VOA常速英语2008年-US Urges North Korea to Account for All Nuclear

By Deborah Tate
Capitol Hill
06 February 2008

A key U.S. State Department official has renewed his call to North Korea to account for all its nuclear activities.   U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill issued his appeal as he briefed members of Congress on the status of international efforts aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear efforts, as VOA's Deborah Tate reports from Capitol Hill.

Assistant Secretary Hill told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that progress has been made on disabling North Korea's atomic facilities at Yongbyon.

But he says Pyongyang has yet to account for its nuclear programs.

"We are very aware that they have made many purchases that are entirely¹ consistent with the development of a highly enriched uranium program," he said.

Under an agreement with the United States, South Korea, China, Japan, and Russia, North Korea committed to abandon all nuclear weapons and nuclear programs in exchange for diplomatic and economic incentives².  Pyongyang was to have provided a complete list of nuclear programs by last December 31, but failed to meet the deadline.

Ambassador Hill said it is not too late for North Korea to account for its nuclear effort.

"If it is terminated, we need to know when it was terminated," he added.  "If it continues, we need to ensure that it is terminated."

Hill's comments come a day after the Director of National Intelligence, Mike McConnell, questioned North Korean's commitment to the six-party denuclearization process, and said the U.S. intelligence community believes that country continues to work on a uranium enrichment program.

Ambassador Hill said he believes progress can still be made on the denuclearization issue.  He reiterated³ that if North Korea produces the declaration of its nuclear programs and fully⁴ disables Yongbyon, the United States is prepared to offer several incentives, including the normalization⁵ of diplomatic ties, which would remove North Korea from its list of state sponsors of terrorism.

"In the context of full denuclearization, we would be prepared to establish full diplomatic relations," he added.

One key lawmaker noted⁶ that the Bush administration already has begun consultations⁷ with Congress in preparation for the possible removal of North Korea from the list of state sponsors of terror and eliminating the designation of that country under the Trading with the Enemy Act.

Senator Richard Lugar of Indiana, the top Republican on the committee, suggested the move is a bit premature⁸.

"It is not prudent⁹ for the Bush administration to proceed with these two steps when North Korea failed to provide a complete and thorough declaration of its nuclear program by the year 2007, as earlier agreed," he said.

In the meantime, Senator Lugar and the committee's chairman, Senator Joe Biden of Delaware, have sponsored legislation that would authorize¹⁰ the Departments of Energy and State to provide assistance to North Korea for its nuclear disablement activities.

The United States is prohibited under a 1994 law known as the Glenn Amendment¹¹ from providing nonhumanitarian assistance to states that have detonated a nuclear weapon and are not signatories to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.  North Korea tested a device in October 2006.

1 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

2 incentives   

激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 )； 刺激； 诱因； 动机

参考例句：

• tax incentives to encourage savings 鼓励储蓄的税收措施
• Furthermore, subsidies provide incentives only for investments in equipment. 更有甚者，提供津贴仅是为鼓励增添设备的投资。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

3 reiterated   

反复地说，重申( reiterate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• "Well, I want to know about it,'she reiterated. “嗯，我一定要知道你的休假日期，"她重复说。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Some twenty-two years later President Polk reiterated and elaborated upon these principles. 大约二十二年之后，波尔克总统重申这些原则并且刻意阐释一番。

4 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

5 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。

6 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

7 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》

8 premature   

adj.比预期时间早的；不成熟的，仓促的

参考例句：

• It is yet premature to predict the possible outcome of the dialogue.预言这次对话可能有什么结果为时尚早。
• The premature baby is doing well.那个早产的婴儿很健康。

9 prudent   

adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的

参考例句：

• A prudent traveller never disparages his own country.聪明的旅行者从不贬低自己的国家。
• You must school yourself to be modest and prudent.你要学会谦虚谨慎。

10 authorize   

v.授权，委任；批准，认可

参考例句：

• He said that he needed to get his supervisor to authorize my refund.他说必须让主管人员批准我的退款。
• Only the President could authorize the use of the atomic bomb.只有总统才能授权使用原子弹。

11 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。