VOA标准英语2008年-WFP Calls on S. Korea to Provide Food Aid to No

The World Food Program has called on South Korea to provide $60 million in aid for North Korea. The United Nations agency says the isolated¹ state is facing its worst food shortage in a decade. Jason Strother has more from Seoul.

The South Korean Unification Ministry² said Thursday it has received a formal request from the World Food Program to provide assistance to North Korea.
　
Malnourished children at an orphanage³ in Chongjin City, 20 Jun 2008

The agency is asking for dried milk, cooking oil, soybeans and corn to send to more than six million people affected⁴ by North Korea's worsening food shortage.

South Korea had been North Korea's biggest donor⁵ until conservative President Lee Myung-bak took office in February. His administration wanted to end the practices of two previous presidents conservatives accuse of unconditionally⁶ handing out aid to Pyongyang.

Erica Kang, spokeswoman for the group Good Friends, which aims to help North Koreans, says she hopes the WFP's request will pressure Mr. Lee to act fast.

"I think it is mandatory⁷ for the South Korean government to support the North Korean people and provide humanitarian⁸ assistance as soon as possible," she said.

But the WFP may have to wait for an answer.

South Korean officials say the government has yet to decide on its response. There could be considerable public opinion against sending aid.

Many South Koreans were shocked by the shooting death last month of a tourist at North Korea's Mount Kumgang resort. Pyongyang says the 53-year-old South Korean woman strayed into a restricted military zone, where guards shot her. The North Korean government has denied Seoul's request for a joint⁹ investigation¹⁰.

Kang says that despite political tensions, South Koreans will want to help their neighbors.

"If the South Korean government is actually ethically¹¹ and humanitarian conscious, they would need to provide humanitarian assistance wherever it is needed, not to wait for any sort of public opinion," Kang said.

Poor weather and economic mismanagement have caused food shortages in North Korea for more than a decade, and Pyongyang relies on international aid to help feed its people. However, aid agencies and some donor nations have complained that the Stalinist government does not allow them to monitor where aid goes and to ensure it reaches those most in need.

Seoul pledged to send thousands of tons of corn to North Korea earlier this year, but Pyongyang never accepted the offer.

 

1 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

2 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

3 orphanage   

n.孤儿院

参考例句：

• They dispensed new clothes to the children in the orphanage.他们把新衣服发给孤儿院的小孩们。
• They gave the proceeds of the sale to the orphanage.他们把销售的收入给了这家孤儿院。

4 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

5 donor   

n.捐献者；赠送人；(组织、器官等的)供体

参考例句：

• In these cases,the recipient usually takes care of the donor afterwards.在这类情况下，接受捐献者以后通常会照顾捐赠者。
• The Doctor transplanted the donor's heart to Mike's chest cavity.医生将捐赠者的心脏移植进麦克的胸腔。

6 unconditionally   

adv.无条件地

参考例句：

• All foreign troops must be withdrawn immediately and unconditionally. 所有外国军队必须立即无条件地撤出。
• It makes things very awkward to have your girls going back unconditionally just now! 你们现在是无条件上工，真糟糕！ 来自子夜部分

7 mandatory   

adj.命令的；强制的；义务的；n.受托者

参考例句：

• It's mandatory to pay taxes.缴税是义务性的。
• There is no mandatory paid annual leave in the U.S.美国没有强制带薪年假。

8 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

9 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

10 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

11 ethically   

adv.在伦理上，道德上

参考例句：

• Ethically , we have nothing to be ashamed about . 从伦理上说，我们没有什么好羞愧的。
• Describe the appropriate action to take in an ethically ambiguous situation. 描述适当行为采取在一个道德地模棱两可的情况。