VOA标准英语2008年-South Korean Lawmakers Delay US Trade Deal in B

By Kurt Achin
Seoul
20 May 2008

South Korean lawmakers from mainly liberal parties say they will block ratification¹ of a major free-trade deal with the United States amid a panic about American beef imports.  The political stalemate ends hopes for a speedy implementation² of the pact³.  VOA's Kurt Achin reports from Seoul.

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak met Tuesday with Sohn Hak-kyu, the leader of the country's main opposition⁴ party.  They failed to break a log jam about voting a major American trade deal into law.

Sohn told Mr. Lee his United New Democratic Party  will not back the deal unless the terms for resuming U.S. beef imports were renegotiated separately.  He also urged the president to apologize for an ongoing⁵ public controversy⁶ about American beef.

The Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement reached last year could add tens of billions of dollars to the two countries' commerce, in everything from drugs to automobiles⁷.  However, UNDP floor leader Kim Hyo-seuk said Tuesday the free trade deal is essentially⁸ "on hold" for the parliament session ending later this week.

Kim says, given public sentiment, it is very difficult to even discuss the free trade deal.  He says there must be re-negotiating or the topic cannot be discussed.

Seoul banned the import of American beef in 2003, after a single U.S. animal was found to have the brain disease commonly known as "mad cow disease."  Medical experts say it is hypothetically possible, though extremely unlikely, for people to contract a human variant⁹ of the disease by consuming tainted¹⁰ meat.

American officials say no human cases of mad cow disease have ever resulted from consuming U.S. beef and that no infected cow has ever been known to enter the food supply.

In April, President Lee fulfilled a promise by his predecessor¹¹ to agree on resuming U.S. beef imports, once a United Nations body agreed it was safe.  The move was seen as crucial to winning the American Congress's support for the broader trade agreement. 

Thousands of South Koreans, mainly students, have been gathering¹² frequently in downtown Seoul for candlelight vigils against importing U.S. beef.  They accuse President Lee of compromising of South Korean sovereignty and public safety.  The emotional protests have been fueled, in part, by Internet rumors¹³, questionable¹⁴ South Korean news reports and grassroots sympathy with economically threatened South Korean cattle farmers.

UNDP floor leader Kim says the protesters should not be seen as anti-American.  He says they just want to prevent mad cow disease, also known by its initials BSE.

"What the Korean people oppose is not the U.S. but BSE-risk beef.  The Korean people are not anti-U.S., but anti-BSE," Kim said.

South Korean conservatives won a parliament majority in elections, early this year, and are expected to support both the U.S. trade deal and the resumption of American beef imports in the next legislative¹⁵ session.  However, lawmakers say getting the topic to a vote could take months, because of upcoming summer vacations.

1 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。

2 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。

3 pact   

n.合同，条约，公约，协定

参考例句：

• The two opposition parties made an electoral pact.那两个反对党订了一个有关选举的协定。
• The trade pact between those two countries came to an end.那两国的通商协定宣告结束。

4 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

5 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

6 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

7 automobiles   

n.汽车( automobile的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• When automobiles become popular,the use of the horse and buggy passed away. 汽车普及后，就不再使用马和马车了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Automobiles speed in an endless stream along the boulevard. 宽阔的林荫道上，汽车川流不息。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

8 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

9 variant   

adj.不同的，变异的；n.变体，异体

参考例句：

• We give professional suggestions according to variant tanning stages for each customer.我们针对每位顾客不同的日晒阶段，提供强度适合的晒黑建议。
• In a variant of this approach,the tests are data- driven.这个方法的一个变种，是数据驱动的测试。

10 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》

11 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。

12 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

13 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》

14 questionable   

adj.可疑的，有问题的

参考例句：

• There are still a few questionable points in the case.这个案件还有几个疑点。
• Your argument is based on a set of questionable assumptions.你的论证建立在一套有问题的假设上。

15 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。