VOA常速英语2008年-Japan Extends Economic Sanctions Against North

By Naomi Martig
Hong Kong
11 April 2008

Japan has extended economic sanctions against North Korea, citing the reclusive country's lack of progress on an international nuclear disarmament agreement. As Naomi Martig reports from Hong Kong, the extension of sanctions comes as six-party nuclear talks continue to stall.

Japan's economic sanctions against Pyongyang will remain in place for another six months. They were first imposed in October 2006 after North Korea infuriated the international community by testing a nuclear device. That same month it also test-fired a long-range missile.

Japan's top government spokesman, Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura, said North Korea has failed to fully¹ account for all of its nuclear activities, as stipulated² in an international agreement to end its nuclear program.

Machimura said the sanctions are meant to demonstrate Japan's resolve to seek a comprehensive resolution of the nuclear and missile issues.

He noted³ that Tokyo is prepared to end part or all of the sanctions if North Korea takes action to resolve those issues, and settle a long-standing abduction dispute that has prevented the two from forging diplomatic relations for decades.

The six party talks on resolving the North Korea nuclear dispute has made progress, but the discussions have stalled pending⁴ North Korea's full accounting⁵ of its nuclear activities, including the plutonium that was used to power its first nuclear test blast in 2006.

Pyongyang has received energy and economic aid in return for complying with disarmament steps, but has not yet complied with a declaration agreement that was due at the end of 2007.

Tomohito Shinoda is a professor of politics at the International University of Japan. He says Japan is especially sensitive to the threat of North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile program because it is so close to its militaristic neighbor.

"Many Japanese experts believe that their nuclear weapons could be targeted to American forces in Japan," he said.

In 1998, North Korea shocked the world by launching a long-range ballistic missile that flew over Japan before falling into the ocean. The United States and Japan have been working since then to strengthen Japan's defense⁶ mechanisms⁷ in case of an attack by North Korea.

A lack of progress on resolving the abduction dispute between North Korea and Japan is another reason why Tokyo is extending the sanctions. Machimura reiterated⁸ that Japan would not establish diplomatic relations until the issue is resolved.

North Korea admitted in 2002 that it kidnapped 13 Japanese nationals in the 1970's and 80's to train its spies. Five have returned to Japan, and Pyongyang says the other eight are dead. Japan says North Korea must provide more information about its citizens, and says others may have been kidnapped, but Pyongyang considers the case closed.

1 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。

2 stipulated   

vt.& vi.规定；约定adj.[法]合同规定的

参考例句：

• A delivery date is stipulated in the contract. 合同中规定了交货日期。
• Yes, I think that's what we stipulated. 对呀，我想那是我们所订定的。 来自辞典例句

3 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。

4 pending   

prep.直到，等待…期间；adj.待定的；迫近的

参考例句：

• The lawsuit is still pending in the state court.这案子仍在州法庭等待定夺。
• He knew my examination was pending.他知道我就要考试了。

5 accounting   

n.会计，会计学，借贷对照表

参考例句：

• A job fell vacant in the accounting department.财会部出现了一个空缺。
• There's an accounting error in this entry.这笔账目里有差错。

6 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

7 mechanisms   

n.机械( mechanism的名词复数 )；机械装置；[生物学] 机制；机械作用

参考例句：

• The research will provide direct insight into molecular mechanisms. 这项研究将使人能够直接地了解分子的机理。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He explained how the two mechanisms worked. 他解释这两台机械装置是如何工作的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 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。