2007年VOA标准英语-Negotiators Say N. Korea to Dismantle Nuke Prog

By Daniel Schearf
Beijing
18 July 2007

The South Korean delegate to talks on denuclearizing North Korea says Pyongyang is prepared to declare and disable all its nuclear programs by the end of the year.  The chief U.S. negotiator, meanwhile, says the latest session of talks in Beijing was "open" and "substantive¹" and covered all topics, including the sensitive issue of North Korea's alleged² secret uranium enrichment program.  Daniel Schearf reports from the Chinese capital.

The South Korean delegate, Chun Young-woo, said Wednesday that North Korea is willing to reveal and disable all its nuclear facilities and materials by the end of this year.

Christopher Hill addresses reporters after lunch meeting in Beijing, 18 Jul 2007

None of the other delegates to the talks Wednesday confirmed Chun's statement.  But the reported concession³ is in line with a timeframe suggested by the United States, which would have North Korea give up all its nuclear materials sometime during 2008.
 
The chief U.S. negotiator, Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill, told reporters that the host of the talks, China, would announce Thursday an agreed "broad timeframe" for the declaration and dismantlement⁴. 

Hill, as usual, was also realistic about how quickly events might actually move.
 
"We do have a pretty good framework," Hill said.  "We, I think, have a very good agenda.  I believe we're making progress on this.  But, I'm very mindful of the fact that every time we go to a next stage, you come into further complications, and bumps in the road can turn out to be very difficult to overcome."
 
One potential bump in the road is the U.S. allegation that North Korea is conducting a secret uranium enrichment program, alongside its declared plutonium program.  Both enriched uranium and plutonium can be used as nuclear weapons fuel. North Korea has denied having the uranium program.
 
Hill said the discussion during the first of two scheduled days of talks did not avoid any topics, no matter how sensitive, including the alleged uranium program.
 
"It's just one of those elements we raise all the time…It's part of the issue of the declaration, because we can't have a declaration that's partial," Hill said.
 
Hill said there was no need for North Korea to make full disclosure of its nuclear programs before the foreign ministers of the six parties to the talks meet sometime later this year.  Japan and Russia are also taking part in the talks.

Hill said a date for a foreign ministers' meeting would be discussed at Thursday's session.

This latest round of talks, the first since February, began with new momentum⁵. The head of the United Nations nuclear monitoring agency confirmed Wednesday that Pyongyang has shut down its main nuclear reactor⁶, as well as four other nuclear facilities.
 
At the February session of talks, North Korea agreed in principle to give up all its nuclear programs in exchange for food and energy aid, security guarantees, and an end to its diplomatic isolation⁷. It is expected that Pyongyang will also make new demands in return for abandoning its nuclear programs altogether.

1 substantive   

adj.表示实在的；本质的、实质性的；独立的；n.实词，实名词；独立存在的实体

参考例句：

• They plan to meet again in Rome very soon to begin substantive negotiations.他们计划不久在罗马再次会晤以开始实质性的谈判。
• A president needs substantive advice,but he also requires emotional succor. 一个总统需要实质性的建议，但也需要感情上的支持。

2 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

3 concession   

n.让步，妥协；特许(权)

参考例句：

• We can not make heavy concession to the matter.我们在这个问题上不能过于让步。
• That is a great concession.这是很大的让步。

4 dismantlement   

拆卸，拆除的行动或状态

参考例句：

• All construction, dismantlement and reinstatement works shall be completed before May2006. 所有建造、卸及修复工程均须在二零零六年五月前完成。
• The law stipulates modes for company merger, dismantlement, bankruptcy, dissolution and liquidation. 该法规定了公司合并、分立、破产、解散和清算的方式。

5 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。

6 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。

7 isolation   

n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离

参考例句：

• The millionaire lived in complete isolation from the outside world.这位富翁过着与世隔绝的生活。
• He retired and lived in relative isolation.他退休后，生活比较孤寂。