VOA慢速英语20061014a

IN THE NEWS - The North Korean Nuclear Development Was a Long-Time ComingBy Brianna Blake

Broadcast: Saturday, October 14, 2006

I'm Steve Ember with IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.

North Korea this week announced it carried out its first-ever nuclear test. North Korean officials said they exploded a nuclear weapon under the ground.


map of north korea

International testing equipment confirmed that ground movement in the northeastern part of the country suggested a nuclear explosion. Other nations are still working to confirm the reported test.

For many observers, the North Korean announcement came as no surprise. They say the country's effort to develop a nuclear weapon began many years earlier.

Intelligence reports showed that North Korea had the materials needed to make such a weapon in the early nineteen nineties. In nineteen ninety-four, North Korea offered to suspend its nuclear program as part of an agreement with the United States. In exchange, North Korea was offered large amounts of fuel oil and help in building two nuclear reactors² for electricity.

Six years ago, North Korea asked the United States to pay for delays in the reactor¹ project. It also threatened to withdraw from the nineteen ninety-four agreement.

President Bush took office in two thousand one. His administration decided³ to re-examine relations with North Korea. The administration said it was not sure if the North would honor the agreement.

Later, Mister Bush identified North Korea, Iran and Iraq as what he called the axis⁴ of evil. He also said the North was arming itself with missiles and weapons of great destruction, while starving its citizens.

Four years ago, the United States said North Korea admitted to having a secret weapons program. It said the program violated the nineteen ninety-four agreement. The international group building the reactors said it was halting oil exports to North Korea.

The country answered the announcement by re-opening its nuclear center in Yongbyon. Within a year, North Korea had expelled international nuclear inspectors⁵, and withdrawn⁶ from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The treaty was created to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons.

To ease tensions, North Korea opened disarmament talks with the United States and four other nations three years ago. Last September, they released a joint⁷ statement. It said North Korea would end its nuclear arms program in exchange for economic aid and security guarantees.

North Korea later said it would not return to the talks unless American financial restrictions⁸ are lifted. The restrictions are meant to punish the North for its reported involvement in illegal activities.

North Korea says it needs nuclear weapons to prevent an attack by the United States. But America has repeatedly said it has no plans to attack the North. It has urged the country to act on its earlier offers to not build nuclear weapons.

President Bush said Wednesday that the United States supports diplomacy⁹ to settle the nuclear issue. But he rejected calls to open direct talks with North Korea.

IN THE NEWS, in VOA Special English was written by Brianna Blake. I'm Steve Ember.

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 reactors   

起反应的人( reactor的名词复数 )； 反应装置； 原子炉； 核反应堆

参考例句：

• The TMI nuclear facility has two reactors. 三哩岛核设施有两个反应堆。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• The earliest production reactors necessarily used normal uranium as fuel. 最早为生产用的反应堆，必须使用普通铀作为燃料。

3 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

4 axis   

n.轴，轴线，中心线；坐标轴，基准线

参考例句：

• The earth's axis is the line between the North and South Poles.地轴是南北极之间的线。
• The axis of a circle is its diameter.圆的轴线是其直径。

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 withdrawn   

vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出

参考例句：

• Our force has been withdrawn from the danger area.我们的军队已从危险地区撤出。
• All foreign troops should be withdrawn to their own countries.一切外国军队都应撤回本国去。

7 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

8 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

9 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。