VOA常速英语2007年-US Experts Fly to North Korea to Oversee Disabl

By Daniel Schearf
Beijing
01 November 2007

A team of American nuclear experts has arrived in North Korea to begin disabling the country's main nuclear facility. North Korea appears on track to keep its promise to divulge¹ and disable all its nuclear facilities by the end of the year. Daniel Schearf reports from Beijing.

 

The director of the U.S. State Department's Office of Korean Affairs, Sung Kim, is the leader of the U.S. team of nine nuclear experts.

 

Before leaving Beijing Thursday, Kim told journalists his group would likely arrive at North Korea's main Yongbyon nuclear facility within the next couple of days. He says he hopes to start the disablement process early next week.

 

"I think it will be a combined effort, with some North Korean help and, of course, our experts supervising and coordinating," he said.

 

Kim's group is one of two teams that will do two to three week rotations² in North Korea. He says his team will begin disabling the three nuclear installations at Yongbyon, and the second team will arrive about two weeks from now to continue the work.

 

"There are various steps that we will be taking. Some involve removing of equipment, some involve cutting certain types of equipment," added Kim. "Our main focus is to get there and start the operation as soon as possible."

 

North Korea agreed with five other nations to declare and disable all its nuclear facilities and materials by the end of the year. In return, Pyongyang is to receive half a million tons of fuel oil, and other energy-related equipment equal to another half million tons.

 

The North has already received tens of thousands of tons of fuel since July, and is expected to receive about 50,000 tons a month until the promised aid is all delivered. The other parties to the agreement are the U.S., China, Russia, South Korea and Japan, although Japan is resisting giving any aid until a bilateral³ dispute between it and North Korea is settled.

 

The chief U.S. envoy⁴ to the talks, Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill, held consultations⁵ in Beijing this week with his North Korean counterpart, Kim Kye Kwan.

 

Hill said Thursday he was satisfied with the agreed plan, but emphasized that this was only one phase of North Korea's envisioned nuclear disarmament. He says North Korea still has to irreversibly dismantle⁶ all its nuclear facilities, and give up all its weaponized plutonium.

If North Korea keeps its pledge, it is also due to receive a variety of diplomatic concessions⁷.

 

Hill says he expects to receive North Korea's full list of its nuclear materials and facilities within about two weeks.

1 divulge   

v.泄漏(秘密等)；宣布，公布

参考例句：

• They refused to divulge where they had hidden the money.他们拒绝说出他们把钱藏在什么地方。
• He swore never to divulge the secret.他立誓决不泄露秘密。

2 rotations   

旋转( rotation的名词复数 )； 转动； 轮流； 轮换

参考例句：

• Farmers traditionally used long-term rotations of hay, pasture, and corn. 农民以往长期实行干草、牧草和玉米轮作。
• The crankshaft makes three rotations for each rotation of the rotor. 转子每转一周，曲轴转3周。

3 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。

4 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。

5 consultations   

n.磋商（会议）( consultation的名词复数 )；商讨会；协商会；查找

参考例句：

• Consultations can be arranged at other times by appointment. 磋商可以通过预约安排在其他时间。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Consultations are under way. 正在进行磋商。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

6 dismantle   

vt.拆开，拆卸；废除，取消

参考例句：

• He asked for immediate help from the United States to dismantle the warheads.他请求美国立即提供援助，拆除这批弹头。
• The mower firmly refused to mow,so I decided to dismantle it.修完后割草机还是纹丝不动，于是，我决定把它拆开。

7 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。