UN Considering Oil Embargo Against North Korea

 

Members of the United Nations Security Council are considering new sanctions for North Korea in reaction to its sixth and most powerful nuclear test.

联合国安理会成员国正在考虑对朝鲜实施新的制裁，作为对该国第六次，同时也是最强烈的一次核试验的回应。

However, experts say the support of China is critical to increase pressure on the government of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

然而专家表示，中国的支持对增加朝鲜领导人金正恩政府的压力至关重要。

China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Thursday, “The U.N. Security Council should respond further and take necessary measures.”

中国外交部长王毅周四表示：“联合国安理会应该做出进一步回应，并且采取必要的措施。”

But, Wang said “sanctions and pressure” must be tied to “dialogue and negotiations¹.” China has said that increased restrictions³ will not ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

但是王毅表示，“制裁施压”必须与“对话谈判”并重。中国方面表示，提高制裁无法缓解朝鲜半岛的紧张局势。

U.S. President Donald Trump⁴ spoke⁵ to Chinese President Xi Jinping about North Korea on Wednesday. Trump said Xi agreed on the need to answer North Korea’s nuclear test, saying, “He does not want to see what is happening there either.”

美国总统川普周三与中国国家主席习近平进行了对话。川普称，习主席赞同有必要对朝鲜的核试验做出回应。川普说：“他也不想看到朝鲜发生这样的事情。”

On Monday, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said the 15-member UN Security Council would negotiate a version of a resolution to place new sanctions on North Korea. She said the U.S. would seek a vote by Monday.

美国驻联合国大使尼基·哈利（Nikki Haley）周一表示，安理会15个成员国将会议定一项对朝鲜实施新制裁的决议。她说美国寻求在下周一之前投票表决。

On August 5, the UN Security Council approved resolution 2371. It came as the result of two long-range missile tests that North Korea carried out in July. The UN Security Council barred North Korea from exporting coal, iron, lead and seafood⁶, along with other restrictions. The measures were aimed at cutting about one-third of North Korea's $3 billion in export income.

8月5日，联合国安理会通过了第2371号决议，这是对朝鲜7月份进行两次远程导弹试验的做出的回应。联合国安理会禁止朝鲜出口煤炭、铁、铅和海鲜产品，附带还有其它限制。这些措施旨在将朝鲜30亿美元的出口收入削减三分之一。

However, now there are calls to cut North Korea’s fuel imports in an effort to build pressure on its leaders.

然而，现在有人呼吁削减朝鲜的燃料进口，以对其领导人施加压力。

The proposed resolution

决议草案

VOA received a copy of the new proposed resolution on North Korea on Wednesday. The proposal calls for stopping North Korean cloth and clothing exports, and seeks to put limits on North Koreans working in other countries. But the biggest restriction² would ban the sale of oil, refined petroleum⁷ products, and natural gas liquids to the North.

美国之音周三收到了对朝鲜的这项新决议草案的副本。该草案要求停止朝鲜的布料和服装出口，并对在海外工作的朝鲜人施加限制。但是最大的限制应该是禁止向朝鲜出售石油、成品油以及液态天然气。

Support from Russia and China is needed for an oil embargo⁸ to work. Both countries are permanent members of the Security Council. They also are energy exporters to North Korea.

石油禁运想要生效需要获得中俄两国的支持。这两国都是安理会常任理事国。他们也是对朝鲜最大的能源出口国。

On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin did not offer support to the idea of blocking North Korea’s oil imports. Putin spoke during a meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in at an economic meeting in Vladivostok, Russia.

俄罗斯总统普京周三并不支持禁止朝鲜石油进口的想法。普京在俄罗斯海参威同韩国总统文在寅进行的经济会议上做出表态。

China provides North Korea with most of its oil and gas.

中国提供了朝鲜大部分的石油和天然气。

Joseph DeTrani is a former special diplomat⁹ to the six party talks. They were nuclear talks including both Koreas, China, Russia, Japan and the U.S. DeTrani says the leverage¹⁰ that the Chinese “have on crude oil is immense.”

约瑟夫·德特拉尼（Joseph DeTrani）是参与过六方会谈的一名前任特别外交官。六方会谈是指包含朝韩两国、中国、俄罗斯、日本和美国在内的核谈判。德特拉尼表示，中国对原油的影响力非常巨大。

But he says an oil embargo would destabilize North Korea’s economy, something China opposes.

但他表示，石油禁运会破坏朝鲜的经济，这是中国所反对的。

Although China and North Korea have had strained relations, DeTrani says Chinese public support for an oil ban is unlikely.

