VOA标准英语2008年-US Secretary of State Says More Answers Needed

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says North Korean steps this week related to its nuclear weapons are positive - but that more cooperation is needed in the future. VOA's Kurt Achin reports from Seoul, where she is meeting with the South Korean President and key foreign policy ministers.
　
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice during news conference in Seoul, 28 Jun 2008

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says North Korea needs to be more forthcoming about its nuclear past.

During Saturday's visit to the South Korean capital, she said documents Pyongyang has provided to the United States include some references to a suspected highly enriched uranium, or HEU, program. They also partially¹ address North Korea's activities to help other countries develop nuclear technology. But Rice says what the North has provided is not enough.

"Concerning those two issues - HEU and proliferation - I have said before and I will say again, that we don't have the answers that we need about either, but I expect that the North will live up to the obligation that it has undertaken to take those concerns seriously and to address them."

The United States believes North Korea helped Syria build a nuclear production facility, which Israeli warplanes bombed earlier this year.

North Korea submitted an overdue² declaration of its nuclear production this week, as part of multinational³ negotiations⁴ aimed at ending its nuclear capabilities⁵ altogether. It deals mainly with North Korea's production of plutonium, concentrated at its Yongbyon facility.

In May, North Korea turned over thousands of pages of operating records from Yongbyon to the United States. On Friday, in a highly symbolic⁶ public display, the North blew up the facility's cooling tower.
　
S. Koreans watch television broadcasting demolition⁷ of N. Korea's cooling tower at its main nuclear reactor⁸ complex, 27 Jun 2008

What North Korea has not yet done is clarify how many nuclear weapons it has, and where they are. Rice says those tasks, are to be accomplished⁹ at future rounds of multinational talks.

"Let me just emphasize again - at the end of this, we have to have the abandonment of all programs, weapons, and materials," she said.

Separately, Rice said protests over the resumption of U.S. beef imports will not harm the two countries' relationship. She says Washington will continue to cooperate with South Korea to build consumer confidence in the safety of U.S. beef, and to ratify¹⁰ a much broader two-way trade liberalization deal. Police in the South Korean capital braced¹¹ Saturday for another weekend of street demonstrations¹² against the import resumption.

 

1 partially   

adv.部分地，从某些方面讲

参考例句：

• The door was partially concealed by the drapes.门有一部分被门帘遮住了。
• The police managed to restore calm and the curfew was partially lifted.警方设法恢复了平静，宵禁部分解除。

2 overdue   

adj.过期的，到期未付的；早该有的，迟到的

参考例句：

• The plane is overdue and has been delayed by the bad weather.飞机晚点了，被坏天气耽搁了。
• The landlady is angry because the rent is overdue.女房东生气了，因为房租过期未付。

3 multinational   

adj.多国的，多种国籍的；n.多国籍公司，跨国公司

参考例句：

• The firm was taken over by a multinational consulting firm.这家公司被一个跨国咨询公司收购。
• He analyzed the relationship between multinational corporations and under-developed countries.他分析了跨国公司和不发达国家之间的关系。

4 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

5 capabilities   

n.能力( capability的名词复数 )；可能；容量；[复数]潜在能力

参考例句：

• He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities. 他有点自大，自视甚高。 来自辞典例句
• Some programmers use tabs to break complex product capabilities into smaller chunks. 一些程序员认为，标签可以将复杂的功能分为每个窗格一组简单的功能。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

6 symbolic   

adj.象征性的，符号的，象征主义的

参考例句：

• It is symbolic of the fighting spirit of modern womanhood.它象征着现代妇女的战斗精神。
• The Christian ceremony of baptism is a symbolic act.基督教的洗礼仪式是一种象征性的做法。

7 demolition   

n.破坏,毁坏,毁坏之遗迹

参考例句：

• The church has been threatened with demolition for years. 这座教堂多年来一直面临拆毀的威胁。
• The project required the total demolition of the old bridge. 该项目要求将老桥完全拆毁。

8 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。

9 accomplished   

adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的

参考例句：

• Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
• Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。

10 ratify   

v.批准，认可，追认

参考例句：

• The heads of two governments met to ratify the peace treaty.两国政府首脑会晤批准和平条约。
• The agreement have to be ratify by the board.该协议必须由董事会批准。

11 braced   

adj.拉牢的v.支住( brace的过去式和过去分词 )；撑牢；使自己站稳；振作起来

参考例句：

• They braced up the old house with balks of timber. 他们用梁木加固旧房子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The house has a wooden frame which is braced with brick. 这幢房子是木结构的砖瓦房。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。