2006年VOA标准英语-No Agreement in Japan-South Korea Maritime Talk

By Steve Herman
Tokyo
13 June 2006
 

South Korean fishing boats around Dokdo islets, known as 'Takeshima' in Japan  
  
No progress was made during the first talks in six years between Japan and South Korea concerning a disputed maritime¹ boundary. 

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Two days of talks in Tokyo between South Korea and Japan have ended with no progress, only an agreement to meet again in September to discuss their territorial² dispute.

The two Asian neighbors discussed their differences about where to draw the maritime boundaries for their exclusive economic zones.

The talks held at the Japanese Foreign Ministry³ Monday and Tuesday were the first formal discussions between Tokyo and Seoul on the issue in six years.

At the heart of the issue are tiny islands and reefs South Korea has controlled since the early 1950s, which Japan also claims. The disputed islands, known as Dokdo in Korean and Takeshima in Japanese, total less than one-quarter square kilometer. But the surrounding waters are rich in marine⁴ resources, including fish and potential gas reserves.

Japan's Fisheries Minister Shoichi Nakagawa says South Korea must act responsibly.

Nakagawa says South Korea has to take into consideration the precious natural resources in the disputed waters and negotiate in line with international protocol⁵.

Tensions over the area flared⁶ in April, when Japan's Coast Guard announced it was going to conduct a survey in the disputed waters. That was a response to Seoul's decision to have an international body switch the names of some underwater features in the region from Japanese to the Korean language.

A last-minute deal for both countries to back down averted⁷ a clash at sea.

South Korea and Japan agreed in 1999 to allow fishermen from both countries to work in the disputed waters

1 maritime   

adj.海的，海事的，航海的，近海的，沿海的

参考例句：

• Many maritime people are fishermen.许多居于海滨的人是渔夫。
• The temperature change in winter is less in maritime areas.冬季沿海的温差较小。

2 territorial   

adj.领土的，领地的

参考例句：

• The country is fighting to preserve its territorial integrity.该国在为保持领土的完整而进行斗争。
• They were not allowed to fish in our territorial waters.不允许他们在我国领海捕鱼。

3 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。

4 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

5 protocol   

n.议定书，草约，会谈记录，外交礼节

参考例句：

• We must observe the correct protocol.我们必须遵守应有的礼仪。
• The statesmen signed a protocol.那些政治家签了议定书。

6 Flared   

adj. 端部张开的, 爆发的, 加宽的, 漏斗式的 动词flare的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The match flared and went out. 火柴闪亮了一下就熄了。
• The fire flared up when we thought it was out. 我们以为火已经熄灭，但它突然又燃烧起来。

7 averted   

防止，避免( avert的过去式和过去分词 )； 转移

参考例句：

• A disaster was narrowly averted. 及时防止了一场灾难。
• Thanks to her skilful handling of the affair, the problem was averted. 多亏她对事情处理得巧妙，才避免了麻烦。