美国国家公共电台 NPR Tillerson's North Korean Overture Highlights His Credibility Problem

 

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Well, the U.S. secretary of state has a message for North Korea. Here is Rex Tillerson speaking yesterday.

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SECRETARY OF STATE REX TILLERSON: We're ready to talk any time North Korea would like to talk, and we're ready to have the first meeting without precondition.

INSKEEP: So is this a chance for a diplomatic resolution to the dangerous nuclear crisis with North Korea? Let's ask NPR's Elise Hu.

ELISE HU, BYLINE¹: Two weeks ago, after North Korea tested its latest intercontinental ballistic missile, it announced its state nuclear force was complete. In response, the U.S. policy to pressure North Korea by cutting off its resources continued. But now the secretary of state is going farther than before in offering a sit-down.

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TILLERSON: Can we at least sit down and see each other face to face, and then we can begin to lay out a map, a roadmap of what we might be willing to work towards?

HU: Some North Korea security watchers, like Van Jackson, are skeptical².

VAN JACKSON: I just sort of rolled my eyes. (Laughter).

HU: A former Asia specialist for the Defense³ Department, Jackson's now at New Zealand's Victoria University. He says this is all just posturing⁴ from Tillerson because the U.S. can't effectively say it wants to talk when its goal is complete verifiable denuclearization by North Korea. For Pyongyang, giving up its nuclear program is a non-starter.

JACKSON: We know that North Korea's not going to go there. So if you want to actually negotiate something, you can't have an unrealistic goal.

HU: James Kim of the Asan Institute, a Seoul-based think tank, says the significance of this depends on North Korea's response to Tillerson.

JAMES KIM: It really depends whether North Korea stops testing and come to the bargaining table to talk, or, they continue to test, which means that they're not going to engage in any talk at this time.

HU: South Korea is pushing for a peaceful resolution. Its foreign minister wants to reopen a direct hotline with Pyongyang to avoid military mishaps⁵. But no matter what South Korea wants, both Kim and Jackson agree Tillerson's words are diluted⁶ because he and President Donald Trump⁷ often say opposing things. Tillerson has signaled willingness to talk before, but then Trump tweeted that talks won't work.

JACKSON: The total lack of consistency⁸, the total inability to separate rhetoric⁹ from substance, all of this simply makes people throw up their hands and be like, well, I don't know what to believe. Right? How can you take what Tillerson says now seriously in the context of the past 10, 11 months?

HU: A question North Korea will weigh in deciding whether to respond. Elise Hu, NPR News, Seoul.

1 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

2 skeptical   

adj.怀疑的，多疑的

参考例句：

• Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
• Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。

3 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

4 posturing   

做出某种姿势( posture的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• She was posturing a model. 她正在摆模特儿的姿势。
• She says the President may just be posturing. 她说总统也许只是在做样子而已。

5 mishaps   

n.轻微的事故，小的意外( mishap的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a series of mishaps 一连串的倒霉事
• In spite of one or two minor mishaps everything was going swimmingly. 尽管遇到了一两件小小的不幸，一切都进行得很顺利。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

6 diluted   

无力的，冲淡的

参考例句：

• The paint can be diluted with water to make a lighter shade. 这颜料可用水稀释以使色度淡一些。
• This pesticide is diluted with water and applied directly to the fields. 这种杀虫剂用水稀释后直接施用在田里。

7 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

8 consistency   

n.一贯性，前后一致，稳定性；(液体的)浓度

参考例句：

• Your behaviour lacks consistency.你的行为缺乏一贯性。
• We appreciate the consistency and stability in China and in Chinese politics.我们赞赏中国及其政策的连续性和稳定性。

9 rhetoric   

n.修辞学，浮夸之言语

参考例句：

• Do you know something about rhetoric?你懂点修辞学吗？
• Behind all the rhetoric,his relations with the army are dangerously poised.在冠冕堂皇的言辞背后，他和军队的关系岌岌可危。