亚洲—北朝鲜表示出重返核会谈意愿

North Korea Indicates Willingness to Return to Nuke Talks

北朝鲜表示出重返核会谈意愿

 

Efforts to bring North Korea back to negotiations² over its nuclear weapons seem to have taken a tentative step forward. South Korean officials are not entirely³ convinced a new meeting will be held soon, and Pyongyang itself is vague on the matter.

 

The United States says that North Korea expressed willingness to return to talks about its nuclear weapons programs at a meeting earlier this week in New York.

 

However, Kim Sung-chul at the South Korean Foreign Ministry⁴ on Wednesday downplayed hopes of talks, saying there is no sign that Pyongyang is departing from its previous position.

 

Kim Sung-chul: That they are interested in the six party talks and they haven't indicated any specific dates for the resumption, or anything like that.

 

And North Korea itself indicated that talks might not come soon. On Wednesday, an official North Korean news broadcast said that Pyongyang's return to the talks depended on the U.S. response to "our demand of creating conditions and an environment for the resumption of the talks."

 

Although the report did not specify⁵ those conditions, in the past Pyongyang has said it would not negotiate unless Washington changes what North Korea considers a hostile attitude. Pyongyang also demands economic aid and security guarantees in return for freezing its nuclear programs.

 

North Korea has met three times with Russia, China, the United States, South Korea and Japan to discuss ending its nuclear programs. But, for a year, it has refused to attend a fourth round. Pyongyang says it has nuclear weapons and will build more, but has never conducted a nuclear test.

 

Bruce Bennett, a researcher with the U.S. defense⁶ consulting firm RAND, believes North Korea's stalling probably is strategic. Speaking from Pyongyang's point of view, he says delay strengthens its position.

 

Mr. Bennett: Because I'm [Pyongyang] gaining strength. I'm making more weapons, I'm gaining position within the community, people are starting to believe more that I've got nuclear weapons, and I'm empowered.

 

South Korea is expending⁷ considerable effort to bring its communist neighbor back to the talks.

 

On Friday, South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun visits the White House to meet with President Bush. The two are expected to recommit to a peaceful solution to the North Korean nuclear issue and to discuss ways of presenting a united front in dealing⁸ with it.

 

Later this month, delegates from North Korea arrive in Seoul for cabinet-level talks expected to focus on bringing Pyongyang back to the table.

 

Chun Chae-Sung, an international security professor at Seoul National University, says the stakes for Seoul are very high.

 

Chun Chae-Sung: If the fourth round [of nuclear talks] fails, then we might not have any leverage⁹. That makes us very desperate, which makes us search for a solution more desperately¹⁰ with the United States.

 

South Korea and the United States have set no formal deadline for the North to return to talks, but they have also said that waiting for Pyongyang's decision cannot go on indefinitely.

 

Washington has indicated it might refer the matter to the United Nations, and seek sanctions against the North for violating its past promises to not possess nuclear weapons. However, South Korea is reluctant to push for sanctions, fearful of doing anything that destabilizes the impoverished¹¹ North.

 

Kurt Achin, VOA news, Seoul.

 

注释：

negotiation¹ [ni7^EuFi5eiFEn] n. 谈判

tentative [5tentEtiv] adj. 尝试的，试探的

vague [vei^] adj. 含糊的，不明确的

downplay [5daunplei] vt. 对……轻描淡写

previous [5pri:vjEs] adj. 早先的

resumption [ri5zQmpFEn] n. （中断后）再继续

consulting [kEn5sQltiN] adj. 咨询的

considerable [kEn5sidErEbl] adj. 相当大（或多）的

cabinet [5kAbinit] n. 内阁

leverage [5li:vEridV] n. 优势

desperate [5despErit] adj. 绝望的，危险的

indefinitely [in5definitli] adv. 不确定地，无限期地

sanction [5sANkFEn] n. 认可

destabilize [di:5steibilaiz] vt. 使动摇

impoverished [im5pCvEriFt] adj. 穷困的

1 negotiation   

n.谈判，协商

参考例句：

• They closed the deal in sugar after a week of negotiation.经过一星期的谈判，他们的食糖生意成交了。
• The negotiation dragged on until July.谈判一直拖到7月份。

2 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

3 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

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 specify   

vt.指定，详细说明

参考例句：

• We should specify a time and a place for the meeting.我们应指定会议的时间和地点。
• Please specify what you will do.请你详述一下你将做什么。

6 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

7 expending   

v.花费( expend的现在分词 )；使用（钱等）做某事；用光；耗尽

参考例句：

• The heart pumps by expending and contracting of muscle. 心脏通过收缩肌肉抽取和放出（血液）。 来自互联网
• Criminal action is an action of expending cost and then producing profit. 刑事诉讼是一种需要支付成本、能够产生收益的活动。 来自互联网

8 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

9 leverage   

n.力量，影响；杠杆作用，杠杆的力量

参考例句：

• We'll have to use leverage to move this huge rock.我们不得不借助杠杆之力来移动这块巨石。
• He failed in the project because he could gain no leverage. 因为他没有影响力，他的计划失败了。

10 desperately   

adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地

参考例句：

• He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
• He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。

11 impoverished   

adj.穷困的，无力的，用尽了的v.使（某人）贫穷( impoverish的过去式和过去分词 )；使（某物）贫瘠或恶化

参考例句：

• the impoverished areas of the city 这个城市的贫民区
• They were impoverished by a prolonged spell of unemployment. 他们因长期失业而一贫如洗。 来自《简明英汉词典》