虽然中朝两国关系紧张，但是德特拉尼表示，中国公开支持石油禁运是不可能的。

“China doesn’t want to make North Korea a total enemy. They want to have some leverage. They don’t want to totally alienate¹¹ the leadership in Pyongyang.”

他说：“中国不想同朝鲜彻底闹僵。他们希望具备一定影响力，不希望完全疏远平壤的领导层。”

Richard Bush is with the Brookings Institution’s John L. Thornton China Center. He says China has to walk a fine line in its policies towards its eastern neighbor.

理查德·布什(Richard Bush)就职于布鲁金斯学会的约翰·桑顿中国中心。他说中国对它东边这个邻居的政策必须拿捏好分寸。

Bush says China wants to influence North Korea to stop its nuclear and missile tests. At the same time, China worries that a complete oil embargo would cause the country to collapse¹². That situation would create a refugee crisis on China’s border.

布什表示，中国想要影响朝鲜停止核试验和导弹试验。与此同时，中国担心彻底的石油禁运会导致朝鲜分崩离析，而这种状况会在中国边境造成一场难民危机。

Instead, Bush says China may try to create some flexibility¹³ in possible new sanctions by setting a limit for yearly oil imports, or by slowly decreasing them.

布什表示，相反，中国也许试图通过对朝鲜每年的石油进口设限或是缓慢减少其石油进口，从而在可能的新制裁方面创造出一些灵活性。

He says China “wants to preserve its own freedom of action and flexibility, but at the same time be responsive to the concerns of the international community.”

他说中国“想要维护自身的行动自由和灵活性，同时对国际社会的关切做出回应。”

Yun Sun is a China expert at the Stimson Center in Washington DC. She says China has not shown that it is willing to cut off the North’s oil supplies. She said it might press for oil exports to be considered a humanitarian¹⁴ exception to UN Security Council sanctions.

孙芸（Yun Sun，音译）是华盛顿史汀生中心的一名中国专家。她说中国并未表现出切断朝鲜石油供应的意愿。她说，中国可能会力陈石油出口被视为联合国案安理会制裁的人道主义例外。

I’m Mario Ritter.

Words in This Story

critical – adj. very important, without which nothing can be done

leverage – n. influence that can be used to get a desired result

alienate – v. to cause to become isolated¹⁵ or apart from the group

walk a fine line – idiom to try to deal with two opposing issues or sides to avoid conflict

flexibility – n. the quality of being able to adjust or make small changes

exception – n. a case where a rule does not apply

1 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

2 restriction   

n.限制，约束

参考例句：

• The park is open to the public without restriction.这个公园对公众开放，没有任何限制。
• The 30 mph speed restriction applies in all built-up areas.每小时限速30英里适用于所有建筑物聚集区。

3 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

4 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。

5 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

6 seafood   

n.海产食品，海味，海鲜

参考例句：

• There's an excellent seafood restaurant near here.离这儿不远有家非常不错的海鲜馆。
• Shrimps are a popular type of seafood.小虾是比较普遍的一种海味。

7 petroleum   

n.原油，石油

参考例句：

• The Government of Iran advanced the price of petroleum last week.上星期伊朗政府提高了石油价格。
• The purpose of oil refinery is to refine crude petroleum.炼油厂的主要工作是提炼原油。

8 embargo   

n.禁运（令）；vt.对...实行禁运，禁止（通商）

参考例句：

• This country put an oil embargo on an enemy country.该国对敌国实行石油禁运。
• During the war,they laid an embargo on commerce with enemy countries.在战争期间，他们禁止与敌国通商。

9 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

10 leverage   

n.力量，影响；杠杆作用，杠杆的力量

参考例句：

• We'll have to use leverage to move this huge rock.我们不得不借助杠杆之力来移动这块巨石。
• He failed in the project because he could gain no leverage. 因为他没有影响力，他的计划失败了。

11 alienate   

vt.使疏远，离间；转让(财产等)

参考例句：

• His attempts to alienate the two friends failed because they had complete faith.他离间那两个朋友的企图失败了，因为他们彼此完全信任。
• We'd better not alienate ourselves from the colleagues.我们最好还是不要与同事们疏远。

12 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

13 flexibility   

n.柔韧性，弹性，（光的）折射性，灵活性

参考例句：

• Her great strength lies in her flexibility.她的优势在于她灵活变通。
• The flexibility of a man's muscles will lessen as he becomes old.人老了肌肉的柔韧性将降低。

14 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

15 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。