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　　U.S officials say the Bush administration is nearing a decision on providing new food aid to North Korea. U.S.-North Korean talks on the issue, separate from discussions on Pyongyang's nuclear program, have made progress.
美国官员说，布什政府即将就向北韩提供新粮食援助的问题做出决定。两国在这个问题上的谈判取得了进展。提供新粮食援助的谈判和有关平壤核问题的谈判是分开的。
State Department officials say the United States and North Korea are "on the verge¹" of finalizing² an agreement governing the distribution of food aid to that country, and that an announcement of a new U.S. aid commitment is imminent³.
国务院官员说，美国和北韩在向北韩运送粮食援助的问题上“即将”达成协议，美国将很快宣布对北韩援助的承诺。
Despite political differences with Pyongyang, the United States has been the biggest single provider of food aid to North Korea.
尽管美国同北韩存在政治分歧，美国一直是向北韩提供粮食援助最多的一个国家。
It provided hundreds of millions of dollars worth of food to the communist state beginning with the country's flood-related famine in the mid-1990s.
自从北韩1990年代因洪水开始闹饥荒以来，美国已经向这个共产党国家提供了价值数亿美元的粮食。
But the aid diminished amid U.S. concerns about diversion of food to the country's military and political elite⁴ and none has been provided since 2005.
但是，因为美国担心给北韩的粮食援助都让军队和北韩政治精英所享用，因此美国对北韩的粮食援助逐渐减少，并且从2005年中断了粮食援助。
At a news briefing, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said a U.S. aid team that went to North Korea earlier this month had a good set of talks on the distribution issue, and that administration officials are now working on a specific aid plan.
国务院发言人麦科马克在新闻记者会上说，本月早些时候访问北韩的一个美国援助小组就粮食分发问题同北韩方面举行了一系列很好的会谈，目前政府官员正在制定一个具体的援助方案。
"The team that went to North Korea had some good conversations about what North Korea believed it needs in terms of humanitarian⁶ assistance, and how we might go about improving the monitoring mechanism⁷ for the distribution of that food, that was really the biggest hang-up that we had in the past," McCormack said. "We have to a large degree been able to come up with what we believe could be a better monitoring mechanism."
他说：“访问北韩的援助小组就北韩在人道主义援助方面的具体需要同对方进行了良好的会谈，会谈还涉及到我们将如何改善对粮食发放的监督机制。这才是我们过去的最大障碍。在很大程度上，我们能够提出我们认为是更好的监督机制。”
McCormack would not confirm a Financial Times report Tuesday that the Bush administration will provide 500,000 tons of food aid, to be distributed by the U.N.'s World Food Program and other non-governmental organizations.
麦科马克不愿证实金融时报星期二发表的一篇报导。报导说，布什政府将向北韩提供50万吨粮食援助，由联合国世界粮食计划署和其它非政府组织分发。
A senior official who spoke⁵ to reporters on terms of anonymity⁸ said an aid announcement could come as early as Wednesday.
一位不愿透露姓名的高级官员对记者们说，有关粮食援助的决定最快将于星期三对外宣布。
The Bush administration has said decisions on food aid to North Korea are separate from the six-party negotiations⁹ on the country's nuclear program and based on its actual needs, competing needs elsewhere, and the ability to monitor distribution.
布什政府说，对北韩提供粮食援助的决定跟有关北韩核项目的六方会谈是两码事。提供粮食援助是基于北韩的实际需要、其它地方与之竞争的需要，以及监督粮食的分发能力。
White House Press Secretary Dana Perino said Tuesday President Bush believes North Korea has diverted food aid to its military, but that he has deep concern about hunger in that country, especially among school-age children.
白宫发言人佩里诺说，布什总统认为北韩将粮食援助分发给北韩军队，但是他对忍受饥饿的北韩人民，特别是学龄儿童，深表关切。
The World Food Program said last month North Korea faces its worst food shortage in several years caused by flooding and a poor harvest in 2007 - and complicated by this year's big run-up in commodity prices.
世界粮食计划署说，北韩2007年的洪灾和粮食欠收，导致北韩上个月出现了几年来最严重的粮食短缺。再加上今年商品价格的飙升，更使北韩雪上加霜。