英闻天下——473 World Reactions to Latest Nuke Moves by N. Korea

 　　The Yongbyon complex had been shut down under a previous agreement first crafted in late 2007.

 

　　The North's announcement to restart the facility came after it passed a law to consolidate¹ the country's status as a defensive² nuclear state.

 

　　The resumption of the reactor³ would allow the North to potentially extract plutonium from spent fuel rods for nuclear weapons production.

 

　　North Korea says the restart will help it deal with power shortages.

 

　　Chinese Foreign Ministry⁴ spokesperson Hong Lei.

 

　　"We have noticed the statement made by North Korea and feel regretful about it. China has constantly advocated denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula and maintaining peace and stability in the peninsula and northeast Asia."

 

　　Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon is pleading for calm following North Korea's announcement.

 

　　"It is also my responsibility to state that the current crisis has already gone too far. Nuclear threats are not a game. Aggressive rhetoric⁵ and military posturing⁶ only result in counter-actions, and fuel fear and instability."

 

　　Meanwhile, the US and South Korea say they remain on alert, but say they have yet to detect any unusual or aggressive movements.

 

　　Earlier, the Pentagon positioned a second guided-missile destroyer in the the waters off the Korean peninsula.

 

　　Pentagon spokesman George Little.

 

　　"On the Decatur and the McCain, they have arrived at predetermined positions in the western Pacific, where they will be poised⁷ to respond to any missile threats to our allies or our territory."

 

　　This comes after the US began introducing B-2 and F-22 stealth flights into its training programs currently being conducted with South Korea.

 

　　Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have reached new heights, after the North pronounced over the weekend that it's entered into a 'state of war' with the South.

 

　　For CRI, I'm Shen Chengcheng.

1 consolidate   

v.使加固，使加强；(把...)联为一体，合并

参考例句：

• The two banks will consolidate in July next year. 这两家银行明年7月将合并。
• The government hoped to consolidate ten states to form three new ones.政府希望把十个州合并成三个新的州。

2 defensive   

adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的

参考例句：

• Their questions about the money put her on the defensive.他们问到钱的问题，使她警觉起来。
• The Government hastily organized defensive measures against the raids.政府急忙布置了防卫措施抵御空袭。

3 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。

4 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

5 rhetoric   

n.修辞学，浮夸之言语

参考例句：

• Do you know something about rhetoric?你懂点修辞学吗？
• Behind all the rhetoric,his relations with the army are dangerously poised.在冠冕堂皇的言辞背后，他和军队的关系岌岌可危。

6 posturing   

做出某种姿势( posture的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• She was posturing a model. 她正在摆模特儿的姿势。
• She says the President may just be posturing. 她说总统也许只是在做样子而已。

7 poised   

a.摆好姿势不动的

参考例句：

• The hawk poised in mid-air ready to swoop. 老鹰在半空中盘旋，准备俯冲。
• Tina was tense, her hand poised over the telephone. 蒂娜心情紧张，手悬在电话机上。