2007年VOA标准英语-US, South Korea Make Free Trade Progress, Sensi

By Kurt Achin
Seoul
12 March 2007

South Korean and U.S. negotiators have concluded their final round of formal talks aimed at a free trade deal. Although they say a deal is close, some of the most sensitive issues remain to be worked out in informal meetings, which may require the intervention² of higher-level officials on both sides. VOA's Kurt Achin reports from Seoul.

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Wendy Cutler, left, and her counterpart Kim Jong-hoon following talks in Seoul, 12 Mar. 2007

U.S. senior trade negotiator Wendy Cutler told reporters in Seoul Monday that four days of intensive talks aimed at a free trade deal with South Korea have made "significant headway.

"The United States remains³ committed to completing this agreement by the end of March," she said, "and the unprecedented⁴ progress we've made here this week in our eighth and final round gives me increasing confidence that we can do this."

The Free Trade Agreement, or FTA, could add tens-of-billions of dollars to the already robust⁵ U.S.- South Korea trade relationship by making it easier for the two countries to buy and sell each other's goods.

However, chief South Korean negotiator Kim Jong-hoon agreed with Cutler Monday that sensitive issues still require hard work and attention.

Kim says automobiles⁶ and marine⁷ products are among the items, which still require negotiation⁸.

The United States exported about five-thousand automobiles to South Korea in 2005, while U.S. consumers bought more than 700-thousand South Korean cars.

Agriculture, especially rice, is also a highly sensitive issue in the talks, symbolizing⁹ what many South Koreans perceive as the danger of far larger U.S. industries overwhelming smaller Korean ones.

Wendy Cutler says she and Ambassador Kim will meet again in Washington next week to discuss the most sensitive issues.

"I think it's safe to say that, no matter how hard we work, that there will be, even after our work in Washington next week, a handful of issues that need to be elevated above the chief negotiator's level," she said.

Cutler says senior U.S. envoy¹⁰ Richard Crowder will visit Seoul next week to seek more progress on the agriculture issue, as well as on South Korean imports of U.S. beef.

South Korea agreed last year to resume U.S. beef imports, which were suspended after a U.S. cow was found to have mad cow disease in 2003. However, all shipments this year have so far been rejected, after South Korean inspectors¹¹ found small bone chips they say pose a danger. U.S. officials say American beef is safe, and the World Organization for Animal Health said this week U.S. producers have controlled the threat of mad cow disease.

U.S. and South Korean negotiators are working on a tight timeline. The Bush administration must submit any proposed deal to Congress by April 2, in order for it to come to a simple yes-or-no vote. After that deadline, Congress may seek to amend¹² a deal, greatly reducing chances of passage.

1 mar   

vt.破坏，毁坏，弄糟

参考例句：

• It was not the custom for elderly people to mar the picnics with their presence.大人们照例不参加这样的野餐以免扫兴。
• Such a marriage might mar your career.这样的婚姻说不定会毁了你的一生。

2 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。

3 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

4 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

5 robust   

adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的

参考例句：

• She is too tall and robust.她个子太高，身体太壮。
• China wants to keep growth robust to reduce poverty and avoid job losses,AP commented.美联社评论道，中国希望保持经济强势增长，以减少贫困和失业状况。

6 automobiles   

n.汽车( automobile的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• When automobiles become popular,the use of the horse and buggy passed away. 汽车普及后，就不再使用马和马车了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Automobiles speed in an endless stream along the boulevard. 宽阔的林荫道上，汽车川流不息。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

7 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。

8 negotiation   

n.谈判，协商

参考例句：

• They closed the deal in sugar after a week of negotiation.经过一星期的谈判，他们的食糖生意成交了。
• The negotiation dragged on until July.谈判一直拖到7月份。

9 symbolizing   

v.象征，作为…的象征( symbolize的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• This symbol later evolved into a common hieroglyphic symbolizing victory. 这幕场景后来逐渐演化为象征胜利的普通象形文字。 来自时文部分
• Mooncakes reunion, is symbolizing the Mid-Autumn festival will feed. 月饼象征着团圆，是中秋佳节必食之品。 来自互联网

10 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。

11 inspectors   

n.检查员( inspector的名词复数 )；（英国公共汽车或火车上的）查票员；（警察）巡官；检阅官

参考例句：

• They got into the school in the guise of inspectors. 他们假装成视察员进了学校。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Inspectors checked that there was adequate ventilation. 检查员已检查过，通风良好。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 amend   

vt.修改，修订，改进；n.[pl.]赔罪，赔偿

参考例句：

• The teacher advised him to amend his way of living.老师劝他改变生活方式。
• You must amend your pronunciation.你必须改正你的发音。