2006年VOA标准英语-US Envoy Extends Stay in Beijing for North Kore

By Kurt Achin
Beijing
20 December 2006

Washington's chief delegate to multinational¹ talks on ending North Korea's nuclear weapons capabilities² has agreed to extend his stay in Beijing for more discussions than previously³ scheduled. The United States and its regional partners are focusing on the specific steps each nation needs to take to bring to fruition Pyongyang's promise to denuclearize. VOA's Kurt Achin has more from Beijing, where the talks are taking place.

Christopher Hill, left, walks past Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing, right, during a meeting in Beijing, 20 Dec. 2006

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill was upbeat Wednesday about the ongoing⁴ nuclear talks in Beijing, saying he has accepted a Chinese proposal to keep the talks going until at least Friday.

"The discussions for us have been very useful in the last day, day and a half. I think it's worth our while to continue on this," he said.

China, Russia, the United States, South Korea and Japan are meeting here for a sixth formal time in three years to try to persuade North Korea to live up to its pledges to be nuclear-weapons free, in exchange for financial and diplomatic benefits.

Hill said he was far more optimistic Wednesday than on Monday, the opening day of the talks, when North Korea declared itself a nuclear power and demanded all United Nations and United States sanctions against it be lifted.

"I felt when we started Monday morning - to be frank, Monday was kind of a difficult day - and the idea that I'd still be here Wednesday night telling you it was useful to continue - I frankly⁵ didn't think I would be saying that," he said.

In September of last year, North Korea signed an agreement with the five nations in which it agreed in principle to dismantle⁶ its nuclear capabilities within a framework of dialogue and cooperation. Hill says the focus of this week's talks is finding real steps Pyongyang can take to actually implement⁷ that promise.

"Certainly, we are talking about much more than agreeing on things on paper, we're discussing actual developments on the ground," he added.

Hill declined to provide details at this point about what those steps may be. However, experts say they may involve Pyongyang freezing its main nuclear reactor⁸, in exchange for certain security guarantees by the United States. North Korea has long based its pursuit of nuclear weapons on its perception of a "hostile attitude" by the United States. Washington says it has no plans to attack the North.

Hill says what is important is for the process to be set in motion soon.

Hill: "It's requiring people to do things within specific amounts of time."

Achin: "What kind of specific amounts of time?"

Hill: "We think things should get under way within... boy, do I want to give a date. No, I'm not going to give you a date."

Achin: "A year?"

Hill: "No, it's a lot shorter than a year."

One of North Korea's key demands is an end to financial steps Washington says it took to protect its banking⁹ system from money laundering¹⁰ and counterfeiting¹¹ by Pyongyang.

Senior U.S. Treasury¹² Official Daniel Glaser said Wednesday the talks he has held with his North Korean counterparts on the sidelines of the six-party negotiations¹³ were "businesslike and useful." Glaser planned to return to Washington Thursday, but says the two delegations¹⁴ may meet again next month in New York.

1 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。

2 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

3 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

4 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

5 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

6 dismantle   

vt.拆开，拆卸；废除，取消

参考例句：

• He asked for immediate help from the United States to dismantle the warheads.他请求美国立即提供援助，拆除这批弹头。
• The mower firmly refused to mow,so I decided to dismantle it.修完后割草机还是纹丝不动，于是，我决定把它拆开。

7 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

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 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。

10 laundering   

n.洗涤（衣等），洗烫（衣等）；洗（钱）v.洗（衣服等），洗烫（衣服等）( launder的现在分词 )；洗（黑钱）（把非法收入改头换面，变为貌似合法的收入）

参考例句：

• Separate the white clothes from the dark clothes before laundering. 洗衣前应当把浅色衣服和深色衣服分开。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He was charged with laundering money. 他被指控洗钱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 counterfeiting   

n.伪造v.仿制，造假( counterfeit的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He was sent to prison for counterfeiting five-dollar bills. 他因伪造5美元的钞票被捕入狱。 来自辞典例句
• National bureau released securities, certificates with security anti-counterfeiting paper technical standards. 国家质量技术监督局发布了证券、证件用安全性防伪纸张技术标准。 来自互联网

12 treasury   

n.宝库；国库，金库；文库

参考例句：

• The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
• This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。

13 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。

14 delegations   

n.代表团( delegation的名词复数 )；委托，委派

参考例句：

• In the past 15 years, China has sent 280 women delegations abroad. 十五年来，中国共派280批妇女代表团出访。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• The Sun Ray decision follows the federal pattern of tolerating broad delegations but insisting on safeguards. “阳光”案的判决仿效联邦容许广泛授权的做法，但又坚持保护措施。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法