2006年VOA标准英语-Pyongyang Cancels North-South Family Reunions

By Kurt Achin
Seoul
19 July 2006

In a retaliatory¹ swipe over South Korea's punitive² measures against Pyongyang, North Korea has canceled reunions scheduled for next month between families separated since the 1950s Korean War.  The move is the latest blow to inter-Korean cooperation since Pyongyang test-fired a series of missiles two weeks ago.

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S. Korean Choi Gye-wol, left, in a bus bids farewell to her grandson Kim Chol Bong before she returns  home after Separated Family Reunion meeting at Diamond Mountain in N. Korea (File photo - June 30, 2006)  
  
North Korea followed through on its earlier warning that South Korea "would pay" for suspending aid shipments to the North in response to Pyongyang's missile launches.

Pyongyang has canceled video reunions between separated families in the two Koreas, which were scheduled for next month. The announcement was broadcast on North Korean television.

The announcer says humanitarian³ issues "have ceased to exist" between North and South, because Seoul is using humanitarian aid for "impure⁴ purposes." Under those circumstances, he says the North views reunions of separated families as impossible.

Millions of families were split by the three-year Korean War, which ended in 1953, and have been barred from crossing the armed border dividing the two countries. Limited reunions, mainly for elderly Koreans, have been the centerpiece of attempts to thaw⁵ relations between the two countries, which technically⁶ remain at war.

But the North-South relationship took a turn for the worse after Pyongyang defied South Korean warnings and on July 5 tested several missiles. Besides freezing food and fertilizer aid to the impoverished⁷ North, South Korea rejected military talks with Pyongyang, and backed a U.N. resolution condemning⁸ the launches. North Korea describes the South's actions as "anti-humanitarian and anti-national."

Kim Young-guan, the head of an advocacy group for separated families here in Seoul, says he is not very surprised by the announcement.

He says North Korea has always used the family reunions as a tool to extract food and other material concessions⁹ from South Korea.

South Korea shows no sign of softening¹⁰ its response over the North Korean missile tests.

Officials in the South say Pyongyang can improve its situation by not testing any more missiles, and by returning quickly to six-nation talks aimed at ending its nuclear weapons programs.

South Korea and the United States say they would be willing to meet in a five-nation format¹¹ with Russia, China, and Japan, rather than let North Korea's boycott¹² keep the talks on indefinite hold. 

Pyongyang has refused to return to the talks since last September, saying first the United States should lift sanctions imposed against North Korean businesses for alleged¹³ money laundering¹⁴. Washington says the sanctions are legal matters separate from the North's unfulfilled pledge to end its nuclear programs.

1 retaliatory   

adj.报复的

参考例句：

• The process can take years before the WTO approves retaliatory action. 在WTO通过此行动之前，这个程序恐怕要等上一阵子了。 来自互联网
• Retaliatory tariffs on China are tantamount to taxing ourselves as a punishment. 将惩罚性关税强加于中国相当于对我们自己实施课税惩罚。 来自互联网

2 punitive   

adj.惩罚的，刑罚的

参考例句：

• They took punitive measures against the whole gang.他们对整帮人采取惩罚性措施。
• The punitive tariff was imposed to discourage tire imports from China.该惩罚性关税的征收是用以限制中国轮胎进口的措施。

3 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

4 impure   

adj.不纯净的，不洁的；不道德的，下流的

参考例句：

• The air of a big city is often impure.大城市的空气往往是污浊的。
• Impure drinking water is a cause of disease.不洁的饮用水是引发疾病的一个原因。

5 thaw   

v.（使）融化，（使）变得友善；n.融化，缓和

参考例句：

• The snow is beginning to thaw.雪已开始融化。
• The spring thaw caused heavy flooding.春天解冻引起了洪水泛滥。

6 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。

7 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》

8 condemning   

v.（通常因道义上的原因而）谴责( condemn的现在分词 )；宣判；宣布…不能使用；迫使…陷于不幸的境地

参考例句：

• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。
• I concur with the speaker in condemning what has been done. 我同意发言者对所做的事加以谴责。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

9 concessions   

n.（尤指由政府或雇主给予的）特许权( concession的名词复数 )；承认；减价；（在某地的）特许经营权

参考例句：

• The firm will be forced to make concessions if it wants to avoid a strike. 要想避免罢工，公司将不得不作出一些让步。
• The concessions did little to placate the students. 让步根本未能平息学生的愤怒。

10 softening   

变软，软化

参考例句：

• Her eyes, softening, caressed his face. 她的眼光变得很温柔了。它们不住地爱抚他的脸。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）
• He might think my brain was softening or something of the kind. 他也许会觉得我婆婆妈妈的，已经成了个软心肠的人了。

11 format   

n.设计，版式；[计算机]格式，DOS命令:格式化(磁盘)，用于空盘或使用过的磁盘建立新空盘来存储数据；v.使格式化，设计，安排

参考例句：

• Please format this floppy disc.请将这张软盘格式化。
• The format of the figure is very tasteful.该图表的格式很雅致。

12 boycott   

n./v.(联合)抵制，拒绝参与

参考例句：

• We put the production under a boycott.我们联合抵制该商品。
• The boycott lasts a year until the Victoria board permitsreturn.这个抗争持续了一年直到维多利亚教育局妥协为止。

13 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

14 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》