VOA标准英语2008年-South Korean Foreign Minister says Nuclear Talk

South Korea's chief diplomat¹ says a diplomatic process aimed at getting rid of North Korea's nuclear weapons is at risk if Pyongyang continues on its current path. As VOA's Kurt Achin reports from Seoul, the North's moves to resume activity at its main nuclear reactor² could end up isolating³ and impoverishing⁴ the country even further.

South Korean Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan said Friday North Korea is putting at risk the diplomatic effort that has been some five years in the making.

Referring to a six-nation talks process aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear weapons, Yu says we are in a difficult situation where we may have to return to square one.
　
In this 27 Jun 2008 file photo provided by China's Xinhua News Agency, ruins of Yongbyon nuclear complex's cooling tower are seen

Since 2003, South Korea has joined the United States, Russia, China, and Japan in offering the North incentives⁵ to end its nuclear weapons programs. North Korea signed an agreement last year to declare those programs and began disabling its main nuclear facility at Yongbyon, with much broader disarmament steps to come in the future.

However, this month North Korea said it was in the process of restarting Yongbyon, and it ejected international inspectors⁶ and their surveillance equipment from the plant's reprocessing facility.

Foreign Minister Yu says the North's actions may have a political angle.

He says it is possible that the North's decision to reverse its disablement is a strategy linked to the upcoming U.S. presidential election.

Michael Green is a former national security advisor⁷ to President Bush, and is now affiliated⁸ with Republican presidential candidate John McCain.

He told a forum⁹ in Seoul Friday he thinks it is very unlikely there will be progress in the six nation talks until the U.S. election is resolved. He also says there is a good chance North Korea is considering steps to take to try to raise its bargaining leverage¹⁰ with the new administration.

"Incrementally¹¹ they may try to move toward reprocessing of the remaining spent fuel rods... and they may also try rebuilding their five megawatt reactor and other facilities. And I believe we should signal to them very clearly that if they go down that path... the situation for them will be worse," he said.

North Korea tested a nuclear weapon two years ago, causing unanimous support for a strict sanctions resolution at the United Nations. Green points out the international community has not seriously implemented¹² the resolution, because the North returned to talks. He says that could change, if North Korea continues to reverse its nuclear promises.

 

1 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。

2 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。

3 isolating   

adj.孤立的，绝缘的v.使隔离( isolate的现在分词 )；将…剔出（以便看清和单独处理）；使（某物质、细胞等）分离；使离析

参考例句：

• Colour filters are not very effective in isolating narrow spectral bands. 一些滤色片不能很有效地分离狭窄的光谱带。 来自辞典例句
• This became known as the streak method for isolating bacteria. 这个方法以后就称为分离细菌的划线法。 来自辞典例句

4 impoverishing   

v.使（某人）贫穷( impoverish的现在分词 )；使（某物）贫瘠或恶化

参考例句：

• Slowly the wasters and despoilers are impoverishing our land. 浪费者和掠夺者们在慢慢地糟蹋着我们的土地。 来自辞典例句
• It enriches those who receive, without impoverishing those who give. 它使获得者蒙益，施予者也无损失。 来自互联网

5 incentives   

激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 )； 刺激； 诱因； 动机

参考例句：

• tax incentives to encourage savings 鼓励储蓄的税收措施
• Furthermore, subsidies provide incentives only for investments in equipment. 更有甚者，提供津贴仅是为鼓励增添设备的投资。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

6 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》

7 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

8 affiliated   

adj. 附属的, 有关连的

参考例句：

• The hospital is affiliated with the local university. 这家医院附属于当地大学。
• All affiliated members can vote. 所有隶属成员都有投票权。

9 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

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 incrementally   

adv.逐渐地

参考例句：

• Incrementally update the shared dimensions used in this cube. 增量更新此多维数据集中使用的共享维度。 来自互联网
• Grand goals are inspiring, but be sure to approach them incrementally. 辉煌的目标令人鼓舞，但一定要逐步实现。 来自互联网

12 implemented   

v.实现( implement的过去式和过去分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• This agreement, if not implemented, is a mere scrap of paper. 这个协定如不执行只不过是一纸空文。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The economy is in danger of collapse unless far-reaching reforms are implemented. 如果不实施影响深远的改革，经济就面临崩溃的危险。 来自辞典例句