VOA常速英语2007-North Korean Leader Personally Greets South Kore

By Kurt Achin
Seoul
02 October 2007

South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun received a personal, and unscheduled, greeting from North Korean leader Kim Jong Il in the North Korean capital. VOA's Kurt Achin in Seoul has more on the start of their summit meeting.

North Koreans erupt into coordinated¹ cheers as their leader, Kim Jong Il, greeted South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun with a handshake Tuesday at a Pyongyang landmark².

South Korean authorities earlier had said that a personal welcome from Mr. Kim was not planned. South Korean reporters covering the summit learned of the change only about an hour before it took place.

The two leaders walked a red carpet in front of North Korean military officers and civilians³ waving flowers.

About two hours earlier, President Roh and his wife left their car to cross the border between the two countries by foot.

Mr. Roh said his footsteps would set a precedent⁴. He says more people will one day cross the border, just as he is doing, and the wall between North and South will fall.

Kim Jong Il's greeting of President Roh Tuesday was far more businesslike than in 2000, when he warmly embraced then-South Korean President Kim Dae-jung.

The two Koreas remain technically⁵ at war, 57 years after North Korea invaded the South. A 1953 armistice⁶ halted three years of fighting.

President Roh says seeking a more permanent peace mechanism⁷ for the Korean peninsula is his primary reason for this week's summit. He has said he does not expect to spend much time discussing international efforts to persuade North Korea to halt its nuclear weapons programs.

1 coordinated   

adj.协调的

参考例句：

• The sound has to be coordinated with the picture. 声音必须和画面协调一致。
• The numerous existing statutes are complicated and poorly coordinated. 目前繁多的法令既十分复杂又缺乏快调。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

2 landmark   

n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标

参考例句：

• The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history.俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。
• The tower was once a landmark for ships.这座塔曾是船只的陆标。

3 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

4 precedent   

n.先例，前例；惯例；adj.在前的，在先的

参考例句：

• Is there a precedent for what you want me to do?你要我做的事有前例可援吗？
• This is a wonderful achievement without precedent in Chinese history.这是中国历史上亘古未有的奇绩。

5 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。

6 armistice   

n.休战，停战协定

参考例句：

• The two nations signed an armistice.两国签署了停火协议。
• The Italian armistice is nothing but a clumsy trap.意大利的停战不过是一个笨拙的陷阱。

7 mechanism   

n.机械装置；机构，结构

参考例句：

• The bones and muscles are parts of the mechanism of the body.骨骼和肌肉是人体的组成部件。
• The mechanism of the machine is very complicated.这台机器的结构是非常复杂的。