美国国家公共电台 NPR In A Break From Recent Precedent, North Korean Anniversary Parade Features No ICBMs

 

LULU GARCIA-NAVARRO, HOST:

There are parades, and then there are parades. In Pyongyang today, the North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un, in attendance, they laid on quite a show. NPR's Mary Louise Kelly was there.

MARY LOUISE KELLY, BYLINE¹: This is Kim Il Sung Square. We're in central Pyongyang. We are awaiting the start of a military parade marking the 70th anniversary of North Korea, awaiting the arrival of Kim Jong Un who's expected to address the crowd in this square, which, of course, is named for his grandfather, who came to power in 1948. You can see around me balloons in the air, all sorts of photographers swarming² the roofs around us, trying to capture this action as we await the arrival of Kim Jong Un on this anniversary celebration kicking off.

(SOUNDBITE OF MARCHING BAND PLAYING)

KELLY: And kick off it did. More than two hours of pageantry.

(SOUNDBITE OF MARCHING BAND PLAYING)

KELLY: Bands and fireworks and tanks and a North Korean specialty³...

(SOUNDBITE OF SOLDIERS GOOSE-STEPPING)

KELLY: ...Goose-stepping.

(SOUNDBITE OF SOLDIERS GOOSE-STEPPING)

KELLY: By some standards, this parade was actually restrained - no ICBMs - intercontinental ballistic missiles - no direct references to North Korea's nuclear weapons - both of which have appeared in previous parades here. Instead, wave after wave of soldiers but also civilians⁴ waving fake cherry blossoms. If you were trying to decipher the messaging, it was maybe an effort not to antagonize - three months after Kim's summit with President Trump⁵ and as U.S.-North Korea relations appear stalled.

(SOUNDBTIE OF MARCHING BAND PLAYING)

KELLY: Kim Jong Un has just arrived in the square. I think he's assumed a position up in that top balcony, overlooking events.

He did not, in fact, address the crowd, a break with recent precedent⁶. He strolled a balcony high above us, both arms up, waving.

UNIDENTIFIED CROWD: (Chanting) Kim Jong Un. Kim Jong Un.

KELLY: Kim presides over a small country with a small economy, which has been further crippled by sanctions. He's made a point recently of saying he wants to focus on that - on building the economy, a message that, at least here in Pyongyang, seems to resonate.

It's a clear show of force and a clear show of deference⁷ to Kim Jong Un, who came to power young, untested in 2011. He presides today over the square named for his grandfather. Mary Louise Kelly, NPR News, on Kim Il Sung Square in the middle of a military parade in Pyongyang.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

1 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

2 swarming   

密集( swarm的现在分词 )； 云集； 成群地移动； 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去

参考例句：

• The sacks of rice were swarming with bugs. 一袋袋的米里长满了虫子。
• The beach is swarming with bathers. 海滩满是海水浴的人。

3 specialty   

n.(speciality)特性，特质；专业，专长

参考例句：

• Shell carvings are a specialty of the town.贝雕是该城的特产。
• His specialty is English literature.他的专业是英国文学。

4 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

5 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。

6 precedent   

n.先例，前例；惯例；adj.在前的，在先的

参考例句：

• Is there a precedent for what you want me to do?你要我做的事有前例可援吗？
• This is a wonderful achievement without precedent in Chinese history.这是中国历史上亘古未有的奇绩。

7 deference   

n.尊重，顺从；敬意

参考例句：

• Do you treat your parents and teachers with deference?你对父母师长尊敬吗？
• The major defect of their work was deference to authority.他们的主要缺陷是趋从权威。