VOA标准英语10月-US, North Korea, Reach Deal to Salvage Nuclear Ac

The United States has reached an agreement with North Korea to resume implementation¹ of the six-party accord to end that country's nuclear weapons program. The Bush administration said Saturday it is removing North Korea from its list of state sponsors of terrorism in return for new assurances from Pyongyang on verifying its nuclear activities. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department.

The agreement, the product of weeks of high-level diplomacy², ends a dispute over verification that threatened to scuttle³ the deal under which Pyongyang is to scrap⁴ its nuclear program for aid and diplomatic benefits.

Bush administration officials say that as a result of the talks, including a Pyongyang visit by chief U.S. delegate Christopher Hill a week ago, North Korea has agreed to a series of measures that represent "significant cooperation" in verifying the declaration of its nuclear program made in June.
　

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack (file photo)

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack says the deal means Pyongyang is being removed from the U.S. terrorism blacklist, and North Korea in turn will reverse steps it has taken recently toward restarting its disabled Yongbyon reactor⁵ complex.

"The secretary of state this morning rescinded⁶ the designation of the DPRK as a state sponsor of terrorism, and that was effective with her signature. North Korea has stated it will resume disablement of its nuclear facilities. This demonstrates that the six-party principle of action-for-action is working," he said.

North Korea had accused the United States of reneging on a promise to remove it from the terrorism list when it made its declaration June 26. The United States said delisting was always dependent on Pyongyang providing an acceptable verification plan.

Administration officials who briefed reporters said the agreed verification plan - to be adopted by all six parties to the negotiations⁷ at a Beijing meeting in a few weeks - includes all terms, among them visits to undeclared North Korean nuclear sites, that the United States sought from the beginning.

Critics of the Bush administration, among them former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton, have accused the State Department of softening⁸ verification demands to try to keep the nuclear deal afloat and claim a foreign policy triumph.

There were similar comments Friday from Republican Presidential candidate John McCain.

McCormack said the deal achieved "every single element" of the administration verification agenda, which he said was driven not by domestic political considerations but U.S. national interests.

"The secretary and the president wouldn't take these kinds of decisions if they didn't think that these decisions would help us - the United States - ultimately get to the goal of de-nuclearizing the Korean peninsula. Again, without compromising on principle," he said.
　

Republican presidential candidate, Sen. John McCain, (file photo)

Candidate McCain and others have also suggested that removing North Korea from the terrorism list undercuts Japan, which has been pressing Pyongyang to account for a number of Japanese citizens abducted⁹ by North Korea in the 1970s and 80s.

McCormack said the United States "wholeheartedly" supports Japan's position on the abduction issue and will never forget the suffering of the Japanese victims and their families.

He noted¹⁰ that even after terrorism-related sanctions against North Korea are lifted, it remains¹¹ subject to numerous sanctions related to its 2006 nuclear weapons test, proliferation activity, and human rights record.

The White House said President Bush made the same points in a telephone call to Japanese Prime Minister Taro¹² Aso Saturday morning.

Democratic presidential candidate Barak Obama, in a written statement, called the agreement a modest step forward. He said the decision to remove North Korea from the terrorism list is an appropriate response, as long as there is a clear understanding that if Pyongyang fails to follow through on its obligations there will be "immediate¹³ consequences."

1 implementation   

n.实施，贯彻

参考例句：

• Implementation of the program is now well underway.这一项目的实施现在行情看好。

2 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。

3 scuttle   

v.急赶，疾走，逃避；n.天窗；舷窗

参考例句：

• There was a general scuttle for shelter when the rain began to fall heavily.下大雨了，人们都飞跑着寻找躲雨的地方。
• The scuttle was open,and the good daylight shone in.明朗的亮光从敞开的小窗中照了进来。

4 scrap   

n.碎片；废料；v.废弃，报废

参考例句：

• A man comes round regularly collecting scrap.有个男人定时来收废品。
• Sell that car for scrap.把那辆汽车当残品卖了吧。

5 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。

6 rescinded   

v.废除，取消( rescind的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Rescinded civil acts shall be null and void from the very beginning. 被撤销的民事行为从行为开始起无效。 来自互联网
• They accepted his advice and rescinded the original plan. 他们听从了他的劝告，撤销了原计划。 来自互联网

7 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。

8 softening   

变软，软化

参考例句：

• Her eyes, softening, caressed his face. 她的眼光变得很温柔了。它们不住地爱抚他的脸。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）
• He might think my brain was softening or something of the kind. 他也许会觉得我婆婆妈妈的，已经成了个软心肠的人了。

9 abducted   

劫持，诱拐( abduct的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（肢体等）外展

参考例句：

• Detectives have not ruled out the possibility that she was abducted. 侦探尚未排除她被绑架的可能性。
• The kid was abducted at the gate of kindergarten. 那小孩在幼儿园大门口被绑架走了。

10 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

11 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

12 taro   

n.芋，芋头

参考例句：

• Main grain crop has taro,corn,banana to wait.主要粮食作物有芋头、玉米、芭蕉等。
• You celebrate your birthday with taro,red bean and butter.用红豆、芋头和黄油给自己过生日。

13 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。