2006年VOA标准英语-North Korea Conditionally Returns To Nuclear Ta

By VOA News
01 November 2006
 
watch North Korea Nuclear Talks

North Korea has confirmed that it will return to multilateral talks on its nuclear program -- as long as the issue of lifting U.S. financial sanctions will be discussed during the negotiations¹.

A statement from North Korea's foreign ministry² Wednesday said Pyongyang hopes to resolve the sanctions issue with the U.S. "within the framework of the six-party talks."

North Korea has boycotted³ the nuclear talks for the past year to protest the sanctions, which include a freeze on its accounts in a Macau bank. The restrictions⁴ aim to punish the reclusive government of Kim Jong-Il for alleged⁵ counterfeiting⁶ and money laundering⁷.

Pyongyang's decision to restart the six-nation talks was announced Tuesday following an informal meeting in Beijing between North Korea, the U.S. and China.

President Bush praised the development but said he will work to ensure that U.N. sanctions imposed on North Korea after its October ninth nuclear test continue to be enforced.

In the past, Washington has said its financial sanctions are a separate issue from the nuclear negotiations. But Christopher Hill, the top U.S. envoy⁸ on North Korean affairs, said Tuesday that the U.S. has agreed to discuss this point of contention⁹ at the upcoming meeting.

Hill also said the talks will focus on the September 2005 agreement in which North Korea pledged to abandon its nuclear program in exchange for aid and security guarantees.

The assistant U.S. secretary of state said the talks between North and South Korea, the U.S., China, Russia and Japan will resume later this month, or in December.

South Korea and Russia have praised the diplomatic breakthrough. Japan also has welcomed the move, but says it will not accept North Korea's return to the talks on the premise¹⁰ that it possess nuclear weapons.

Some information for this report provided by AP, AFP and Reuters

1 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。

2 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。

3 boycotted   

抵制，拒绝参加( boycott的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Athletes from several countries boycotted the Olympic Games. 有好几国的运动员抵制奥林匹克运动会。
• The opposition party earlier boycotted the Diet agenda, demanding Miyaji's resignation. 反对党曾杯葛国会议程，要宫路下台。

4 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

5 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

6 counterfeiting   

n.伪造v.仿制，造假( counterfeit的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He was sent to prison for counterfeiting five-dollar bills. 他因伪造5美元的钞票被捕入狱。 来自辞典例句
• National bureau released securities, certificates with security anti-counterfeiting paper technical standards. 国家质量技术监督局发布了证券、证件用安全性防伪纸张技术标准。 来自互联网

7 laundering   

n.洗涤（衣等），洗烫（衣等）；洗（钱）v.洗（衣服等），洗烫（衣服等）( launder的现在分词 )；洗（黑钱）（把非法收入改头换面，变为貌似合法的收入）

参考例句：

• Separate the white clothes from the dark clothes before laundering. 洗衣前应当把浅色衣服和深色衣服分开。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He was charged with laundering money. 他被指控洗钱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

9 contention   

n.争论，争辩，论战；论点，主张

参考例句：

• The pay increase is the key point of contention. 加薪是争论的焦点。
• The real bone of contention,as you know,is money.你知道，争论的真正焦点是钱的问题。

10 premise   

n.前提；v.提论，预述

参考例句：

• Let me premise my argument with a bit of history.让我引述一些史实作为我立论的前提。
• We can deduce a conclusion from the premise.我们可以从这个前提推出结论。