2007年VOA标准英语-US Envoy Hopes to Make Up for Lost Time in N. K

By Kurt Achin
Seoul
19 June 2007

Christopher Hill, Washington's chief envoy¹ to the North Korean nuclear negotiations², says steps toward ending Pyongyang's nuclear weapons programs should be speeded up to compensate³ for lost time. VOA's Kurt Achin reports from Seoul.

South Korea's chief nuclear negotiator Chun Yung-Woo (R) along with US chief nuclear envoy Christopher Hill (L) answers a question in Seoul, 18 June 2007

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill says he expects North Korea to live up to a promise to start dismantling⁴ its nuclear programs within weeks, rather than months.

The North Koreans promised at six-nation talks in February to shut their main nuclear reactor⁵ in Yongbyon by mid-April. But millions of dollars due to be returned to Pyongyang as part of the deal were held up due to banking⁶ technicalities.

Now that the banking issue has been resolved, Hill is pressing the North Koreans to begin implementing⁷ their side of the deal immediately. He says a new round of six-party talks before the shutdown begins is neither likely nor necessary.

"Because the shutdown of the facilities is something we've already talked about a lot, and we don't want to have another meeting to talk about that. We all agree on what needs to happen," said Hill.

After months of agonizing⁸ delays, North Korea announced Saturday that resolution of the banking issues was in its final stages. It said it had invited inspectors⁹ of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations nuclear agency, to return the country to prepare the shutdown.

IAEA officials say their delegates will spend next week negotiating a set of procedures for shutting down the reactor, then seek approval for the plan at agency headquarters in Vienna.

A second visit by nuclear inspectors would then be scheduled quickly, for the purpose of carrying out the shutdown.

Hill was in Seoul Tuesday for talks with South Korean officials. Before departing for Tokyo, he said that he hoped to see "a considerably¹⁰ improved position" in the disarmament process "by the end of the calendar year."

1 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。

2 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

3 compensate   

vt.补偿，赔偿；酬报 vi.弥补；补偿；抵消

参考例句：

• She used her good looks to compensate her lack of intelligence. 她利用她漂亮的外表来弥补智力的不足。
• Nothing can compensate for the loss of one's health. 一个人失去了键康是不可弥补的。

4 dismantling   

（枪支）分解

参考例句：

• The new government set about dismantling their predecessors' legislation. 新政府正着手废除其前任所制定的法律。
• The dismantling of a nuclear reprocessing plant caused a leak of radioactivity yesterday. 昨天拆除核后处理工厂引起了放射物泄漏。

5 reactor   

n.反应器；反应堆

参考例句：

• The atomic reactor generates enormous amounts of thermal energy.原子反应堆发出大量的热能。
• Inside the reactor the large molecules are cracked into smaller molecules.在反应堆里，大分子裂变为小分子。

6 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。

7 implementing   

v.实现( implement的现在分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• -- Implementing a comprehensive drug control strategy. ――实行综合治理的禁毒战略。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• He was in no hurry about implementing his unshakable principle. 他并不急于实行他那不可动摇的原则。 来自辞典例句

8 agonizing   

adj.痛苦难忍的；使人苦恼的v.使极度痛苦；折磨(agonize的ing形式)

参考例句：

• I spent days agonizing over whether to take the job or not. 我用了好些天苦苦思考是否接受这个工作。
• his father's agonizing death 他父亲极度痛苦的死

9 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》

10 considerably   

adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上

参考例句：

• The economic situation has changed considerably.经济形势已发生了相当大的变化。
• The gap has narrowed considerably.分歧大大缩小了。