VOA常速英语2007-S. Korea Extends, But Cuts in Half, Military Dep

By Kurt Achin
Seoul
23 October 2007

South Korea says it will continue to contribute non-combat military personnel to U.S-led stabilization¹ efforts in Iraq. As VOA Seoul Correspondent Kurt Achin reports, the deployment² is half a world away, but has everything to do with South Korea's neighbor to the north.

President Roh Moo-hyun told his country in a televised address Tuesday that South Korean troops would not be coming home from Iraq just yet. He says South Korea's presence in Iraq will be extended for another year. However, the number of troops will be cut in half, from 1,200 to 600.

South Korea deployed³ stabilization forces to Iraq in 2003, following the U.S.-led removal of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. The non-combat forces do aid and reconstruction⁴ work in Iraq's mainly Kurdish north, which has been relatively⁵ peaceful. The deployment's numbers have been gradually reduced by about two-thirds from more than 3,000 originally.

The deployment is unpopular among many South Koreans who view Iraq as irrelevant⁶ to their country's main interests. Mr. Roh's plan must be approved in parliament, where even his close allies have expressed a desire to pull out of Iraq completely by the end of the year.

However, President Roh says continuing to play a role in Iraq is crucial in maintaining a strong security relationship with the United States. He says because North Korea's nuclear weapons issue could take unpredictable turns, the South Korea-U.S. alliance, more than anything else, should be maintained.

The United States stations about 28,000 military personnel in South Korea to help deter⁷ North Korea from repeating its 1950 invasion of the South.

The United States also has led multinational⁸ efforts to end the North's nuclear weapons capabilities⁹. Pyongyang tested its first nuclear explosive in October of last year, despite several international pledges to not develop such weapons.

President Roh's term in office expires early next year, and elections to replace him will be held in December. South Korean media predict the Iraq deployment is likely to become one of the election's hotly contested issues.

1 Stabilization   

稳定化

参考例句：

• The position of barycentre on plane directly impacts the stabilization and manipulation of plane. 飞机重心位置直接影响飞机的稳定和操纵特性。
• With the higher olefins, stabilization of the energetic intermediates occurs more easily. 在较高的烯烃情况下，高能的中间物稳定作用更易出现。

2 deployment   

n. 部署,展开

参考例句：

• He has inquired out the deployment of the enemy troops. 他已查出敌军的兵力部署情况。
• Quality function deployment (QFD) is a widely used customer-driven quality, design and manufacturing management tool. 质量功能展开(quality function deployment,QFD)是一个广泛应用的顾客需求驱动的设计、制造和质量管理工具。

3 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

4 reconstruction   

n.重建，再现，复原

参考例句：

• The country faces a huge task of national reconstruction following the war.战后，该国面临着重建家园的艰巨任务。
• In the period of reconstruction,technique decides everything.在重建时期，技术决定一切。

5 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

6 irrelevant   

adj.不恰当的，无关系的，不相干的

参考例句：

• That is completely irrelevant to the subject under discussion.这跟讨论的主题完全不相关。
• A question about arithmetic is irrelevant in a music lesson.在音乐课上，一个数学的问题是风马牛不相及的。

7 deter   

vt.阻止，使不敢，吓住

参考例句：

• Failure did not deter us from trying it again.失败并没有能阻挡我们再次进行试验。
• Dogs can deter unwelcome intruders.狗能够阻拦不受欢迎的闯入者。

8 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。

9 capabilities   

n.能力( capability的名词复数 )；可能；容量；[复数]潜在能力

参考例句：

• He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities. 他有点自大，自视甚高。 来自辞典例句
• Some programmers use tabs to break complex product capabilities into smaller chunks. 一些程序员认为，标签可以将复杂的功能分为每个窗格一组简单的功能。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