VOA标准英语2008年-UN Says N. Korea Ejects Inspectors From Nuclear

North Korea has taken dramatic steps toward fulfilling its threat to resume production of nuclear weapons material. VOA's Kurt Achin reports from Seoul.
　
North Korea's spent nuclear fuel rods kept in cooling pond are seen at nuclear facilities in Yongbyon, in this 1996 file photo, released from Yonhap

The International Atomic Agency, or IAEA, confirms North Korea has ended international supervision¹ of activities at its main nuclear reprocessing facility in Yongbyon. Melissa Fleming, a spokeswoman for the U.N. agency, confirms it has complied with North Korea's demand to remove seals and cameras.

"There are no more seals and surveillance equipment in place at the reprocessing facility," she said.

Fleming says the North has disclosed plans for the facility in the near future.

"The DPRK has also informed the IAEA inspectors² that they plan to introduce nuclear material to the reprocessing plant in one week′s time," she said. "They further stated that from here on the IAEA inspectors will have no further access to the reprocessing plant."

South Korean officials say they are very concerned about North Korea's actions, which pose a serious challenge to an international deal aimed at ending its nuclear weapons capabilities³.

Pyongyang promised South Korea, the United States, Japan, China and Russia last year it would fully⁴ disable the Yongbyon facility, and declare its nuclear programs as a step toward eliminating them altogether. After submitting the declaration months past the agreed deadline, North Korea has refused to agree on a set of steps for outside teams to verify that the declaration is accurate.

The United States says it will not remove North Korea from a State Department list of nations accused of sponsoring terrorism until there is a verification agreement. North Korea says the verification issue is separate from Washington's promise to remove it from the terror list. In recent weeks, it has threatened to restart the Yongbyon reactor⁵, and says it is no longer interested in being removed from the U.S. list.

South Korea has hinted it may delay energy and other assistance it committed to provide North Korea under the six-nation deal. That could further constrict⁶ North Korea's impoverished⁷ economy, which has endured strict international sanctions since Pyongyang tested its first nuclear weapon in 2006.

 

1 supervision   

n.监督，管理

参考例句：

• The work was done under my supervision.这项工作是在我的监督之下完成的。
• The old man's will was executed under the personal supervision of the lawyer.老人的遗嘱是在律师的亲自监督下执行的。

2 inspectors   

n.检查员( inspector的名词复数 )；（英国公共汽车或火车上的）查票员；（警察）巡官；检阅官

参考例句：

• They got into the school in the guise of inspectors. 他们假装成视察员进了学校。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Inspectors checked that there was adequate ventilation. 检查员已检查过，通风良好。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 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

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 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。

6 constrict   

v.压缩，收缩，阻塞

参考例句：

• Men and women alike have been constricted by traditional sexual roles.男性和女性同样受到传统性别角色的束缚。
• Severe migraine can be treated with a drug which constricts the blood vessels.严重的偏头疼可以用一种收缩血管的药物进行治疗。

7 impoverished   

adj.穷困的，无力的，用尽了的v.使（某人）贫穷( impoverish的过去式和过去分词 )；使（某物）贫瘠或恶化

参考例句：

• the impoverished areas of the city 这个城市的贫民区
• They were impoverished by a prolonged spell of unemployment. 他们因长期失业而一贫如洗。 来自《简明英汉词典》