phase of the agreement, which is to be capped by a ministerial-level meeting of the six parties in Beijing as early as the first week in August.

Over the long term, Pyongyang is to receive a total of one million tons of fuel oil or equivalent aid and diplomatic benefits in return for the irreversible dismantling⁶ of its nuclear program. North Korea tested a nuclear weapon last year and is believed to possess several others.

1 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。

2 scrap   

n.碎片；废料；v.废弃，报废

参考例句：

• A man comes round regularly collecting scrap.有个男人定时来收废品。
• Sell that car for scrap.把那辆汽车当残品卖了吧。

3 installment   

n.(instalment)分期付款；(连载的)一期

参考例句：

• I shall soon pay the last installment of my debt.不久我将偿付我的最后一期债款。
• He likes to buy things on the installment plan.他喜欢用分期付款法购买货物。

4 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

5 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》

6 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。