VOA慢速英语 2007 1006

This is IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.

The leaders of North and South Korea met this week. It was the first such meeting in seven years, and only the second since Korea was divided in nineteen fifty-three.

 
South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun, left, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il after exchanging joint¹ declaration documents in Pyongyang
South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun and North Korea's Kim Jong Il ended three days of talks in Pyongyang on Thursday. They signed a joint declaration to support peace and economic growth on the Korean peninsula.

It says the South and the North will closely cooperate to end military hostilities² and ease tensions. The two Koreas have been increasingly cooperative, but technically³ they are still at war.

The North invaded the South in nineteen fifty. A truce⁴ halted military action three years later. But it was never replaced with an official peace treaty.

The two leaders agreed to push for a treaty to declare an end to the war. They called for a three- or four-party meeting to reach that goal. China and the United States also fought in the Korean War. The United States led United Nations forces in Korea.

The eight-point declaration also includes a promise by the South and the North to cooperate in efforts to settle the nuclear issue on the Korean peninsula. The two sides say they will work to smoothly⁵ put into effect a June declaration and a February agreement reached in six-nation talks.

South Korean officials confirmed this is the first time Kim Jong Il has personally signed a document relating to the effort to end his nuclear weapons programs.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon praised the agreement as an important step for improving peace and security on the Korean peninsula.

The Bush administration said the six-party talks will be an important part of efforts to change the relationship between North Korea and the world.

Earlier this week, North Korea agreed to disable its main nuclear centers and document all of its programs by the end of the year. The agreement came in the six-party talks with China, South Korea, Japan, Russia and the United States. They are offering North Korea financial, diplomatic, security and energy aid if it gives up its nuclear arms program.

The North and South Korean leaders also agreed to expand economic ties. The two countries have fought several naval⁶ clashes over a sea border established by the United Nations west of the Korean peninsula. The leaders called for the recognition of a common fishing area in an effort to reduce tensions.

Their declaration also calls for the two Koreas to begin transporting goods by rail between Munsan in the South and Bongdong in the North. And they will begin a project to increase foreign visitors to North Korea’s Mount Baekdu.

President Roh did not accept an invitation from Kim Jong Il to stay an extra day in Pyongyang. But they said they plan to meet again in the future, and their governments are to hold more talks next month. President Roh leaves office in February.

And that's IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English, written by Brianna Blake. I'm Steve Ember.

1 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

2 hostilities   

n.战争；敌意(hostility的复数)；敌对状态；战事

参考例句：

• Mexico called for an immediate cessation of hostilities. 墨西哥要求立即停止敌对行动。
• All the old hostilities resurfaced when they met again. 他们再次碰面时，过去的种种敌意又都冒了出来。

3 technically   

adv.专门地，技术上地

参考例句：

• Technically it is the most advanced equipment ever.从技术上说，这是最先进的设备。
• The tomato is technically a fruit,although it is eaten as a vegetable.严格地说，西红柿是一种水果，尽管它是当作蔬菜吃的。

4 truce   

n.休战，(争执，烦恼等的)缓和；v.以停战结束

参考例句：

• The hot weather gave the old man a truce from rheumatism.热天使这位老人暂时免受风湿病之苦。
• She had thought of flying out to breathe the fresh air in an interval of truce.她想跑出去呼吸一下休战期间的新鲜空气。

5 smoothly   

adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地

参考例句：

• The workmen are very cooperative,so the work goes on smoothly.工人们十分合作，所以工作进展顺利。
• Just change one or two words and the sentence will read smoothly.这句话只要动一两个字就顺了。

6 naval   

adj.海军的，军舰的，船的

参考例句：

• He took part in a great naval battle.他参加了一次大海战。
• The harbour is an important naval base.该港是一个重要的海军基地。