VOA标准英语2010年-Kim Jong Il Birthday Marked with Signs

A visitor looks at a collage¹ of pictures of N. Korean leader Kim Jong Il and N. Korean soldiers near the border between the two Koreas, Paju, South Korea, 15 Feb 2010

 

Synchronized² swimming displays, candy for children, and thousands of flower bouquets³ were reported to mark what North Koreans know as the "February Holiday" on Tuesday - the birthday of leader Kim Jong Il.

N. Korean youth dance in Pyongyang to celebrate the 68th birthday of the country's leader Kim Jong Il, 15 Feb 2010

According to the North's official records, Mr. Kim is now 68, although there are some academics who suspect he may be slightly older.

Kim Yong Nam, president of North Korea's parliament and nominal⁴ number two leader of the country, told a mass gathering⁵ that Mr. Kim is a "peerlessly brilliant commander."

At the same time, Kim Yong Nam emphasized what he calls the need "to put an end to the hostile relations" between his country and the United States, and to develop "neighborly and friendly relations with other countries."

Regional experts say the soft message indicates a diplomatic overture⁶ in line with the North's recent welcoming of envoys⁷ from China and the United Nations.  A South Korean media report says Beijing is ready to invest $10 billion in the North's impoverished⁸ economy, and there is widespread optimism that multinational⁹ talks aimed at ending the North's nuclear weapons programs may resume soon.

Many experts on North Korea say it is facing tough economic times. Among the problems it faces are new United Nations sanctions imposed after Pyongyang's second nuclear weapons test last May, a troubled currency reform plan last year, and poor harvests.

Here in South Korea, human rights activists¹⁰ on Tuesday released balloons near the border carrying anti-Kim Jong Il leaflets and a number of small radios for receiving shortwave broadcasts.

North Korean defector Park Sang-hak led the demonstration¹¹.

He says today, on Kim's Jong Il's birthday, our duty is to tell the truth about the North's abuses.

Questions remain about the health of Kim Jong Il, who is believed to have suffered a stroke in August of 2008.  Regional experts say he has taken some preliminary steps to prepare his youngest son to take over, but it is unclear if the North's totalitarian system can survive without the elder Kim's personal involvement.
 

1 collage   

n.拼贴画；v.拼贴；把……创作成拼贴画

参考例句：

• A collage of coloured paper covers a table top.一副彩纸拼贴画盖在桌面上。
• He has used a mixture of mosaic,collage and felt-tip pen.他混合使用了马赛克、拼贴画和毡头笔。

2 synchronized   

同步的

参考例句：

• Do not use the synchronized keyword in Managed Objects. 不要在管理对象上使用synchronized关键字。 来自互联网
• The timing of the gun was precisely synchronized with the turning of the plane's propeller. 风门的调速与飞机螺旋桨的转动精确同步。 来自辞典例句

3 bouquets   

n.花束( bouquet的名词复数 )；（酒的）芳香

参考例句：

• The welcoming crowd waved their bouquets. 欢迎的群众摇动着花束。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• As the hero stepped off the platform, he was surrounded by several children with bouquets. 当英雄走下讲台时，已被几名手持花束的儿童围住了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 nominal   

adj.名义上的；(金额、租金)微不足道的

参考例句：

• The king was only the nominal head of the state. 国王只是这个国家名义上的元首。
• The charge of the box lunch was nominal.午餐盒饭收费很少。

5 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

6 overture   

n.前奏曲、序曲，提议，提案，初步交涉

参考例句：

• The opera was preceded by a short overture.这部歌剧开始前有一段简短的序曲。
• His overture led to nothing.他的提议没有得到什么结果。

7 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。

8 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》

9 multinational   

adj.多国的，多种国籍的；n.多国籍公司，跨国公司

参考例句：

• The firm was taken over by a multinational consulting firm.这家公司被一个跨国咨询公司收购。
• He analyzed the relationship between multinational corporations and under-developed countries.他分析了跨国公司和不发达国家之间的关系。

10 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。