2007年VOA标准英语-US Says North Korea Disarmament Action This Yea

By David Gollust
Washington
23 July 2007

The U.S. envoy¹ to the six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear program says completing the next phase of the disarmament process is still feasible by year's end, even though talks in Beijing last week failed to produce a timetable for it. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian Affairs Christopher Hill says envoys² will convene³ again on the issue by early September. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department.

The failure of last week's round to produce a plan for North Korea to disclose all its nuclear holdings and permanently⁴ disable its nuclear reactor⁵ complex by the end of the year is widely reported to have been a setback⁶ to the six-party process.

Christopher Hill (file photo)

But Assistant Secretary Hill says it is "still very much feasible" that the plan can be achieved at the next envoys' meeting, clearing the way for an early ministerial-level six-party conference and the commencement of actual disarmament steps.

The Beijing talks last week followed the shutdown of North Korea's Yongbyon reactor complex and the beginning of international energy aid to the reclusive communist state in the form of heavy fuel oil.

The next phase of the process is to include the permanent disabling of Yongbyon and a declaration by North Korea of all its nuclear programs and holdings including weapons and fissile material.

Hill told reporters here the Beijing meetings were good and non-polemical, and that achieving the next steps by the end of this year is still within reach.

"Yes, it can be done if they want it to be done. I mean disabling activities are not a matter of months they are a matter of weeks. So if we have a time-frame where everything works, and where we have enough of the fuel oil shipments front-loaded in the guise⁷ of fuel oil equivalents, then I think it is reasonable," he said.

Between now and the September envoys meeting, working groups will meet to discuss specifics of disarmament, aid to North Korea, and related issues including eventual⁸ normal relations between the United States and North Korea. Under questioning, Hill made clear normalization⁹ is out of the question unless Pyongyang disarms¹⁰.

"Any effort to normalize our relationship really hits a brick wall over denuclearization. That is, we cannot, will not have a normal relationship with a nuclear North Korea. But if they fulfill¹¹ their promise to give up these programs, a lot of things indeed become very possible," he said.

Hill said unless Yongbyon is disabled and North Korea's nuclear holdings declared by year's end, it will be difficult to finish the disarmament deal by the end of 2008.

In return for giving up its nuclear arsenal¹², North Korea is to receive one million tons of fuel oil or in-kind assistance, as well as wide-ranging diplomatic benefits.

Over the weekend, North Korea said it also wanted a light-water nuclear power plant as compensation for shutting down its program. Hill however said any discussion of that would have to await the full implementation¹³ of the six-party accords of September 2005 and February of this year.

"It's contained very clearly in the September '05 statement. At an appropriate time we are prepared to discuss the subject of the provision of a light-water reactor. And we have explained that the appropriate time is when the DPRK gets out of this dirty nuclear business that they've been in and returns to the NPT [nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty]," he said.

Hill said that in lieu of heavy fuel oil, the energy starved country might get electricity from South Korea or help in refurbishing its conventional electric plants.

Along with the United States, North Korea and host China, the six-party process includes South Korea, Japan and Russia.

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 envoys   

使节( envoy的名词复数 )； 公使； 谈判代表； 使节身份

参考例句：

• the routine tit for tat when countries expel each other's envoys 国家相互驱逐对方使节这种惯常的报复行动
• Marco Polo's travelogue mentions that Kublai Khan sent envoys to Malgache. 马可波罗游记中提到忽必烈曾派使节到马尔加什。

3 convene   

v.集合，召集，召唤，聚集，集合

参考例句：

• The Diet will convene at 3p.m. tomorrow.国会将于明天下午三点钟开会。
• Senior officials convened in October 1991 in London.1991年10月，高级官员在伦敦会齐。

4 permanently   

adv.永恒地，永久地，固定不变地

参考例句：

• The accident left him permanently scarred.那次事故给他留下了永久的伤疤。
• The ship is now permanently moored on the Thames in London.该船现在永久地停泊在伦敦泰晤士河边。

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 setback   

n.退步，挫折，挫败

参考例句：

• Since that time there has never been any setback in his career.从那时起他在事业上一直没有遇到周折。
• She views every minor setback as a disaster.她把每个较小的挫折都看成重大灾难。

7 guise   

n.外表，伪装的姿态

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。
• The thief came into the house under the guise of a repairman.那小偷扮成个修理匠进了屋子。

8 eventual   

adj.最后的，结局的，最终的

参考例句：

• Several schools face eventual closure.几所学校面临最终关闭。
• Both parties expressed optimism about an eventual solution.双方对问题的最终解决都表示乐观。

9 normalization   

n.（normalisation）正常化，标准化

参考例句：

• The visit signalled the normalization of relations between the two countries.这次访问显示两国关系已经正常化。
• He was pleased to the normalization of relationship between the police and the people.他很高兴警方和人民之间关系的正常化。

10 disarms   

v.裁军( disarm的第三人称单数 )；使息怒

参考例句：

• He was that rarest of statesmen, one whose integrity disarms even his critics. 他为人正直，连批评他的人也佩服他三分，在当代政治家中实属罕见。 来自辞典例句
• Disarm: This ability now disarms ranged weapons as well. 缴械：这个技能现在同时可以缴械对方的远程武器。 来自互联网

11 fulfill   

vt.履行，实现，完成；满足，使满意

参考例句：

• If you make a promise you should fulfill it.如果你许诺了，你就要履行你的诺言。
• This company should be able to fulfill our requirements.这家公司应该能够满足我们的要求。

12 arsenal   

n.兵工厂，军械库

参考例句：

• Even the workers at the arsenal have got a secret organization.兵工厂工人暗中也有组织。
• We must be the great arsenal of democracy.我们必须成为民主的大军火库。

13 implementation   

n.实施，贯彻

参考例句：

• Implementation of the program is now well underway.这一项目的实施现在行情看好。