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Beef conflict

牛肉战争

South Korea is seeking to ease some domestic irritation¹, with a move that could complicate² American-Korean trade relations. Seoul is amending³ its promise to resume US beef imports by imposing⁴ new trade conditions aimed at placating⁵ political critics of the South Korean president.

韩国试图寻找一个缓解一些国内民众的愤怒情绪的举措，而新 举措可能导致美韩贸易关系复杂化。首尔政府正在修正先前作出的 恢复进口美国牛肉的承诺，为进口美国牛肉制定了新的贸易条件， 希望以此化解韩国总统在政治上受到的责难。

In what he described as a “humble acceptance of the people’s will，' South Korean Agriculture Minister Chung Woon-chun announced a new set of limitations on plans to import US beef.

韩国农业部长郑云天宣布了对进口美国牛肉计划实行的新限 制,他把这一宣布形容为是“谦恭地接受民众的意愿”。

He says South Korea has requested the American government stop exporting cattle aged⁶ 30 months or older, about which South Korean consumers have expressed the most anxiety. He says his ministry⁷ will postpone⁸ scheduled quarantine inspections⁹ of American beef until the United States responds to the request.

他表示，韩国要求美国政府停止出口年龄超过30个月的牛,韩 国消费者对这种牛肉表达了最多的担心。他表示，韩国农业部将推 迟已定的对美国牛肉实行检疫的日程，直到美国方面对韩国的要求 作出回应。

The move is a reaction to street protests which began weeks ago, opposing American beef imports.The demonstrations¹⁰ have evolved into much broader, grassroots criticism of South Korean President Lee Myung-bak，s leadership style.

韩国当局的行动是对几个星期来街头示威者抗议进口美国牛 肉的回应。更加广泛地来自民间的批评加人了抗议声浪,抨击李明 博总统的领导风格。

Two months after his February inauguration,Mr. Lee arranged a deal to fully¹¹ resume imports of virtually all cuts of US beef. The imports were banned in 2003，after an American animal was found to have the fatal brain condition known as “mad cow disease，' It is theoretically possible for humans to contract a version of the disease by eating tainted¹² meat.

李明博在2月份宣誓就职。两个月后,他达成了全面恢复进口 美国牛肉的协议,批准几乎所有部位的美国牛肉都可以进口韩国。 2003年,在美国发现一头牛患上了致命的“疯牛病”后,韩国曾禁止 进口美国牛肉。从理论上讲,人类食用感染上疯牛病的牛肉有可能 感染类似的致命的脑部疾病。

Mr. Lee’s import resumption deal, clinched¹³ during an April summit with President Bush, fulfilled a promise made more than a year earlier by Mr. Lee’s predecessor¹⁴. It also followed a ruling by a United Nations organization, backing Washington’s assertion that US beef is safe.

李明博恢复进口美国牛肉的协议是在他4月份跟布什总统举行 高峰会晤期间达成的,从而兑现了他的前任在那一年多前作出的有 关承诺。在李明博签署进口牛肉的协议之前,联合国的一个组织作 出裁决,支持华盛顿称美国牛肉是安全的断言。

Nonetheless, many South Koreans saw President Lee's decision to resume the imports as too sudden, too wide-ranging~and too dismissive of public sentiment.

很多韩国人认为李明博总统恢复进口美国牛肉的决定过于仓促、范围过于宽泛、过于忽视民 众的情绪。

Protests that began as quiet candlelight vigils, last month, have gradually grown louder and more violent. Tens of thousands of protesters have gathered almost nightly in downtown Seoul, blocking major traffic arteries¹⁵ and leading to hundreds of arrests.

韩国民众的抗议上个月以平静的烛光守夜的形式开始,随后抗议声浪日益高涨，最后逐步演 变成暴力示威。成千上万的示威者几乎每一个夜晚都聚集在首尔市中心,堵塞主要交通要道以致 数百人被捕。

Their insistence¹⁶ on that danger has been fueled by numerous factors: sympathy with struggling South Korean cattle farmers; anger at South Korean President Lee Myung-bak; an undercurrent of anti-American nationalism; and a tornado¹⁷ of Internet rumors¹⁸ about US beef, ranging from the humorous to the hysterical¹⁹.

这些人坚持这种看法出于几个因素:一是同情韩国那些苦苦挣扎的肉牛养殖户，二是表达对 韩国总统李明博的不满，三是反美民族主义情绪,另外就是网上有关美国牛肉的各种谣言,有幽默 的也有非常不着边的。

The one thing that has failed to back these very vocal²⁰ protests in any significant way is hard science. One US animal was found to have mad cow disease, in 2003.However, out of hundreds of millions of consumers, there has never been a single known case of mad cow-style brain infection resulting from eating American beef.

虽然抗议活动声浪很高,但是并没有多少科学依据。2003年美国发现有只牛得了疯牛病,但在 亿万消费者当中从来没有过一例由于吃美国牛肉而引发人类感染疯牛病的病例。

It was this absence of scientifically proven risk Ambassador Vershbow was referencing in his comments on June 3, made after his meeting with South Korea's Foreign Minister.

美国大使弗什鲍6月3日会见韩国外交部长之后所说的话,指的就是没有科学依据这一点。

American officials have repeatedly refused to re-negotiate US beef imports and are unlikely to agree to Seoul’s new beef import conditions. Analysts²¹ warn the escalating²² beef dispute could endanger ratification²³ of the major trade deal the two countries, signed last year.

