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The Bush administration's top official on North Korea is returning to the region later this week, just days after Pyongyang missed a deadline to file a complete declaration of its nuclear activities. Under terms of an agreement reached with the United States, China, Japan, South Korea and Russia, Pyongyang promised to file the declaration by the end of 2007.

布什政府的北韩问题特使希尔将于下周返回东亚地区，几天之前，平壤刚刚错过了交出完整核活动清单的最后期限。根据六方会谈达成的协议，平壤承诺在2007年底交出这份清单。

The State Department will not say where Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill is going. But his agenda is clear: to do all he can to convince North Korea to file the overdue¹ nuclear declaration.

美国国务院没有说明助理国务卿希尔此行的目的地。但是，希尔的议事日程是明确的，那就是尽其所能说服北韩交出已经错过期限的核清单。

In public, the Bush administration is using subtle diplomacy² to make its case to Pyongyang, indicating a late declaration which is complete and accurate would be acceptable.

在公众场合，布什政府利用巧妙的外交词令向北韩表明立场，暗示国际社会可以接受一份迟到但完整而正确的核清单。

At the White House, spokeswoman Dana Perino acknowledged there is room for doubt the declaration will ever be filed.

白宫发言人佩里诺承认，人们有理由怀疑北韩最终是否会交出这样一份清单。

"It is only appropriate that we would be skeptical," she said. "It is a very closed society that has had a secret program that has been ongoing³."

她说：“我们持怀疑态度是正常的。北韩是一个非常封闭的国家，它拥有一个一直在进行中的秘密项目。”

But she made clear that Washington continues to hope for the best.

但是，她表示，美国将继续抱有最好的期望。

"We don't have any indication that they will not provide one," she said. "But they missed the deadline and we are waiting to hear from them."

佩里诺说：“没有迹象表明北韩不会交出这份清单。但是他们错过了最后期限，我们还在等待他们的答复。”

Christopher Hill will not be the only senior U.S. diplomat⁴ working the issue in the days ahead. Perino told reporters Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte will travel to China later this month for regularly scheduled consultations⁵, and the North Korean declaration will be on the agenda.

在未来几天里，除希尔以外，还会有其它美国高级外交官为解决这一问题而努力。佩里诺对记者们说，美国副国务卿内格罗蓬特这个月晚些时候将访问中国，进行两国间的例行磋商，他此行的议事日程包括北韩核清单问题。

When asked if the United States expects no declaration before the Negroponte trip, Perino said the timing⁶ is up to Pyongyang. She said only that the United States hopes to have the declaration as soon as possible.

当被问及美国是否并不期待北韩在内格罗蓬特到访前公布核项目清单时，佩里诺说，公布时间要由平壤来决定。不过她说，美国希望平壤能尽快交出这份清单。

Perino also noted⁷ that U.S. experts are continuing to work with the North Koreans to help them disable their main nuclear complex. The job was supposed to be complete by the December 31 deadline, but has been delayed due to safety concerns raised by the United States.

佩里诺还指出，美国专家还在继续同北韩合作，帮助北韩拆除其核反应堆。这项工作本应在2007年12月31号的最终日期之前完成，但是由于美国提出的有关安全的问题，工作被延搁了。