VOA标准英语2009年-US Diplomat Arrives in Seoul Ahead of

 

Ambassador Stephen Bosworth will try to bring the Kim Jong Il government back to six-nation talks on giving up its nuclear weapons, which North Korea abandoned

Jason Strother | Seoul 07 December 2009

U.S. President Barack Obama's special envoy¹ for North Korea, Stephen Bosworth, center, arrives for his North Korea trip for talks aimed at restarting nuclear disarmament negotiations², at Incheon International airport in Incheon, west of Seoul, 6 Dec. 2009

Washington's special representative to North Korea has arrived in the South Korean capital ahead of talks in Pyongyang. The envoy will try to bring the Kim Jong Il government back to six-nation talks on giving up its nuclear weapons, which North Korea abandoned.
 
Ambassador Stephen Bosworth met Monday with South Korea's six-party talks negotiator Wi Sung-lac ahead of his trip to North Korea on Tuesday. 

In Pyongyang, Bosworth will try to persuade North Korea to return to nuclear disarmament talks with South Korea, the U.S., China, Japan and Russia.

North Korea said earlier this year it would never to return to those negotiations. However, the country's leader, Kim Jong Il, reportedly told China's premier³ in October that depending on how talks with Bosworth go, he might reconsider.
  
There is concern in Seoul that Pyongyang's insistence⁴ on holding bilateral⁵ talks with Washington could drive a wedge between the U.S. and South Korea.  But some foreign policy analysts⁶ say there is little to fear.

Lho Kyungsoo lectures in international politics at Seoul National University. 

"I don't think there is any worry Ambassador Bosworth's visit to North Korea will somehow detract from our efforts," Lho said. "Whoever makes steps forward with North Korea is not as important as making a difference with North Korea.  And I don't think our interests are any different from the American ones in terms of North Korea."

After walking away from the six-party talks, North Korea tested its second nuclear device.  The United Nations Security Council later imposed sanctions on Pyongyang, which have impeded⁷ its efforts to sell conventional weapons abroad, a major source of income for the cash-strapped nation.  Since then, North Korea has cooled its hostile rhetoric⁸ and offered to engage with the United States and South Korea.
 
Some foreign policy experts in South Korea think the sanctions have forced Pyongyang to consider coming back to the negotiating table.
 
Choi Kang is director of American studies at the Institute for Foreign Affairs and National Security in South Korea. 

"North Korea changed their behavior and words from mid-July, that's the point U.N. Security Council resolution 1874, to be implemented," Choi said. "Since then they actually launched a charm offensive to the outside, a peace offensive, I think they felt some pain coming from the implementation⁹ of the U.N. Security Council resolution."  
 
North Korea has indicated that it will not return to the six-party talks until the U.S. signs a peace agreement to officially end the Korean War.  Fighting ended in 1953 with only a cease-fire agreement. 
 
Washington says that Bosworth will not engage in peace talks during this visit.

 

1 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

2 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。

3 premier   

adj.首要的；n.总理，首相

参考例句：

• The Irish Premier is paying an official visit to Britain.爱尔兰总理正在对英国进行正式访问。
• He requested that the premier grant him an internview.他要求那位总理接见他一次。

4 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。

5 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。

6 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

7 impeded   

阻碍，妨碍，阻止( impede的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Work on the building was impeded by severe weather. 楼房的施工因天气恶劣而停了下来。
• He was impeded in his work. 他的工作受阻。

8 rhetoric   

n.修辞学，浮夸之言语

参考例句：

• Do you know something about rhetoric?你懂点修辞学吗？
• Behind all the rhetoric,his relations with the army are dangerously poised.在冠冕堂皇的言辞背后，他和军队的关系岌岌可危。

9 implementation   

n.实施，贯彻

参考例句：

• Implementation of the program is now well underway.这一项目的实施现在行情看好。