美国官员反复拒绝就进口美国牛肉重新谈判,并且不大可能同意韩国为牛肉进口新制定的卫 生条件。分析人士瞀告说,不断升级的牛肉争端有可能危及美韩两国去年签署的一项主要贸易协 议的达成。

1 irritation   

n.激怒，恼怒，生气

参考例句：

• He could not hide his irritation that he had not been invited.他无法掩饰因未被邀请而生的气恼。
• Barbicane said nothing,but his silence covered serious irritation.巴比康什么也不说，但是他的沉默里潜伏着阴郁的怒火。

2 complicate   

vt.使复杂化，使混乱，使难懂

参考例句：

• There is no need to complicate matters.没有必要使问题复杂化。
• These events will greatly complicate the situation.这些事件将使局势变得极其复杂。

3 amending   

改良，修改，修订( amend的现在分词 )； 改良，修改，修订( amend的第三人称单数 )( amends的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Amending acts in 1933,1934, and 1935 attempted to help honest debtors rehabilitate themselves. 一九三三年，一九三四年和一九三五年通过的修正案是为了帮助诚实的债务人恢复自己的地位。
• Two ways were used about the error-amending of contour curve. 采用两种方法对凸轮轮廓曲线进行了修正。

4 imposing   

adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的

参考例句：

• The fortress is an imposing building.这座城堡是一座宏伟的建筑。
• He has lost his imposing appearance.他已失去堂堂仪表。

5 placating   

v.安抚，抚慰，使平静( placate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• She pulled her face into a placating and childlike expression. 于是她装出一副稚气的想要和解的样子来。 来自飘（部分）
• Uncle Peter's voice came as from a far distance, plaintive, placating. 彼得大叔这时说话了，他的声音犹如自一个遥远的地方起来，既带有哀愁又给人以安慰。 来自飘（部分）

6 aged   

adj.年老的，陈年的

参考例句：

• He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了，也老点了。
• He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老，然而记忆力还好。

7 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

8 postpone   

v.延期，推迟

参考例句：

• I shall postpone making a decision till I learn full particulars.在未获悉详情之前我得从缓作出决定。
• She decided to postpone the converastion for that evening.她决定当天晚上把谈话搁一搁。

9 inspections   

n.检查( inspection的名词复数 )；检验；视察；检阅

参考例句：

• Regular inspections are carried out at the prison. 经常有人来视察这座监狱。
• Government inspections ensure a high degree of uniformity in the standard of service. 政府检查确保了在服务标准方面的高度一致。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

11 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

12 tainted   

adj.腐坏的；污染的；沾污的；感染的v.使变质( taint的过去式和过去分词 )；使污染；败坏；被污染，腐坏，败坏

参考例句：

• The administration was tainted with scandal. 丑闻使得政府声名狼藉。
• He was considered tainted by association with the corrupt regime. 他因与腐败政府有牵连而名誉受损。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 clinched   

v.（尤指两人）互相紧紧抱[扭]住( clinch的过去式和过去分词 )；解决（争端、交易），达成（协议）

参考例句：

• The two businessmen clinched the deal quickly. 两位生意人很快达成了协议。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Evidently this information clinched the matter. 显然，这一消息使问题得以最终解决。 来自辞典例句

14 predecessor   

n.前辈，前任

参考例句：

• It will share the fate of its predecessor.它将遭受与前者同样的命运。
• The new ambassador is more mature than his predecessor.新大使比他的前任更成熟一些。

15 arteries   

n.动脉( artery的名词复数 )；干线，要道

参考例句：

• Even grafting new blood vessels in place of the diseased coronary arteries has been tried. 甚至移植新血管代替不健康的冠状动脉的方法都已经试过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This is the place where the three main arteries of West London traffic met. 这就是伦敦西部三条主要交通干线的交汇处。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 insistence   

n.坚持；强调；坚决主张

参考例句：

• They were united in their insistence that she should go to college.他们一致坚持她应上大学。
• His insistence upon strict obedience is correct.他坚持绝对服从是对的。

17 tornado   

n.飓风，龙卷风

参考例句：

• A tornado whirled into the town last week.龙卷风上周袭击了这座城市。
• The approaching tornado struck awe in our hearts.正在逼近的龙卷风使我们惊恐万分。

18 rumors   

n.传闻( rumor的名词复数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷v.传闻( rumor的第三人称单数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷

参考例句：

• Rumors have it that the school was burned down. 有谣言说学校给烧掉了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Rumors of a revolt were afloat. 叛变的谣言四起。 来自《简明英汉词典》

19 hysterical   

adj.情绪异常激动的，歇斯底里般的

参考例句：

• He is hysterical at the sight of the photo.他一看到那张照片就异常激动。
• His hysterical laughter made everybody stunned.他那歇斯底里的笑声使所有的人不知所措。

20 vocal   

adj.直言不讳的；嗓音的；n.[pl.]声乐节目

参考例句：

• The tongue is a vocal organ.舌头是一个发音器官。
• Public opinion at last became vocal.终于舆论哗然。

21 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

22 escalating   

v.（使）逐步升级( escalate的现在分词 )；（使）逐步扩大；（使）更高；（使）更大

参考例句：

• The cost of living is escalating. 生活费用在迅速上涨。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The cost of living is escalating in the country. 这个国家的生活费用在上涨。 来自辞典例句

23 ratification   

n.批准，认可

参考例句：

• The treaty is awaiting ratification.条约正等待批准。
• The treaty is subject to ratification.此条约经批准后才能生效。