VOA标准英语2008年-South Korean Politicians Demand Apology for Ame

By Kurt Achin
Seoul
04 June 2008

The leader of South Korea's main political opposition¹ party is accusing the United States ambassador in Seoul of insulting Koreans. The comments in question relate to an emotionally electrified² controversy³ over resuming American beef imports. VOA's Kurt Achin reports from Seoul.
　

South Korean protester in a cow outfit4 holds a placard during a candlelight vigil against US beef imports in front of the Seoul City Hall, South Korea, 04 June 2008

Sohn Hak-kyu, chairman of South Korea's United New Democratic Party, says U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Alexander Vershbow is "impolite and arrogant⁵."

He says remarks like the ones Vershbow made this week are an "insult to all South Koreans." Sohn's anger was raised by the American ambassador suggesting South Koreans need to be aware of the scientific facts about American beef.

The remarks referred to what is easily the most explosive political issue of the moment on the South Korean domestic front - plans by the government to resume the import of U.S. beef.

Tens of thousands of protesters have taken to the street and blocked main traffic thoroughfares on an almost nightly basis, recently, to condemn⁶ the import plan. They maintain that American beef poses a risk of transmitting the fatal brain condition known as "mad cow disease."

Their insistence⁷ on that danger has been fueled by numerous factors: sympathy with struggling South Korean cattle farmers; anger at South Korean President Lee Myung-bak; an undercurrent of anti-American nationalism; and a tornado⁸ of Internet rumors⁹ about U.S. beef, ranging from the humorous to the hysterical¹⁰.

The one thing that has failed to back these very vocal¹¹ protests in any significant way is hard science. One U.S. animal was found to have mad cow disease, in 2003. However, out of hundreds of millions of consumers, there has never been a single known case of mad cow-style brain infection resulting from eating American beef.

It was this absence of scientifically proven risk Ambassador Vershbow was referencing in his comments Tuesday night, made after his meeting with South Korea's Foreign Minister.

"We hope that Koreans will begin to learn more about the science and about the facts of American beef and that this issue can be addressed constructively," Vershbow said. "Clearly there is a lot of work ahead in getting people to pay more attention to the science and to the facts of the matter."

U.S. officials in Seoul have since clarified Vershbow's remark, saying the work ahead is to be done not by Koreans, but by American officials in raising public awareness¹² of U.S. beef safety.

The angry response of South Korean liberal politicians illustrates¹³ how emotionally charged the battle lines over this issue have become. Lawmakers from a minority far-left party stood outside the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, Wednesday, demanding Vershbow apologize - warning if he does not, he might be kept out of the country, just like American beef.

1 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

2 electrified   

v.使电气化( electrify的过去式和过去分词 )；使兴奋

参考例句：

• The railway line was electrified in the 1950s. 这条铁路线在20世纪50年代就实现了电气化。
• The national railway system has nearly all been electrified. 全国的铁路系统几乎全部实现了电气化。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

4 outfit   

n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装

参考例句：

• Jenney bought a new outfit for her daughter's wedding.珍妮为参加女儿的婚礼买了一套新装。
• His father bought a ski outfit for him on his birthday.他父亲在他生日那天给他买了一套滑雪用具。

5 arrogant   

adj.傲慢的，自大的

参考例句：

• You've got to get rid of your arrogant ways.你这骄傲劲儿得好好改改。
• People are waking up that he is arrogant.人们开始认识到他很傲慢。

6 condemn   

vt.谴责，指责；宣判(罪犯)，判刑

参考例句：

• Some praise him,whereas others condemn him.有些人赞扬他，而有些人谴责他。
• We mustn't condemn him on mere suppositions.我们不可全凭臆测来指责他。

7 insistence   

n.坚持；强调；坚决主张

参考例句：

• They were united in their insistence that she should go to college.他们一致坚持她应上大学。
• His insistence upon strict obedience is correct.他坚持绝对服从是对的。

8 tornado   

n.飓风，龙卷风

参考例句：

• A tornado whirled into the town last week.龙卷风上周袭击了这座城市。
• The approaching tornado struck awe in our hearts.正在逼近的龙卷风使我们惊恐万分。

9 rumors   

n.传闻( rumor的名词复数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷v.传闻( rumor的第三人称单数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷

参考例句：

• Rumors have it that the school was burned down. 有谣言说学校给烧掉了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Rumors of a revolt were afloat. 叛变的谣言四起。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 hysterical   

adj.情绪异常激动的，歇斯底里般的

参考例句：

• He is hysterical at the sight of the photo.他一看到那张照片就异常激动。
• His hysterical laughter made everybody stunned.他那歇斯底里的笑声使所有的人不知所措。

11 vocal   

adj.直言不讳的；嗓音的；n.[pl.]声乐节目

参考例句：

• The tongue is a vocal organ.舌头是一个发音器官。
• Public opinion at last became vocal.终于舆论哗然。

12 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

13 illustrates   

给…加插图( illustrate的第三人称单数 )； 说明； 表明； （用示例、图画等）说明

参考例句：

• This historical novel illustrates the breaking up of feudal society in microcosm. 这部历史小说是走向崩溃的封建社会的缩影。
• Alfred Adler, a famous doctor, had an experience which illustrates this. 阿尔弗莱德 - 阿德勒是一位著名的医生，他有过可以说明这点的经历。 来自中级百科部分